Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-23

ia wal, OF a hunia being
tn direst agony and makssa fellows blood run
cold to hear ii, snd again I've been fooled and
thought it the CRY of q child and rushed to the
rescue to find myself almost in the psws Of .
panther.
In 1880 had some money 70 salt down and
went TO New Mexico to investigate the reported
rich finds in the Magdalenss and rounded up
one day in Bonita Gulch. a small mining camp
up above the foothills in the Magdalena range.
There was at that time great apprehension OF
raids from the Apaches. They were not con-
fined 10 their reservation, but had been raiding
the whole southern part OF the territory, leay-
Ing ruin and devastation in their wake. Few
women were brave enough to face the dangers
Of such life. and those who did accompany
their husbands were like angels OF Eight IN those
dreary mining camps. There were perhaps q
hundred men in Bonita, but only three women.
There had been four, but a month two be-
fore my arrival Mrs. Barnes, a delicate
creature, unused to hardship, had quietly
slipped away from it, and the sur
geon from Fort Craig had pronounced
II heart disease, aggravated by the altitude, but
the boys said it was heart starvation She left
q worthless husband and ten-year-old daugh-
ter, who was one of the brightest, most lovable
children / ever knew. Jim Barnes had been a
man once, 1 suppose. though everybody had
forgotten when. but Babe idolized him, and
when not too drunk he was good to her. The
child had been christened Miriam back on
earth, but being the only kid in camp she was
very soon rechristened Babe. She a pretty
child, womaIlly in her ways, but as innocent Of
the deprayity of the human heart as baby.
Every miner in the country knew and loved her.
MANY of them had children in the states
and Babe crept down into their hardened old
hearts, finding unerringly the little spot that
never closes to winsone childhood. The most
cebased among them would have shed his own
blood tn laba main O0thS stranCifd
at her approach and her adherence OF whisky
was SO carefully regarded that l doubt il she
ever saw one of them, excepting her old sot Of
q father. drink drop. Once fool tenderfoot.
twO-thirds full, offered to kiss her, and it took
him week to recover from the basting the
miners gave him when Babe tearfully told of
the insult.
Babe had q voice ike an oriole and was a
natural born mimic. The birds uuerringly
answered her call, and she could initiate the
noises made by beasts Of prey as to mystify
the wariest of Us and would laugh gleefully at
our discontinue. As one tried to restrain
her she spent most Of her time roaming about
the mountain, on the side of which Bonita was
perched-
July settled down over the Gulch. warming
the great houlders to white heat. The SHIN
mering waves OF light grew garish and weari-
some. and one day, overcome with the intense
sultriness, all work was abandoned and half q
dozen of Us gathered under some trees late in
the afternoon, waiting for old Sol to hide behind
the tallest peaks. Our talk naturally drifted
TO the Indian subject. Two days before San
Jose, only dozen miles away had been raided
BY the Apaches and not even the children had
escaped horrible butchery. Suddenly. far up
the trail. we heard the clear notes of a mockirg
bird i raised on nv elbow to listen, and then
smiled 10 think how even my quick ear had been
deceived for through the interstices of the trees
] saw Babes red dress.
This we're kid goes a-tamperin' round tibet
bresh once too often, an then Bonita hangs
Grape on her door an weeps o whole lot, " re-
cooler place.
"Now yer shoutin', my son. speaks to Jim
Barnes bout this yere myse'f an he allows /
gets away off my base, a-mixin. in his family
affairs, witch regards some troo, an bein' !
amt no International srbertrssin- oemnateee
dro-s cut ofthe game" and Kaintuck pnActp,
ated his remarks by trying to drown young
tarantula in tobacco Juice.
Its q dadbinged outrage" asserted shorty,
angrfly- Shorty was particularly devoted to
Babe because he had little kid down in Texas.
The other day she war up there singin' like Q
eherumbim an couldn't stand it nohow, 70
lays down my pick an trails up after her.
Babe, 1 says, some stern. the 'Pschs'n take
tibet WALLER name Of yourn to braid lariat
ropes some day IL yer amt keerful bout per-
them long braids an LATED fit { kill WHY.
Shorty she said, they wouldn't hurt little
girl ike me-. Now, asks this we're congreg,-
shun what's ter be did with kid like tibet? She
amt no more idee of harm techin' her than
them birds she's imitatin'. She's tibet clipper
an tr,Istin' tibet KANT bear to tell her what q
lot Of ornery cusses there air.
whats thatr'
Almost with voice We broke in on
Shorty's sermonette, jerking our guns ss we
sprang to our feet.
Floating down the mountain had come a low.
waiting -OuuI- stlch nv alaav han IL
cries out in its sleep. We listened brea.hlessly
Again It came, weaker than before, but full Of
suffering.
"'Pachsr' muttered Modoc.
-Panthers, more like" said Broncho Bill
:. The cussed catamoCnts was prowIin' round
this mornin' when Is up to the north drift"
Maybe 1t was Babe fooling Us again." sug-
gested.
''God-a-mighty, I clean forgits the Kid"
groaned shorty hoarsely, paling under the dirt
and tan His love for the child was almost
ferocious. IT m goin' after herr
He had only taken stride or two, with the
rest Of US. at his heels, when Babe appeared at
the edge of the cliff and gazed anxiously out
We shouted to her and she turned into the trail,
where We kept her in sight ~ we climbed to
Barnes cabin, where we met her.
"What were il Babe? 'Pachs er papthers2''
Questioned shorty. as she rushed into his arms
II thought it was a baby at first hut
couldn't find it, she replied, flushing and pal
tnk. Nnifc the tears came into her big blue eyes.
"Do you think it WAS a baby. boys?"
''Diyil q bit. Mavourneen," Emerald replied.
a. he stroked her bright hair. ..Divil Bit of a
babby war thOt. Soon dirthy basic of q red
akin war joost playin yer own game wild ye.''
Yer wings Is sprouted. Babe an a Injun
arrer'll pint yer straight e golden glory. thout
NO stopover. ef We don't quit pervadin' roun'
this yere mountin'. sane 'sef We he'd o quit
claim deed to the sirth, . put in Modoc
The 'Pachs wouldn't want to hurt little
hid ike me, would they, cap tain?'' she asked,
tearfally. as she slipped y brown hand in
mine. II amt never done nothin' to hurt
them"
i sat down and talked to the child explain
Ing the terrible ferocity Of the Indians, and the
Apscbss particularly. and fairly terrified her
into promising that she would not go outside
OF the Gulch till the Indian scare was of again.
But I'm most sure that baby If could
oaly have found it." she insisted Us she aid
from my knee to see IL her father was in sight
down the trail
We fingered till far into the night at Barnes
cabin. fearing 10 go and leave Babe. and she in
sasted on remaining.
dad might need me TO help him." she said
with gentle significance
The sun dropped behind the mountains and
weird purple shadows began to creep I'D the
slopes The pines stood out like sable giants
against the rocky cliffs and the grrgle Of the
little snow rivulet came cooling and pleasant to
the ear. The soft dewy twilight. was over M.
but Across the yallay nm he ,axs -