Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-21
CHAPTER III.
THE tRFD WING

them in a few hours at furthest
struck out west, across the desert tc
the much travelled California road,
which wound along the foothills. Not
California team was in sight. Turn
ing north on the road toward Virginia
City, | pushed forward in the hope of
soon meeting Il string of teams headed
for California.
had followed the road leading to
Virginia City about four miles, to a
point almost in sight of Silver City,
when the music of bells greeted my ears
bells such as are worn by the animals
in the big 10, 10 and IA mule teams.
Soon long string of big teams came
in sight. rolling up with perfect crash
of merrily jingling bells from behind a
piece of rising ground.
On they came, filling the air with the
music of scores of bells of different
tones, till Icounted 10 great teams roll
ing down the descending ground.
AS soon as | had made known to the
teamsters the condition of the emigrant
family there was regular strife about
going to their relief. All were going
back to California with empty wagons,
and all declared they could as we'll as
not take the little emigrant craft in tow
their teams would never know it had
been hooked on behind them.
Only a single team was needed. A
fine, strapping young fellow, about 25
years of age, was driving the leading
team of the train. All the other team
sters were much older and had about
them the subjugated look Of married
men So | said:
Gentlemen, as there is Il confound-
eddy good looking girl over there, and
as most of you appear to be married
men, suppose we say Chat this young
buck goes?' pointing to my young chap.
With shouts of laughter and many
sly jokes, this WAS agreed to at once
and | mounted to Il scat on the wagon
Of my young fellow to act as guide.
My man had team of 10 huge and
splendid mules, all carefully selected
and matched-a team worth small
fortune. Each mule wore housings of
bearskin, and above the names of each
rose a steel bow filled with bells of va
rious sizes and tones. His vehicle was
great prairie schooner, as the i'm
mense freight wagons used in crossing
the Sierras are called, and everything
about both team and wagon was in per-
feet order.
On one side of the wagon-the huge
hull of the craft-was painted in red a
large wing, like the wing of some sea
bird. In explanation of this hieroglyph
my young fellow said, You see. sir,
| call her the Red Wing"
told him the folks out on the desert
would most assuredly look upon him
as an angel, notwithstanding he had
but one wing.
When we reached tho forlorn family
and our huge craft rolled up alongside
their diminutive vehicle, we looked
like "a gun ship bearing down upon
a canoe.
The family had evidently never dream
ed of such a wagon or such an array of
animals for a team. Thomas rose from
his seat on the rock, rubbed his eyes
and gazed upon the whole rig in utter
establishment. The old grandmother
pushed back her immense sunbonnet
and giggled aloud, while the two boys
stood and stared in open mouthed and
SPECIFICS amazement.
Sticking his blacksnake whip under
the housings of his saddle mule, my
teamster, John Henderson by name,
jumped to the ground, and teamsterlike
first of all went to look at the old bald
faced horse.
AS young Henderson walked around
the old horse and surveyed his many
unusual points, his face wore a Gu
rious expression-half sheer, half pity
Going to where the dead mare lay,
he gave her a careless kick, which in,
stantly brought a beseeching Don't,
mister!" from the younger of the boys.
Smiling good humoredly, Henderson
turned away from the mare, and now
for the first time deigned to notice the
human beings present.
WELL" said he, turning to Thomas,
Il s'pose you folks don t care how soon
you get out of here. Ugh with all these
dead cattle about, this is no good camp
ing place.
Said Thomas: II must tell you plain
ly, mister, that We hain't got any mon
ey. We are"--
"Oh, Mumford Oh, Mumford!" cried
the old grandmother, and squatting
upon the ground she began rocking her
self to and fro.
Henderson wheeled about and sur
veyed the rocking figure in amazement.
Then he began to look about in wild
eyed fright. Seeing no one rush to the
old woman's assistance, he stepped to
my side and asked: lis she sick? Does
the old lady have tits?"
"Oh, no, whispered l. "A little pc
culiar, that is all. She enjoys these lit
tie tantrums.
Enjoys them?"
Il suppose so. Mumford was her
husband. They buried the old man at
Green river"
"Ahl Yes, yes, see!" said Hender-
son. Poor old ladyl 1t sets her about
crazyl"
Mary and her mother had both been
watching our movements from the wag
on front, the mother in her anxiety hav-
ing left her couch and crawled forward
on her knees. Evidently mother and
daughter thought, on seeing Henderson
turn away from Thomas and seeing
the old lady again agitating herself upon
the ground, that some hitch had occur
red and that the teamster was, after
all, about to drive away and leave
them on the desert. / heard Mary Fay:
II can stand 1t no longer, motheri
must speak to him! He must help us!'
Then, leaving the sick child beside her
mother, she came rushing to Henderson
with flying hair and streaming eyes.
"Oh, sir, do take us! Don't, for
Gods sake, leave US herel If you will
take us, will do anythingl | will
work for you-l mean for your father
and mother, sir Oh, don't leave US
because we have no money!!
:" have neither father nor mother in
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