The record-union., 1894-10-26
THE SCARE OF I'll.
Written for the REcoRD-UNIoN by Kittie
Jtrlc 1


me for my quilt. Won't this red and
green work in beautifully ?" and Jennie
held up a piece for her mothers inspec-
ton.
Mother Brown surveyed it critically
through her glasses, while Annie. the
maid-of-all-work, pairing apples on the
doorstep, regarded it with look at once
admiring and wistlul.
'rll give you part of it for your quilt,
ANNIE said Jennie, generously.
Annie was what is called, IN the vernac-
ular of the frontier, a "half-breed." She
was the offspring of pretty Piute woman
and a worthless gambler, who suddenly
left for parts unknown soon after Annie 8
advent into this 'vaIe of tears.n Six
"snOws" atterward, the sweat house and
the howling OF medicine man brought
the career of Annie's mother to. an un-
timely end, and kind hearted Mrs. Brown
took the little orphan home.
when Annie was attired in Jennie 8
cast-of clothing and given the toughest
work to do. some people went so far as TO
question the genuineness OF that Chris
tlan spirit TO which her best friends laid
claim for Mrs. Brown.
An Injun is an Injun !" Mrs. Brown
would say. "Annes blood is more
Injun than white. She'd better be raised
an out-and-Out half-breed, that know S
her place and keeps it. than grow up a
nondescript that wouldn't marry an
honest Injun and no decent white man
would marry" And time proved the
wisdom of her words.
The girl was a comely lass. with a low,
plump figure and tiny hands and feet,
whose symmetry no coarse labor would
mar. Her abundant but coarse, black
w nd r iaI n
gay ribbon. Her dark eyes bespoke in
telIigence and u mild and yielding dis
position, and she possessed the modest
demeanor characteristic of the Indian
woman.
From where she sat she could see the
smoke curling from the chimney of a log
cabin mile or SO away, where Johnnie
turner, her handsome Indian lover,
being more farSighted than most of his
lmprovident tribe, had taken possession
OF some forty acres OF the finest meadow
in the valley. In fancy she could see
him cutting slices of bacon or turning
the "Aapjacks'' for dinner, for poor
Johnnie was 'batching it' now; but
when fall came and Johnnie's hay went
10 feed the horses of the garrison, Annie
would be mistress of the cabin. The
sharp knife peeled faster as she thought
OF her unfinished quilt and the pile OF
carpet rags to be torn and sewed.
These pleasant meditaLions were inter
rupted by the opening of the gate and the
entrance OF their nearest neighbor, Mrs.
Josiah Applegate, dealer in the gossip
product of the valley.
mo, thanks Mis- Brown, don't git no
cheer fur me; left my dinner on cookin'
and can't stay but minute. | cum over
tur 10 see ii you've heerd the news. No?
Well, l reckon! Seth Jones was list
tellin' pa that the forts goin' to be aban-
doned this fall, sure and no mistake. lie
aT-Fsi C-ntf fnff fDat D01.,
er's doin's. Pore dainty little feller! He
cain't stand this here Western society,
and he's been movin' heaven and earth
fur to git back East agin.r
Mrs. Applegate gave contemptuous
sniff and famed herself violently with
lersun bonnet.
Mrs. Brown and the girls listened in
dismay, for we'll they knew that the i'm
mediate prosperity of the settlers and
perhaps their personal safety were de-
pendent on the presence of the troops.
hundreds of miles stretched between
them and the nearest railroad, and the
tort was their only market. The country
was thinly settled and the Indians had
always been difficult to hold in check.
At length Mrs. Applegate lett, delighted
with the effect Of her call.
'Oh, mother! DO you think it can be
true?' asked Jennie.
Pm sure / don't know, dear, Father
will know when he gets back from the
fort. But don't worry, dear, before we
tind out the TRUTH" laying her hand
kindly on her girls shoulder as she
noticed something like tears in Jennie's
eyes.
Stored in a closet were numberless
quilts, pieced by Jennie's own nimble
fingers, and a store of bed and table
linen, gathered during the past two years
while she had been waiting for big aWk-
ward but loving Jim Watkins to ''get
enough ahead" to build frame house on
his claim across the river. There great
end OF the ranch, and field of grain was
ripenlng IN the summer sunshine.
The coming of Father Brown con-
firmed the rumor that had brought con
sternation to more than one settler.
"Oh, Jimr' sobbed Jennie that NIGHT
'Just to think of all that nice hay going
to waste! It's too mean of those men i'm
Washington to take the soldiers aWay.'
Then she stamped her foot and shook
back her curls, while her blue eyes shone
denantly. But the soldiers sHa1rt 40 %
she said.
Jim listened in amazement at this
astonishing declaration, and then broke
into hearty laugh at its absurdity.
Who'll keep them from going, little
one?"
II will, ;" was the prompt response: anG
10DeIDOnS
mood that Jim kissed her again and for.
got her threat.
y = = 4
Here comes old lady AppIegate. !,
said Jennie. irreverently, one morning ir
early SeptemDe Now Well hear the
news, Annie"
Good morning, Mrs. Applegate; have
chair Nice morning, isn't it? rn
sorry mother's gone. She went to sit ur
with Mrs. Johnson last night. ANY
news?"
News! Lands sakes! Hain't yor
heerd? It's turriblev' Mrs. Applegatt
sank into a chair. You know we've
been seein' them Injun fires in the hill.
1ur quite spell. We might a. knowed
there was deviltry ahead Well. las
night them plagued Injuns turned ont ,
bunch OF cattle that the buckaroos hac
drIv into currell at Eight Mile, fired I
volley into the camp, but only one mar
was hlt-I didn't hear his name-aud him
not bad, and burnt three big havstacks
one eeIongln' TO your teller, Jennie. intC
the bargain, the one at the fur end of tbt
rancho. 1t was burnt in the night, afte
every one had gone to bed, so we didn
see the nre, but it's still a-smokin'. IT.
kinder quare you hain't noticed it.u Sh,
paused for breath, and the girls ran +,
the door. Yes, several miles awav an,
acrOaS the river, column of snok,
Srose. 1t was undoubtedly one of JIM
stacks.
''rnere hain't no doubt of its bein' In
juns,' the old lady continued. "There'
Inoccasin tracks round the curreli a
Eight-Mile, and other Iniun sign: AM
more than that, Jake Burns had To ge
up before daylight this mornin' to TAX
keer of sick COW, and he says he'll