The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-11-27

Furthermore done all that lay In tllelr
power to secure for the orphan such
property as might have been his ia
theirs, but this proved a difficult task.
MacNutt had had partner in his min
ing ventures, but the partner swore
stoutly that Mac hadn't a cent in the
world that wasn't swept away in the
flood of Apache canyon; he even went
so far as to declare that Mac owed him
money, and more than once appeared
at Retribution when times were hard
at the mines saying he thought the Of
ficers or somebody ought to pay it be-
cause they now had Macs boy as Sc.
curity He generally compromised, as
he called it, however, with requests to
be supplied with bacon, flour, coffee
and sugar at commissary prices, which
were far less than those at the mines.
The soldiers found out that this man,
Muncey, by name, was in bad re-
pute among his fellow miners, and
openly flouted him when he came
among them, but the officers, unable
to prove anything, continued to show
courtesy to him even though they dis
liked him.
Capt. Cullen's troop marched away
from Retribution in April, '72 just
as soon as Capt. Raymond's of the -th
cavalry arrived, Mrs. Cullen and Randy
lin the meantime having been sent
away by stage to the Colorado and
thence by steamer around to San Fran
cisco. This was long before railroads
were known in Arizona. But weeks be-
fore the departure of the troop there
arrived at the old post swarty little
fellow from Tucson, who announced
himself as brother of the late Mrs.
MacNutt and as Icons uncle. He had
come, he said, to take Leon back to his
mothers people in Sonora. He brought
letters from officials in Tucson which
established his claim and was fortified
in his statements by MacNutt's former
partner, the malodorous Muncey, who
came with him. The officers and the
men had no claim upon the boy other
than those of friendship and affection.
They were his rescuers and supporters
that was all-bqt Leon was by this
time far more American than Mexican,
."far more Yank than Greaser," as the
men expressed it-and he not only
begged and prayed not to be taken
from them, but he kicked and scratched
and fought like young bear cub when
finally forced away.
Mrs. Cullen and Randy were spared
that scene She had been ailing little
as result of too long stay on the
fats of old Retribution and had been
taken up to the mountain perch of
Prescott for change of air while the
packing for the move was going on,
Randall going with his mother, sorely
aggrieved because Leon was not in
cluded in the invitation sent by the
colonel's wife. Capt. Cullen, probably,
was party to the Arrangement. He
knew they could not keep Leon always,
and the longer the stay the harder the
parting. Less than a week after Icons
friend and playmate had gone his un
Gle and partner appeared; less than
fortnight and the poor little fellow was
pulled off the blackboard in the dusty
streets of Tucson and turned over to a
Mexican packer for transportation to
Sonora, and less than month after the
Cullens and sc" troop had left the
post, haggard, half starved, footsore
and in rags, little Leon reappeared at
old Retribution almost as utter a
stranger as when, half drowned, he
was borne thither in Sergt. Kelly's
arms eighteen months before.
If you had lived year or more in a
certain village and knew every men,
ber of every household within four
blocks of your home and were to be
taken away for a month or so, and re-
turning faint, footsore, hungry and in
rags, yet thrilling with hope and joy
at the thought of being restored to
only to find everything but the houses
changed, you can fancy little Icons
dumb misery as he dragged from door
to door along Officers Row." meeting
only total strangers. He reached the old
post Just about two o'clock of scorch-
ing May afternoon, when everybody
was seeking shelter within doors, and
the servants who came to answer his
timid knock looked askance at the little
black-eyed ragamuffin, and could only
say that the people he sought were
gone. He had turned away with
choking sob from the third door, the
big house where the major of the
Eleventh cavalry used to live, not
knowing whittier now to go, and had
sunk down upon the steps in
utter desolation when he heard
through the screen of the open window
a childish voice pleading: "It must be
Leon, mamma. Do let me call him
back" And the next minute a fiaxen-
haired girl of ten was at his side. Leon
never could tell just how it all came
about. He remembered trying hard to
keep stiff upper lip and be brave and
self-controlled and tell his story calm
ly and coherently, but he was weak,
starved, crushed with the bitterness of
his disappointments, and he broke
down entirely and sobbed in utter
abandonment, and there was no more
thought of siesta at Capt. Fosters
quarters that afternoon. plying,
sympathetic group surrounded the boy,
Mrs. Foster and her daughter Nellie
Vying with one another in ministering
to his wants, and other kind women
coming in from adjoining quarters as
the story swiftly went the rounds. 1t
was all over the post in a few hours
how little Leon, who used to live here
with the Culleps as Randalls playmate
and friend, had escaped from the pack