Connecticut western news., 1897-03-25
"He is dead?" I asked. GGTT JS


 "She tainted; the old women are car ing for her."
 Supper was called, but neither of us cared to eat. We sat in silence long time, and finally the father said:
 "Never, during my long life in this wild and wicked land, have I ever seen or heard of such dastardly act as that flend committed this afternoon. Gan a man be human, is he born of woman, who will deliberately shoot down a fel- low creature in cold blood? And what is to be done? Is there no justice in the land? Gan he not be punished for his crimer"
 "Wait, father," replied. "I have sent note up to the soldier camp in- forming the captain of the affair. No doubt he will send some men down to arrest the fellow.
 Some time after dark my messenger returned and handed me an envelope, the same one in which I had inclosed my note. On the back of it, written in pencil, were the following words:
 Outside my jurisdiction. Send to Fort Ben ton for the sheriff. CAPTAIN -.
 Send 800 miles for the sheriff. And \ in the meantime the murderer would be far away, perhaps over on the Yellow stone or in Dakota on another horse stealing raid That night the father and went to bed with heavy hearts.
 Early the next morning we made preparations for burying Culver. Out of such material as was at hand I made 8 rude coffin and lined it with soft new blankets. The father made a cover for it of black cloth and, true to his faith, sewed in the center large 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 again sat out in the shade of the 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 rufaans were sleeping of the effects of it. Presently we saw the murderer come out, bareheaded, barefooted and strip ped to thewaist. He glanced impudent- ly at us, and, going on to the river not many yards away, stopped down and be- gan to bathe his head. As watched him the father suddenly pressed my arm, and, looking up. I saw Pai-o-tah, ,-iA Ao ip c1 ayl xl,a bather.
 .'It must not bep' murmured the father. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. Twill repay" and he started to rise.
 I grasped his arm and forced him back into his chair.
 "You shall not interfere, father." I said in low voice "There is some thing in the same book about 'an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, ." and held him with firm grip.
 Don't cry out" continued, "for the fellow has pistol in his belt and might kill the woman"
 And now Pai-o-tah was but few yards from the sloping bank of the river. Raising the gun to her shoulder, we heard her call out in loud. clear voice, "Nap-i-kwan" (white man) As the man kept on bathing, she said again, much more loudly, "Nap-i-kwanP' This time he heard, and, looking over hisshoulder, saw her standing there with the rife pointed at him. Quick as a flash he sprang to his feet, whirled around and pulled his revolver; but, quicker still, Pai-o-tah pulled the trigger, and at the report the desperado threw up his arms, reeled and fell over backward into the river. There was heavy splash, and then the deep and treacherous current claimed its own. Once, twice, we saw 8 hand rise above the surface of the water and then slowly disappear and pass out of sight forever. Poor Culver was avenged New York Sun.