The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-03-05
HE WANTED A BIBLE.
Eighteen Indians in Bear Traps WI
Needed Consolation.

HE WANTED A BIBLE.
Eighteen Indians In Bear Traps Who
Needed Consolation.
The train had sidetracked to let the
east-bound have a clear track, when an
old man, having a Winchester rifle on
his shoulder and wearing a cap of puma
fur. came galloping up on a mule. He
dismounted at the platform, hitched
his animal and gave his rifle to a man
TO hold and then came through the cars
to inquire:
Does it so happen that any of you
folks hev got a Bible to spar'?"
The Union Pacific hadn't got to car
rying Bibles on its ears al that date,
and few. If any, of the passengers ever
provided themselves with anything out
side the regulation novel. He couldn't
find Q Bible on the train, much to his
disappointment, and / for one followed
him out of the a to ascertain what
emergency had arisen to demand one.
"Well. you see," he exclaimed. 81
live over here about thirteen miles.
I'm developin' a claim and ! live all
alone"
"Why, I should think the Indians
would have had your scalp long before
this?" exclaimed a passenger.
"Yes, you'd although 80, but they
haven't" said the old man, as he re-
moved his cap to feel If his scalp had
got away. Its about Injuns I was
goin' to tell you. They have killed off
most everybody around where / be, and
are still at it. II it wasn't fur Injuns l
wouldn't want hat Bible"
what have Indians and Bibles got
10 do with each other?"
"Nawthin', but they orter have.
You see, I've bin expectin' to be at
tackled, and SO two nights ago 1 set
eighteen bar traps around my cabin.
That night the Injuns cum. and next
mornin' l woke up to find eighteen In
juns in them eighteen traps, each one
caught by both feet. SIGH q lot of dis
gusted-lookin' Injuns nobody ever saw
before"
do you mean to say you actually
caught eighteen Indians?" demanded a
passenger, as he pushed his way into
the circle.
81 hain't given to lynn about SIGH
things" dryly replied the old man.
"'Tain't but thirteen miles over thar,
and them eighteen Injuns is a-standin'
thar in the traps yit. Mebbe some of
you want to go over and see emp"
But about the Bibles?" | asked.
wall, l sorter thought this way:
Here is eighteen Injuns who want to
kill. They don't know no better,
havin' bin brung up in ~wickedness.
I've cotched 'em, and they ar mine to
kill, but wouldn't it be better to read
EN- a few chapters out of the Bible
and let 'em go? Wouldn't it be better
to try to turn 'em from the evil Of
their ways than to slay 'em? That's
the way I've reasoned, and / left EN-
all standin' thar and rode over here
hopin' to find a Bible among the
crowd"
Nobody said anything in reply, and
he looked around and continued:
THE trouble with me is that / can't
remember much about the Sc%ripturs.
About the only thing 1 can recall is
Honor thy father and thy mother but
that don't hit Injuns, you know. I've
got to read EN- about ten solid chapters
to make an impression. However, as l
can't find a Bible among you. 1 s'pose l
must go back and kill 'em. 'Twon't do
to let no eighteen onregenerated Injuns
loose without purity good security"
"Why, man, you don't mean that you
are going back to murder those Indians
in cold blood?" exclaimed the pink-whis-
kered passenger who had lower No. 6 in
my ear.
Got to. ANY of you want to ride over
and kill a sheer of the crowd? I'll lend
We a knife"
A committee at once went to the
conductor, and the conductor found a
gallon jug somewheres and a man car
ried 1t through the train until it was
flied from the various TASKS. Then it
was handed to the old man, who
strapped it to his mule, and said:
wall, / don't want to seem to be on
human. OF course it's risky to let
them eighteen varmints loose without
being converted, but bein' as you seem
inclined to give EN- one more chance,
and bein' as you have tried to make it
pleasant fur me, I'll go back and tell
'em to skip"
And as he rode off and we all stood
looking after him a woman asked the
conductor if he really believed the
man had caught eighteen Indians as
stated.
It's Just possible, ma'am," he re-
piled.
But l hardly think so. I don't hon
estly believe he caught over ten, and
some of them might have been old In
dams at that"-M. Quad, in N. Y.
World.