The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-26
CITIZEN TWO TWINS"

s"Ahh WoAe hSViHR u ETeht tm6 OF ~
in their W Apache way. The world may
acen big to a white boy of 10. but it is all
out of doors to the brown boy of the desert,
and especially IL there are W of him; and
most especially after q raid such az the.e
had been that morning, when the white
folks blood had flowed as freely GA water.
For be it known that. because of the raid,
there were wonderful new things TO play
with-the things that the white childten's
father had bought for his little ones last
Christmas.
Ii was evident that the whole Thacker
family had been CLEANED out.'' Tho Thack-
CTS had known that Geronimo had left the
reservation and was tearing Off scalps all
ovor the country; but they had watched for
him until they had grown weary; and in
the early morning, when one sleeps so
foundry on the desert. they had been set
upon with true Apache fairness, and had,
to all appearances. been wiped off the face
of the earth-the whole elk of them.
Or course the twins had not actually par.
ticipated in the slaughter. They a bean
over the ridge with Squaw Mary, their
mother. when it happened; but Father Jose
had had a big bloody hand il it, so IL was
all in the family. And when the loot began
the twins were not far away, and they
scnmpered in among the ruins with the
rest of the braves and took what they
wanted.
So now they were making merry in Gov
ote canyon, half a mile from the ash pile
that had once been the Thacker cabin, toot-
ing little dead Johnny's trumpet and shak-
ing the baby's rattle, while they flung bits
of poor Mrs. Ibacker's fnery to the breeze,
A strip of tho dead woman's pink ribbon
was tied around each bare. brown waist,
and to 1T hung asilver- plated table knife.
And they danced, and yelled. and footed,
and ratified as only 10-year-old Apaches
can. telling each other over and over again
that the white folks were ali dend-ail dead.
and that the brave Indians ruled the whole
world.
But they were not all dead-not quits.
Up behind that rock, twsnty feet from
where they stood, lay John lhacker him
self, with a bullet in his leg and O great
black hate in his heart that alternated
there with a terrible 1awness that was the
rawer because it was SO very new. 1t was
all 30 frightfuliy fresh. this awful scourpe
that had made raw HIS hoart-all SO fright
fully fresh and new. Ii it were only the
end of next month. Bat it WAS now, Ii
must still be present to him. and perhaps
forever, that awful picture. 1t was still be-
fore his eyes-he could see nothing else.
IAN it ran down her slde-poor dead
Barb'ra's Fide-the blood OF tho toor litt!s
baby. And then thoy-they're all dead now
all five OF my darlings,"
Oh, how eye-searIng was the picture, all
set in red. Even when he covered his eyes
there was still before them that red. The
whole void was red.
The sun crept around the edge Of the rock
and stabbed down upon his NAKED head and
neck. He moved ~ little further aside, and
moving, the corner of his eye took in the
twins. They were SO near at hand and so
anmistakably Apache that another SILVER
shot through him. 1t was only for an instant
that his vision cleared, and then the red
dance before him in great waves and
blotchas, and il WAS some little time before
he could SEQ the small Indiana again. But
MINIMIZING stares and keenly shot slances
did clenr things up again, and he saw that
the dread enemy was before him, making
morry after their feast of blood.
"Why, it's them Two twins of old Mary's."
no said.
Then his leg drew up suddenly, for a great
throb of pain shot through it and made him
vince ana groan.
oval, the7'ro Jest ordinary, common
Apaohes," he remembered, "and it won't be
more'n q year or two before they'll be-
shootin' and euttin' white folks
He slid the barrel of his rifle over his
body, turned Il little on his left side, his
elbow resting on the ground. The black,
stuhby barrel grated along the lip of the
rock. sliding and dipping Until the riu-
point sight stood precisely on a fine, inisg-
mary line RAINING from the mans right
eye to the nearest twins hrown breast.
The boy was blowing tho trumpe. in a dss.
ultory way, tho newneas of the thing hay
ing worn of. His black eyes were
dancing under the tangled mat of
black hair that crowned his ugl,
little head. In those eyes the man
behind the rock saw the same hight that he
Ind seen in the eyes of the sInyer that
morning, and his cheek Rugged the butt of
the rife lovingly. while his foreilnprr
reached forward an inch and lowered about
the trigger. That the boy should still have
stood there unharnled at the end of a min
ute was 80 astonishing to the man az IL
would have been to any oulooker who knew
what was in his heart aud could 500 the raw
OF it reflected in those bloodshot eyes.
1t Wac only the cook of Il finger
and the boy would be out OF Che
way, and uuothet bullet would I've ready
for his brother, But even as he tic OF the
finger moved tho fraction of an inch aud
rested lightly on the trigger there was Il
shnrp whlrr in tho bunch of sage nj the
Apnche's side and the thick head of a rat
tIcBnahe circloa slowly out and stopped in
the center Of the coil like the tongue of
n O..
just ready to strike" thoneht Thackor,
save me tho trouble and the. Bus
generally knows 'nough to keep ont
of the way of %rRttlers. The trnmpvt must
have drowned tho warmth"
Tho snakes head swayed a little md n
breeze moved the lesves OF the sage-nlump
lightly. Then n hEuCo stole &C, oss the can.
yos and drew near to the boy, Tbs young
savage saw ii but no paid no heed. 1t was
only his ,nothar, and no held hor in tho
contempt that all Apschos hold women.
Squaw Mary was AZ SQUAT and dirty ia ans
desert naive, aud her stone Jug OF n face
could DO read no %oasiar, but somethinp OF
expression had come 10 her ns she sprauV
ever tina gray sand. Sho had sesn the rat
Tbs man behind the rock saw that look
mud saw that the flame of death would flash
the sage-olump before abe could
tho boy away. for he sasmod deas to