The Opelousas courier., 1896-11-21

VA who did not know that
" her name was Mary.
Joe Baker was a hunter, Indian fighter,
scout, prospector and miner, and he
had a cabin and a home up in the
Three Buttes of Idaho, to the west of
Fort Hall. Father and daughter were
all alone-he a man of fifty and she a
girl under twenty. We at the Fort
knew him we'll, and we saw the girl
quite often, but no one knew Joe
Baker we'll enough to question him
about the past. For reasons of his
W lie had taken up his abode beyond
civilization, and though the life was
wild and lonely and full of danger, the
daughter seemed to prefer it.
A girl of about eighteen when I
knew her-slight, blue eyes, short,
curly hair, a strong face, dressed for
climbing, riding and walking, ard one
who commanded both admiration and
respect the moment you laid eyes on
her. She had a handshake for officer
and private alike, and to us and all
others who came that way she was O
border queen. We said to each other
that it was a strange thing for Joe
Baker to make his home among the
dangers of the mountains, miles and
miles from the nearest settler, and to
expose his daughter to the hardships,
privations and perils of a frontier life,
but no n questioned him or her, nor
did either volunteer any explanations.
The cabin was i'll o bit OF valley way
up the East Butte, and was built
mostly Of stone aud contained three
rooms. There were days at a time
when Baker was prospecting or scout.
ing in which the girl must have beer
left entirely alone, but she rode.
hunted and fshed. and now and then
was the guest of the Colonel's wife at
the fort for two or three days at u
time. The woman may have found
out more about the girl than I have
told you, but, if so, the information
did not cross the parade ground to the
barracks.
For weeks the Indians of Idaho had
been sulky and sullen and threatening.
The force at Fort Hall had been in
creased by fifty men, all wagon trains
were doubly guarded, and every SOL
der Or citizen who understood Indian
character felt that an outbreak was at
hand. One day, when Joe Baker was
at the fort consulting with the Colonel,
the latter advised him to abandon his
home and take refr &c among US. The
old man realized the situation, but
said he woald wait and see. He hated
contact with the world-even that in
fnitesimal portion represented by a
hundred people at a frontier post
and the daughter knew no fear. We
saw him two or three times q week, as
he was then scouting among the Indi-
ans and bringing in reports, but we
had not seen the girl for O month,
when a s%ergeant's guard was de-
spatched to East Butte to cut and haul
telegraph poles for the line which was
to connect the fort with the outside
world. There was danger that we
might be cut off if an outbreak o.
CURED, but there was also need of
haste in completing the line. That
was our first glimpse of the cabin, as
we went to our work on the mountain.
side, and Mary stood in the door to
shake hands all around and inquire
about those who were absent. She
anticipated an outbreak on the part of
the Indians, but expressed no fear.
Only the day before she had received
a visit from three sullen warriors, who
had demanded food, and seemed on the
point OF committing violence, but she
had ordeEed them away at the muzzle
OF her Wincl-ter, and had no thought
OF leaving the place until her father
returned and advised the step.
Two lilies east of the cabin we made
our camp and began work, but the
Indians were ready sooner than we
had planned for. On the second night
OF our stay we were fred into at mid
night and routed out of camp with
the loss of two men killed. We were
falling back in the direction of Bakers
cabin when we were joined by Mary.
In arocky pass, crouched down behind
powders and being fred upon every
moment by thirty Indians in our front
the girl told her story and assumed
the command in place of the poor SER
geant lying dead. Indians to the
number of a dozen had made a sudden
rush upon the cabin just at sundown,
but fortunately she caught sight of
them in time to close the door. Then
began q fight which lasted for an hour,
during which the had killed two and
wounded another of their number.
The redskins had at length drawn of,
and the brave girls first thought wa
of the soldiers on the mountainside.
She hoped We had heard.the firing and
wonld come down to investigate, but
as midnight came without US she left
her shelter and headed for our camp,
knowing at any step she might run
against y prowling Indian, but yet
determined to warn and save us.