The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1894-06-14

An Adobe Cabin In the Shade of "a Sprrad-
ing Oak Up Il Santa Monica Canyon Shell
tcrs Sam Carson, I,is Indian Wife md
Thcir Dark Browed Offspring.
When old Kit Carson died, full Of
years and Indian fights, he left q son,
who' resting content with tho name
which his father had won, botook him
self far from the strife Of this world and
built him homo under tho suns of
southern California. Far up in ono of
the canyons Of Santa Monica he cut
down few sturdy ccdars and built his
shcltor. Then ho covered it with tho
mud which he dug from tho bed of tho
mountain torrent flowing noisily at tho
bottom OF tho canyon. His house was on
the hillside overlooking the stream and
was shaded by o hugo live oak, which
spead its branches this way and that for
his half Indian children to sit and
swing upon.
This was tho homo Of Sam Carson.
and just before ho built his adobe he
had taken to vito n comely Indian wom-
an whose tribo for centuries had lived
in the foothills Of tho Sierras Santa
Monica, whence they could look out
upon the blue Pacific, with Santa Cata.
lima rising, a blue hump in tho ocean,
30 miles away
a wanderer up the canyon green un-
der tho warm February sun found Nine.
Carson sitting placidly OH n stump in
an onion field, mending her lords jeans.
She was Indian, and Indianlike was
Wrinkled and worn and bent, though
her eyes were still bright and sparkling.
She looked at least GO years old rs she
sat there, glancing cannily at me and
then pointing out the ravages which
storm and fire had made in past years
She put her sowing down OH her knee
and i'll 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 threo little dark browed
children that We're chasing ono another
along tho hills crest, their chubby
bodies silhouettcd against tho bluo sky
beyond.
'Minc-all mine" she said proudly,
''Sam's and minc. I havo had seven
children, four grown, three littlo Sec?'
and she pointed her wrinkled finger at
the youngsters, now rolling gleefully
down the hillside.
'Trantulas, chil'rcn!' she screamed.
''T raMtulaS like the warm earth ON the
| sunny hills aud como cut and sting
sometimes little chil'rcn dead," she ox-
planned, and then she started sewing
again, leaving the youngsters and tho
tarantulas to their own devices.
''lIuw-how old arc you?" tho visitor
vcnturcd.
The old woman dug thoughtfully into
tho dirt with one of hcr brown toes
Then she drcw it back hastily beneath
her skirt and looked over at tho moun-
tainH. Maybe 49," she said, with a
sudden smile.
'Oh, no. not so much as that "
She thought again for long time,
watching the Pacific cleaning in the
sunlight. "Well, maybe 80 then," and
sho smiled contentedly.
The ocean breeze blew up tho canyon,
bringing with it tho faint roar OF tho
breakers. Occasionally ono could hear
the crack Of II rifle at which tho old
Indian woman never failed to glance up
quickly. Her sewing was almost dono
when Sam Carson, her husband, walked
out Of the thiclets up the canyon and
stalked lazily across the field, gun in
hand and ~ small yellow dog at his
heels. The wife arose quickly, and Sam
sat down OH the smooth stump Ho was
as brown as his Indian wife, his hair
was gray, and his beard was grizzled
He spoke in n low toned, deliberate fash.
ion, us most people do who live long
under a scmitropic sun.
'Do you sec that little cur?" he said.
"That darMed little dog has just killed
wildcat" and tho son Of the old scout
wiped his brow and prepared to tell tho
rest of his story. Flo had q reputation
for thrilling and impossible tales.
Me and Baldy--I named him after
the old mountain over there-mo and
l3aldy, VIC was a-slyin through the un.
derbr',sh. thought I'd shoot some
gophers just for luck. Well, sir, was
standin i'll front of n big live oak, way
mp the canyon there where it gets narrcr,
All Of Il suddin l heard u whirrin noise
in tho air. I Looked mp, and bless mo
| if there wasn't big wildcat flying right
down Oh me. gave ono jump, but I
| expected the cat would have mo the next
lick. Oh sho wos.a big III, Pm tellin
you.
But Baldy was there. Ho just sailed
into that cat. My, how Badly did shake
her. and Sam carcssingly SHE'D q
lump of dirt at tho diminutivo ours
nose 1t would have been al unpardon.
anlo insult to suggest that any wildcat
would have mado two mouthfuls of little
Baldy w. ''>>''
Did Baldy kill hcr?'
AS dead as q SNAIL" said Sam
"Wcl', wh"rc is the skin Of tho cot
anyway asked
'Baldy chcWcd him all up," said
Sam thoughtrully. "Chcwcd him all
up. 'TWasn't worth bringin home"
and haMd'ng his riilo TO his wife to car
ry Sam walked slowly back among tho
onion slonnts and disappeared with her
III the cabin under the big oak. Cor.
New York IriDunc.
| Fencing little Ones.
| Fencing il the latest fad for littlo
giri., Whore O,,i,rkistIrS layo long brcn