The Opelousas courier., 1898-04-09
The Brakeman and
the Squaw.
BY CY, WARMAS.


L ma 4
Here's the story of the building of
a branch line on a mountain railroad.
Conductor Mcclure, being a new man,
was in charge of the construction
train, with Engineer Westcott in
charge of the engine.
N. G. Creole, afterwards famous as
the founder of Creole camp, had
located the Madonna mine at Monarch
camp, and created a necessity for the
branch road. They had rushed the
work, but the first snow caught them
still three miles from the booming
silver camp. A wandering band of
Indians, hearing of the excitement,
and not understanding it, had strayed
into the Monarch county, aud down
the gulch as far as Maysville, then a
wild and thriving village at the edge
Of the Arkansas valley. One day,
when it was storming, an old squaw
came to Mcclure, and wanted a ride
up the hill. 1t was q cruel day, and
the kind-hearted conductor carried the
Indian to the end of the track.
It was a month later when one Of
McGuire's brakemen, named Bowen,
who had been hunting in the hills,
rushed into the caboose with the start
ling announcement that his partner, the
head brakeman, had been captured by
the Indians,
"Look here, jack" said Mcclure,
"are you lying?"
"Honest Injun," said Jack, elf
there's II there's a million; and
they've got Mickey tied to a stake.
We had become separated. l was
standing on a precipice, looking for
Mickey, when l saw the Indians sur
round him."
Now, Jack Bowen had lied so frequent
ly and luminously to the conductor
that the latter was slow to believe this
wild tale; but finally he was persuaded
that it was true. Returning to Mays
Vile with the engine, he gave the
alarm, and the sheriff of Chafee
county made up a posse and set out
in search of the brakeman.
The sun was going down behind the
range when the engine and the
caboose full of amateur Indian fighters
returned to the end of the track. TAX
ing Bowen as guide, the sheriff
secured the hills, but found no trace
of the missing man. The storm in
creased with the darkness, and the
sheriff's posse was forced to return to
camp. It were useless to put out again
in the face of such a storm, and the
sheriff was about to return to Mays
vile, when the old squaw, whom Nc
Guire had helped up the hill, put her
head in at the door of the way car and
signaled Mcclure to come out. She
could scarcely speak a word of Eng
lisb, but, pulling at the conductors
sleeve, she started as though she would
lead him into the hills. AS often as
Mcclure would stop the squaw would
stop. He tried to persuade her into
the car, but she would not. Now the
sheriff came out, and when he saw the
signals of the squaw he guessed that
she would lead them to the captive,
and when Mcclure had told how he
had helped this Indian on her way up
the hill in a storm, he knew that the
Indian was trying to repay the con-
ductor for his kindness. The unfor-
tunate brakeman, Mcclure explained,
had given the Indian tobacco and
whiskey; therefore, she would not see
him die without making an effort to
save him.
The sheriff called his deputies, and
a half-dozen volunteers from
Garfield camp, made sign to the In
dian and followed her away into the
wilderness of snow-hung pine and
cedar. Now and then the squaw would
pause to get her bearings. The snow
had ceased falling and the stars were
out. After tramping for an hour or
more, the Indian signed to the sheriff
10 stay, and then disappeared into a
cedar grove. Presently she returned
and led them to the edge of a preci-
oice. Just below them, in a little
basin, they could see a pine fire burn
and Indians dancing in the light
If it. Sitting upon the snow hard BY,
hey saw the brakeman with his fet-
tered hands over his knees and his
head bent forward like a man nodding
a pew. The sheriff asked the In
liam to lead them on and she made
sign that they must go far around for
The bluff was steep, and they followed
Ter. They had been a half hour out
sight of the Indian camp, but
going down and down, so they
Knew now they must be near. When
hey had gone within 100 yards Of the
Indians, who had not heard them walk
ng upon the muf1ed earth, they
stopped to discuss the work that was
before them. The Indian. putting her
hand on the sherif's rife pushed it to
he ground and shook her head, mean
ng that she would not have them kill
he Indians, whom they outnumbered
wo to n The sheriff was at a loss
o understand how he was to capture
his band without firing, for he had no
loubt the Indians would fire upon him
he moment they caught sight of him.
But the squaw was equal to the emer-
,ency. She began to form the men
n two lines. Taking hold of their
oats she would place a man on the
light flank and another on the left,
lntil she had divided the sheriff's
'osse. She then placed the sheriff at
he head Of one column and the con-
luctor, whom she regarded as a sort
captain, at the other, and then
aade sign to them to go forward, one
lalf to the right and the other to the
eft. Then she made it plain to them