The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-05
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PR z DETECTIVE STORIES, no. SO.

captive-could not speak word OF En-
| glish. feel sure he could understand lit
| tie, IL anything, OF what was said to him
| -or in his presence What be must have
thought-if creatures OF his sort can
think when he came TO himself sur
rounded by white men, and something
OF the white mems comforts, i can only
dimly imagine. How be must have re-
garded his treatment, given the softest
bed IN the easiest wagon day after day,
and fed on the most nourishing of foods,
reinforced by the best wine the train
could furnish, is quite beyond my ability
10 say. He may have read the truth in
our faces, in hearts in our actions, and
realized, dimly and vaguely. that, beyond
the great gulf God has placed between
the white race and the red, there were
men who knew and loved a golden rule
OF which his low intelligence had never
dreamed. lie may have guessed that our
kindness was SIMPLY assumed, our for
bearance merely temporary, and that he
was reserved for the torture that would
have been the pitiless prescription of his
devilish creed. Or, he may have made a
short cut, stunning even the exercise OF
primitive savage logic, and decided we
were foolsl
In due time he was well. We gave him
his pony. We gave him a supply of food.
We saw him ride away.-and disappear.
never thought TO see him again. But this
Is small world-even to an Indian, and
with steam and electricity let out of the
count.
l returned home by sea. 1t was six years
before found myself crossing the plains
again, and again with a wagon train.
Characters much the same as before.
Some OF them rather more strongly en-
phasized than OF yore, possibly because
OF the years of added experience human
lty had reaped on the lonely plains and
hRQInA WaataFn fran hA.
better shots-rather more reluctant to let
"tenderfoot" have his own way. Toughs
- rather tougher, and with more determi-
nation and ingenuity. But, human ma
ture gains or loses, i'm marked degree,
only with changing cycles; years and
more years count little and slowly. So
that may repeat, and truthfully: Char.
acters-much the same as before!
"Experiences-much the same as be-
fore. That Is what i would have writ
ten at the end OF week. That would
have been correct-as history. As pro-
phecy-it would have been absurdly inao-
curate. Events took q decidedly new
course after that.
In the first place, i fell In love with
Millie Davis, the daughter of a sturdy
New Englander, who was going to open
ranch in some impossible and unheerd
OF locality out near the setting sun. Mil
lie Davis was the most
that would say. What is the use of TAX
ing the time and space TO say il?
In the second place, Tige Black fell in
love with her, tool i would gladly be
fair with MIR. Black. 1t would please me
to give his name in this narrative, and 1
don't believe hi1 mother ever called him
Ilger-or that his father ever shortened
and intensified so sanguinary an appella-
alton. But Tige is the only name by
which i ever heard him called; Tige he
must go, tot the very end OF the story.
claim 10 be moderately modest man.
would gladly avoid drawing compari-
son between Tige Black and myself Were
IT possible, would let him do this part
oil the work in my stead. AS il Is, / must
state that was young, good-looking-
physician, and that rumor
correctly asserted that had good deal
Di property. Black was old. He had
never been handsome, and hard work |
ind hard weather had dealt most unhand- |
'omely with him. He had no education, |
ave the practical sort driver on the |
sreas plains used TO pick up in those old |
ines. And no man who loved LIQUOR as
"eil as he ever accumulated or kept prop
rty. lie was the most picturesquely |
,roiane person ! ever listened to. Miss
lillie Davis, in addition TO almost num-
'eriess other excellent traits-possessed
ound sense. 80 / was very happy
nsn and Tige Black very angry onei
The man deliberately picked quarrel
With me. He called me vile name I
Tapped his insolent mouth for him. He
aiked gravely, quietly. and not at all
rofanely, when that had happened.
'ut mis- demand was terrible one. He
sked that meet him in mortal combat
that fight with him to the death. /
poke to the commander of the wagon
rain about 1t. He was greatly troubled,
1r ne iiked me genuinely, and was, per-
aps, just little afraid of Tige Black
nd his influence. He said he'd see the
hing was put OFF for day or two, at
NY rate. But i knew, from the way
bat he talked, that he feared / would
ave to fight Public opinion, in those
avs, had peculiar power on the from
Ter; personal prowess ranked higher