The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-06-28
A son OF KIT CARSON.
HOME AND FAMILY or Al DESCENDANT
or THE FAMOUS SCOUT.

An Adobe Cabin In the Shade ii d apread~
ing Oak UP q Eaafa 1TonIca Canyous shell
tiers saxh Carson. Ris Indian Wlfs and
Their Dark Isrowed Onspring.
When old Kit Carson died fall at
years and Indian fights no left . soa,
who, resting content with the name
which his father had won, betook him
self far from the strife OF this world and
built him q home under tho suns OF
southern California. Far mp ia one OF
the canyons Of Santa Monica he cut
down o few sturdy cedars and built his
shelter. Then he covered 1t with the
mud which he dug from the bed DE the
mountain torrent flowing noisily ut the
bottom of the canyon. Els house was ON
the hillside overlooking the stream and
was shaded by a huge live oak, which
spead its branches this way and that for
his half Indian children 10 sit and
swing upon.
This was the home of Sam Carson,
and just before he built his adobe he
had taken to wife a comedy Indian won
an whose tribe for centuries had lived
in the foothills of the Sierras Santa
Monica, whence they could look out
upon the blue Pacific, with Santa Gaia.
lima rising, a blue hump in the ocean,
30 miles away.
A wanderer up the canyon green I'M
der the warm February sun found Nine.
Carson sitting placidly ON a stump in
an onion field, mending her lord's Jeans.
She was Indian, and Indianlike was
wrinkled and worn and bent, though
her eyes were still bright and sparkling.
She looked at least so years old as she
sat there, glancing cannily at me and
then pointing out the rayages which
storm and fire had made in past years.
She put her sewing down ON her knee
and in broken English, mixed with Mex
lean Spanish and frequent expressive
little grunts. she told me all their trou-
bles Of the past.
The old Indian woman suddenly
turned to watch three little dark browed,
children that were chasing one another
along the hills crest, their chubby
bodies ~silhouetted against the blue sky
beyond. '@.se
"Mine-all mine, " she said proudly,
Sans and mine. I have had seven
children, four grown, three little. Seep''
and she pointed her wrinkled finger nc
the youngsters, now rolling gleefully
down the hillside.
'.T'rantulas, chill renl' she screamed.
"T'rantulas like the warm earth I'm the
sunny hills and come ont and sling
sometimes little chil'ren dead, !. she en-
| planned, and. then she started sewing
again, leaving the youngsters and the
tarantulas TO their own devices.
"How-how old are you?'' the visitor
ventured.
The old woman dug thoughtfully into
the dirt with one Of her brown toes.
Then she drew it back hastily beneath
her skirt and looked over at the noun
tains. Maybe 40. she said. with o
sudden smile.
"Oh, no, not SO much u that.
She thought again for d long time,
watching the Pacific cleaning I'm the
sunlight. "Well, maybe 80 then, ! and
she smiled contentedly.
The ocean breeze blew mp the canyon,
bringing with 1t the faint roar m the
breakers. Occasionally one could hear
the crack of q rifle, at which the old
Indian woman never failed to glance mp
quickly. Her sewing was almost done
when Sam Carson, her husband, walked
out of the thickets MP the canyon and
stalked laxily across the field, gum I'm
hand and q small yellow dog at his
heels The wife arose quickly. and Sam
sat down ON the smooth stump. lie was
q brown as his Indian wife, his hair
was gray, and his beard was gxixzled.
He spoke in o low toned, deliberate fash
ion, o. most people do who live long
under o semitropic sum.
'sDo Jon see that little cur?'' he said.
THAT darned little dog has Just killed q
wildcat, " and the SON Of the old scout
wiped his brow and prepared to tell the
rest of his story. He had o reputation
for thrilling and impossible tales.
ME and Baldy-T named him after
the old mountain over there-me and
Badly, we was a-slyin through the nm
derbrush. ] thought I'd shoot some
gophers just for luck. Well, sir. / was
standin in front OF q big live oak, way
up the canyon there where it gets narrer.
All of a suddin ] heard a whirrin noise
In the air. I looked up, and bless me
If there wasn't q big wildcat flying right
down ON me. I gave one jump, but ]
expected the cat would have me the next
lick Oh, she was . big un. I'm tellin
you
"But Badly was there. He inst sailed
into that cat My, how Badly did shake
her." and Sam ca~ressingly shied d
lump OF dirt at the diminutive Ours
nose. It would have been m unpardon-
able insult 70 suggest that any wildcat
would have made two mouthfuls OF little
Badly.
did Badly kill her9''
"As dead M o small, y said Sam
"Wels. where 10 the akin OF the cat
anywayf'' ! asked.
Badly chewed him ALI up, sid
Sam thooghtfnlly. ..Chswed him nj
mp 'Twasn't worth bFingin home =
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