The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-19
A PROPHECY.

I
ways snow, but during January, 1881 it
lay so long and so deep that ranchmen and
miners were in despair Tho people at
Phcnix on one day long to be remembered
caught the edge OF storm raging in higher
attitudes, and even in the warm valley
snow fell and lay for some hours among
the yerdant palms and oleanders The like
| had never been known before In the time
of the white inhabitants, and the Mexicnns
! and Indians, whose homes hnd been there
! for centuries, had no traditions among
| them of u similar event.
! But If the snow soon melted in tho val
| leys 1t remained long among the noun
tains, and the Avc Suapais finding their
canyon home uninhAbitablc, left 1t and
came down to camp near Pioneer, where
the air was mildcr and there was chance
of obtaining something to eat from the
| bounty Of the more fortunate. They built
/ themselves temporary houses of brush and
waited patiently until tho unusual snow
in the canyons had melted. Their pres
encc near the town was resented, so strange
is our humanity, and preparations were
made to drive them back like hunted ami
mails. We've got greasers enough to give
the place lack of rospectability without
having a lot of Indians prowling about"
the white people said dis,lainfully.
Mr.. Emerson, young man who had
come to the mountains for lung trouble
and kept small store, but not for his
health, was especially dlsgusted with ono
of the Indians, named Yavapai, who
would persist in sitting on the porch by
| tho store. Hours he would sit there, with
his eyes on the mountains 1t was said
that he had once been a great hunter, but
! his contact with civilization had not been
nj ~ I'M, b..t far nd
lazy, content to rest his powerful frame
upon dry goods box and subsist upon
chance charity. One day, in evaporation
at sight of SO much avoirdupois in con-
stant idleness, Mr.. Emerson ordered tho
Indian from the store. Yayapai drew his
ragged blanket about him in insulted dig
nifty, and with flashing eyes left the place.
| Mr.. Emerson, considering at his leisure,
concluded ho had done an unwisc thing.
He knew by experience little of Indian
nature but he judged from what he had
read that Yavapai would seek revenge
against him by firing his barn, injuring
his stock Or kidnapping the small Frances,
his daughter
A fow days latcr Mrs Emerson, whose
| home was in tho outskirts of tho town,
| saw the Indian standing at her gate. She
had often fed him, being q generous,
whole souled woman who could Rot bear to
see even worthless human being go hun
/ CRY. Yavapal was pointing in the snow to
| tracks which Mrs. Emerson thought to DO
| those of IA dog, but the savage, his intelli-
| gence kccncr In such matters told her
"Coyotesl coyotesu" Mrs. Emerson
glanced with solicitude toward the hen.
house and barnyard When that night she
| told her husband of the occurrence, he
snid: Yes this storm is the worst ever
l II "a 4
beasts out Of their holes in the hills. 1t is
n strange state of affairs We will proba-
| bly, have to go cunning in our own streets
| before the winter ia over" However, Mr..
Emerson did not really believe this and
| went back to his store with no further
thought of his gloomy prediction.
| The next day his wife, sitting at her
| sewing heard a commotion in the adobe
corral where horse was standing, and
| looking out saw YGvapai rushing toward
the house, carrying in his arms little
Frances, who had wandered into the yard.
| He pushed her through the half opened
door and shut it tight, with the loud cry;
| Stay in tho housel Stay in the house!"
= Then he started toward the corral, where
crowd had gathered to see the awful at
| tack upon the poor horse of fierce noun
| tain lion that had wandered from its home
! In the hills Terror drove whites and
| Mrxicans away The Indians alone stood
their ground and with poisoned arrows
| and the guns abandoned by the whites
| tried to kill the dangerous wild animal.
| Yavapni was especially lucky in shooting
tho creature, which, although wounded.
| turned from the now dying fecbly strug-
/ CLING horse and with the quickness of its
| kind reached out its great paw and drug
ged down Yayapai from the top of the
! corral, where he leaned over. The poor
| Indian lay under tho lions paw, his shoul
der torn open in ghastly manner, yet he
| lived and saw the lion, at which all were
now shooting ilcrcely, leap over the corral,
scattering the Indians in every direction,
| and, struggling and writhing, die in the
/ snow The animals carcass was found to
| weigh 300 pounds and measured feet In
| length. Old hunters said 1t was tho
strongest and tlercest Of its kind.
Mr.. Emerson had taken refuge in tho
| barn which adjoined tho corral, and
through an opening in the boards SAW all
the fearful sight lie had not the courage
| to help in the attack nor even the nerve
to leave the spot When all was over and
the Indians had carried Yavapai home,
/ Mr.. Emerson feebly tottered toward his
| house. His wife cried out at sight Of him:
who are you' Oh, what does it meant"
| She looked so wild and mystillcd that the
| horrible thought crossed his mind that
! she, too, having seen the SiCkening, thrill
| ing scene at the corral, in consequence
| had become drrunged. But little Frances,
too, drew back and cried out in fear at
sight of him.
At that moment he saw reflected In a
I mirror opposite the face of an old man,
| with white hair and aged cOuntenanGe
| He turned to see what elderly stranger
| also for the face was his own His brown
! hair was changed to snowy whiteness, and
his altered countcnanoo looked aged al.
most beyond recognition. The memorable
| go minutes by the coral had added more
than 20 years to his appearance Appalled,
| at the spectacle Of his own strange face,
yet guessing quickly the reason of the
change, neryeless as woman, he sauk
swooning to the foor.
| Meanwhile Yayapal was borne to his
( tent. The Indians, being somewhat skilled
in these forms of injuries stopped tho
| flow of blood and cared for him SO faith
| fully that 1t seemed for tine as If he
would get we'll. Bus he did not live AMI
ono morning the others could be seen car
rying him TO his burial At the summit
Of q hill they stopped to rest. A cool wind
was blowing, and suddenly the form Of
iavapai was seen to move. The sayages
were more scared at this than they had
been at the lion. Then the dead man
spoke, Take me humo!"
At this resurrection of the corpse the
superstitious ones iletl away In terror, but
Yavapni,s old wife, true and faithful and
loving IN death as IN life, remained with
him and half bore, half dragged, his form
back to the tent.
Then tho injured Indian commanded tho
womag, Go 70 the door and bring In the
buffalo meat"
But there is 10 meat there she re.
piled.
1t is ON a pony Ut the door, " he persist
ed