Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-01-28
A PROPHECY.

A PROPHECY.
That was n strange winter in Arizona.
In the mountains, of course, there is al
ways snow, but during January, 1881, it
lay SO long and SO deep that ranchmen and
miners were in despair. The people at
Phenix 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 verdant palms and oleanders The like
had never been known before in the time
of the white Inhabitants, and the Mexicans
and Indians, whose homes had been there
for centuries, had no traditions among
them of similar event.
But if the snow soon melted in tho val,
leys it remained long among the noun
tains, and the Ave Suapais, finding THEN
canyon home uninhabitable, left it and
came down to camp near Pioneer, where
the Dir was milder and there was chance
Of obtaining something to cat from the
bounty of the more fortunate. They built
themselves temporary houses Of brush and
waited patiently until the unusual snow
in the canyons had melted. Their pres.
ence 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 responsibility without
having lot Of Indians prowling about"
the white people said disdainfully.
Mr.. Emerson, young man who had
come to the mountains for lung trouble
and kept small store, but not for his
health, was especially disguised with ono
of the Indians, named Yavapai, who
would persist in sitting on the porch by
the store Hours he would sit there, with
his eyes on the mountains. 1t was said
that he had once been great hunter, but
his contact with civilization had not been
beneficial to him. Now he was fat and
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-
slant idleness, Mr. Emerson ordered the
Indian from the store. Yavapai drew his
ragged blanket about him in insulted dig
nifty, and with flashing eyes left the place.
Mr. Emerson, considering at his leisure,
concluded he had done an unwise 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 tho small Frances,
his daughter.
A few days later Mrs. Emerson, whose
home was in the outskirts Of the town,
saw the Indian standing at her gate. She
had often fed him. being a generous,
whole souled woman who could not bear to
see even worthless human being go hun
cry. Yavapai was pointing in the snow to
tracks which Mrs. Emerson thought to be
those of dog, but the savage, his intelli-
gence keener In such matters, told her
"Coyotes! coyotes!" Mrs. Emerson
glanced with solicitude toward the hen
house and barnyard. When that night she
told her husband of the occurrence, he
said: Eyes, this storm is the worst ever
known here. 1t is driving even the wild
beasts out of their holes in the hills 1t il
strange state of affairs. We will proba-
bly, have to go cunning in our own streets
before the winter is 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 commotion in the adobe
corral, where a horse was standing, and
looking out saw Yavapai 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 tho loud cry:
"Stay in the house! Stay in the housed"
Then he started toward the corral, where
q crowd had gathered to see the awful at
tack upon the poor horse of fierce noun
tain lion that had wandered from it's home
in tho hills. Terror drove whites and
Mexicans away Tho Indians alone stood
their ground, and with poisoned arrows
and the guns abandoned by the whites
tried to kill the dangerous wild animal.
Yavapai was especially lucky in shooting
the creature, which, although wounded,
turned from the now dying, feebly strug-
Cling horse and with tho quiclness Of its
kind reached out it's great paw and drag
ged down Yavapai from the top Of the
corral, where he leaned over The poor
Indian lay under the lions paw, his shout
der torn open in CHASTITY manner, yet he
lived and saw the lion, at which all were
now shooting flercely, 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 900 pounds and measured feet in
length. Old hunters said it was the
strongest and fercest of its kind.
Mr.. Emerson had taken refuge in the
barn which adjoincd the corral, and
through an opening in the boards saw all
the fearful sight. He 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 ut sight of him:
who are your oh, what does it meanf"
She looked 80 wild and mystifed that the
horrible thought crossed his mind that
she, too, having seen the sickening, thrill.
ing scene at the corral, in consequence
had become deranged. But little Frances,
too, drew back and cried out in fear at
sight Of him.
At that moment he saw reflected in a
mirror opposite the face Of an old man,
with white hair and aged countenance.
He turned to see what elderly stranger
was in his home. The reflection turned
also, for the face was his own. His brown
hair was changed to snowy wilderness, and
his altered countenance looked aged al.
most beyond recognition. Tho memorable
20 minutes by the coral had added more
than 30 years to his appearance. Appalled,
at the spectacle Of his own strange face,
yet guessing quickly tho reason Of the