Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-10-23

scaling the message, | slipped quietly
around 20 the Indian camp and gave IL
to q young man who happened to have
his horse stAked near by, charging him
to go wish al haste and deliver the note
to the captain. When 1 returned to the
lodge 1 found Culver was sinking rap
idly. lie was suffering intensely, but
never complained, aej slowly and dis
tinctly instructed his people as to the
disposition Of his property. Then the
good father began 70 administer the last
sacramento, and ! sadly left the lodge
and went home. In a little while tho
father Joined me.
"Ho is dcady'' I asked.
'Yca."
"And Pai.o-tahg''
"sho tainted; the old women arc car
ing for her"
Supper wa called, but neither OF us
cared to eat. We sat in silence a long
time, and finally tho father said:
Never, daring my long life in this
wild and wicked land, havo 1 over seen
or heard Of such a ~dastardly act as that
fcrd committed this afternoon. Can q
man be human, is he born Of woman,
who will deliberately shoot down a fell
low creature in cold blood? And what
is to be done? Is there 10 justice in the.
land? Can no not be punished for his
crime?"
"Wait, father" l replied. ~ have
sent q note up 80 the soldier camp in
forming The captain Of the affair. No
doubt he win send some men down TO
arrest the fellow"
Some time after dark my messenger
returned aud handed mo an envelope,
the same orc in which 1 had irclosed
my note. On the back Of it, written in
pencil, wore the following words:
Outside my Jurisdiction. Send to Fort Bon.
ton for the sheriff. CAPTAIN -.
Send 800 miles for the sheriff. And
in the meantime tho murderer would be
far away, perhaps over on the Yellow
stone or in Dakota ON another horse
stealing raid. That night the father
and 1 went to bed with heavy hearts.
Early the next morning we made
preparations for burying Culver. Out
of such material as was at hand 1 made
a rude coffin and lined it with soft new
blankets. The father made a cover for
it Of black cloth and, true to his faith,
sowed in the center a largo white cross.
Then down at the lower end Of the bot
tom, beneath the cottonwoods we dug
the grave, and before noon we laid the
poor fellow in it. In the afternoon the
father and l again sat out in the shade
of tho house, trying to get a breath Of
fresh air. The June sun shines fearfully
hot in those Missouri river bottoms.
But this afternoon there was no smok-
ing or chatting. Each Of us was occu-
pied with his own thoughts, and they
were sad and oppressive.
There had been high old times in the
saloon during the night, a perfect frenzy
of drink and ~carOusal, which had lasted
far into the morning, and now the
r~ufians were sleeping eff the effects Of
it. Presently we saw the murderer come
out, ~bareheadcd, barefootcd and strip
ped to the waist. He glanced impudent-
" Mt US, and, going on TO the river not
many yards away, stepped down ard be
gan to bathe his head. As l watched
him the father suddenly pressed my
arm, and, looiing W, | saw Pai-o-tah,
rifle in hand, slipping up-toward tie
bather.
1T must not bel" murmurod the
father. Vengeance is mine, saith tic
Lord. I will repay, ~ and he started
TO rise.
l graspcd his arm ana forced him
back into his chair.
"You shall not interfere, father, " !
said N a low voice. ''There is some
thing in the same book about an eye
for IN eye, a tooth for a tooth, " and I
held him with a firm grip.
"Don't cry ont, 1 continued, for
the follow has a pistol il lis Lclt and
might kill tho woman"
And now Pai.o-tah was but q few
yards from the sloping bank of the river.
Raising tho gan to her shoulder, we
heard her call out in o load, clear voice,
"Nap-i-kwan" (white MANI. As the man
kept on bathing, she said again, much
more loudly, "Nup-i-kwanl" This time
he heard, and, looking over his shoulder.
saw her standing there with tho li1C
pointed NC him. Quick as q flash hC
sprang 70 his feet, whirled around ans
pulled his revolver; but, quicker still
Pai-o-tah pulled the trigger, and at th'
report the desperate threw up his arms
recled and fell over backward into thu
river. There was a heavy splash, an,
then the deep and tgcachorous curron
claimed its own. Once, twice, we saw
a hand rise above tho surface of tn
water and then slowly disappear ant
pass out Of sight forever. Poor Quivo
was avenged. New York Sun.
Riches Through Economy.