The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-10-08

BIG JOE'S ATONEMENT.

don't know what allied Big Joe that
afternoon the emigrant family came in
to camp He was sometimes given to
queer whims and notions. and now and
then the devil in him would flash out
in q way to make us keep as far away
from him as possible. He never men
toned home or wife or children as other
men did. and when he heard them speak
of such things he would go off by him
self and sulk like wounded animal !
always believed he had been married
and had happy home, but he had suf-
fered some great wrong and was brood
ing over it.
The emigrant family consisted of
husband and wife and three small chill
dren. The horses were jaded and poor,
the wife and children thoroughly worn
out, and the husband bitterly repented
of the enterprise. We We're in hard
luck at Robinson's Bend just then, but
we could spare them a little. They had
q welcome from all but Big Joe He
had one of his fits on that day, and
when asked to contribute he cursed the
emigrant for fool and hoped him all
sorts of bad luck. Wife and children
were frightened by his violent speech,
and the husband, though realizing that
all the rest of us made him welcome,
hitched up his team and drove on with
in an hour.
An hour before shutdown courier
came into camp from Washoe Flats. to
the east, and reported another raid by
the Indians. They had killed three
prospectors out from Washoe, and he
himself had barely escaped. Big Joe
heard his statement along with the rest
of us; but We had nothing to say. | re-
member that he sat on rock, chin in
his hand, and his eyes on the ground,
and when the rest of us went to supper
he still held his place. Twilight was
coming down when he arose and walked
to his shanty, and four or five minutes
later he reappeared with his rifle in
hand. His face had lost much of its
ugliness by this time, and we dared to
question him.
looked to see if the rife was in order.
''Im goln' down the trail to find that
family and bring. 'em back here. The
fool orter knowed more than to drive
on"
"But you abused him, Joe"
81 didn't mean it for abuse. Folks
hadn't orter be too mighty sensitive out
this way. You are nice set of men to
let that family go drivin' plump into
the arms of the Internal redskins. Why
didn't You smooth it over with the high
strung tenderfoot? Why didn't you III
sist on his staying?"
'Wen go with you, Joe-a dozen of
US"
mo, I'll go alone. II driv 'em away
I'll also bring 'em back. If l hurt his
feelin's I'll AK his pardon
The emigrants would be camped at
the spring, three miles away, and they
would fall an easy prey to the Indians
if attacked We felt that we ought to
go along with Joe, but he insisted on
going alone. l believe he meant to
humbly beg pardon for his rudeness,
and our company would have embar-
raised him. The night came on dark
and clondy, and as a matter of precau-
ton we posted sentinels about the
camp. Not one of us slept till past mid
night, waiting for Joe to return with
to the spring, and it wouldn't take him
over three-quarters of an hour to reach
the camp Allow half an hour for
up and full hour for return
ing, and they ought to have been in by
eleven. We finally concluded that they
had decided to wait for daylight, and
those not detailed for guard duty
turned in.
In the gray of morning the camp was
aroused by the report that rifle firing
had been family heard in the direction /
of the spring. As soon as it was light
enough to pick our way twenty men
started out. We looked for signs of |
Joe or the wagon all the way down the /
trail, but found nothing. We finally |
reached the spring to find our worst !
fears confirmed. The emigrants' horses
lay dead on the grass, their threats cut
with Indian knives. The wagon
had been fired and was now pretty well
burned up On the grass near the
campfire lay the emigrant,
his scalp torn off and half a dozen ar
rows bristling in his dead body. Thirty
feet away lay his wife, tomahawked
and scalped. Beside her was the
youngest child, its head crushed by
blow from a war club. All the bodies
were yet warm. To the south, just at
the edge of a thiclet and at the foot of
q lone tree, we found Big Joe and the
other two children. When the attack
came, or when he realized that success
full resistance could not be made. the
miner had tried to save the little ones.
He had been shot and scalped; the poor
children had been tomahawked.
We had gathered about the body of
Big Joe, horror-stricken at the swift
and bloody butchery, when he sudden
" opened his eyes and we could see his
,hest heave. Water WIS brought and
he drank it, and as his head was
oropped up he whispered:
Were they all wiped out?"
Yes, every one but you"
II couldn't git him to go back" he
yasped. with painful effort" and 500
stayed to die with EN-
More water was offered him. but asst
touched his lips he fell back dead.-N.
/. Sun
The Top Notch of style.
Mrs. Hayrick-Mrs. Lawnmo saws all
he folks at her house this summer is
people.
Mrs Meadow guess it's so. All
he women has dogs, an all tn dogs is