The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-01-09
"Neyer during my whole life in this

'AsH''
wild and wicked land. have ! cv"r
seen or heard of such dastardly act
as that ficnN committed this afternoon.
Can man he human: is he born of
woman. who will deliberately shoot
down a fellow creature in cold blood:
And what is to he done: Is there H.
justice in the land! Can he not be
punished for his crimc?"
''Wcll. father" replied. II have
sent a note to the soldier camp. inform
ing 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 l had enclosed
my note. On the bat4 OF n, written in
pencil. were the following words:
"Outside my jurisdiction. Send TO
Fort Benton for the sheriff.
Captain -"
Send 300 miles for the sheriff? And
in the meantime the murderer would
be for away, perhaps over on the Vel
lowstone or in Dakota. OH another
horsestealing raid. That night the
father and l went to bed with heavy
hearts.
Early the next morning we made
preparations for burying Culver. Out
Of such material rs was at hand
made rude coffin and lined it with
scft new blankets. The father made a
cover for il Of black cloth, and, true to
his faith. sewed in the center large
white cross. Then, down at the lower
end of the bottom, beneath the cotton
woods. VIC 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. try
ing to get breath Of fresh air. The
June sun shines fearfully hot in those
Missouri river bottoms. But this af'
ternoon there was no smoking or chat
ting. Each of us was occupied With
his own thoughts, and they were SAD
and oppressive.
There had been high old times in the
saloon during the night. perfect frcn-
Nv of drink and carousal, which had
lasted far into tile morning, and now
the ruffians were sleeping off the effect
of it. Presently we saw the murderer
come out, bareheaded, barefooted and
stripped to the waist. He glanced i'm
pudently at us and. going to the river,
not many yards away. stopped down
ana began to battle his head. AS l
watched him the father suddenly
pressed my arm. and. looking up. saw
Pai-o-tah, rife in hand, slipping up to.
ward the bather.
''It must not be- 'murmured the
father. Vengeance is mine saith
the Lord. L will repay" and he start
cd to rise.
I graspcd his arm and forced him
back into his chair.
You shall not interfere. father"
said, in a low voice. There is some.
thing in the same book about AN eye
for an eye, n tooth for tooth,'" and I
held him with firm grip.
Don't cry out" continued. "for the
fellow has a pistol in his belt and
might kill the woman"
And now Pai-o-tah was but a few
yards from the sloping bank OF the
river. Raising the gun to her shoulder,
we heard her call out. in q loud. clear
voice: "Nap-i-kwan" (white NAM. AS
the man kept on bathing. she said
again. much more loudly: "Nap-i-
kwan-" This time he heard. and. look
ing over his shoulder. saw her standing
there with the rifle pointed at MIN.
Quick as a fash, he sprang to his feet,
whirled around and pulled his revolv-
or: but. quicker still. Pai-o-tah pulled
the trigger, and at the report. the dcs-
peratlo threw up his arms. reeled and
fell backward into the river. There
was a heavy splash. and then the deep
and treacherous current claimed its
own. Once, twice, we saw the hand
raised above the surface of the water
and then slowly disappear and pass
out of sight forever. Culver was
avcnged.--New York Sun.