The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-07-29
A MYSTERY UNRAVELLED
Finding Of the Body Of Hindoo John
The Kissing Sheepherder.
DIED With his BAND OF SHEEP
persenal and lmpersonai Notes Re.
garalng the New Gold Fields OF
the British Territory. Yakima
sends q Fine Delegation.

HERALD told the story Of the loss Of elev-
en- hundred sheep by the Cameron
Brothers, up about the head OF Dumping
river in the Cascade mountains. The
story went the rounds, having a touch OF
the mysterious in it coming from the dis
appearance Of Hindoo John. the herder.
The Camerons made search at the time,
and were forced to the conclusion that he
had quit the band either before or after
the budding up of the sheep. His horse
was found on the mountain beyond the
brushy rsvine into which the eleven
hundred sheep had smothered themselves
by running over the backs Of each other,
and the fact that the Hindoo sometimes
got drunk and careless led to the belief
that he had skipped the country rather
than face the employers after 30 heavy a
loss. Now it seems he was with the
sheep, and was either pushed over and
smothered with them or died before the
stampede. Which it was will never be
known.
One OF the Hinkle boys and a compan.
ion were up about the head OF Dumping
river on Wednesday, and their curiosity
led them to go and look at the bones OF
the dead sheep. 1t was q CHASTITY, hor.
rible sight, and there, face upwards and
with arms stretched out, lay the body of
Hindoo John. They knew him we'll in
life; and, though the mountain storms
had been at work on his desd body, the
resemblance was sufficient to make recog.
milton beyond doubt-in fact, a horrible
certainty. There was the dead herder
arong the bones, felts and wool of the
dead thousand sheep.
Hindoo John had been keep at work
despite his many lapses in the way of a
roaring drunk when he came to town, for
the reason that he was, when sober. a
good man with the sheep. He would in
variable "quit" when he came in and be
hired over again, the recollection of bis
services keeping a place for him with
both Sam and Will Cameron, though
they knew the performance would be re-
peated. They would generally insist
that he clothe himself when paid off, and
then try to get him to return to the sheep
before he had "blown in" all his money
He couldn't do 1t, though. Yet he knew
his employers were bis best friends, and
always felt hurt If they would not accept
presents from him. In the bunch OF sheep
lost WAS the increase for three years OF
an eve he had carried in his arms when
it's mother died. This little band within
band he called the special property of
little Helen Cameron, Sans daughter
and he would brace up when on a spree
and beg to be allowed to take the child in
his arms.
| Who he was or whether or not he had
relatives no one ever knew. He was q
soldier in the Queens Indian Service at
one time, and came to San Francisco
some fifteen years ago as caretaker Of
some horses. Then he worked for George
Donald on some of his railroad contracts,
until he finally drifted back to sheep
herding, which had been the family occu-
patton for many generations.
So much for old Hindoo John, with his
black face and regular Caucasion features
with his liquid eyes that seemed to
speak for the oldest race on the face OF
the earth. He tended his sheep and
died with them. So he stoned for all his
little failings. A more utterly lonesome
mortal never lived nor died. So far as
We know, here in North Yakima, he had
neither kith, kin nor companion.