The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-11

said Lena. Pete won't know it. Well
so some time when he's away" So
Kate promised.
1t was late when they left the ditch
side-so late, in fact, that Pete was
seen coming home TO his supper and
the sun was down.
Here's Pete coming to supper and
you haven't got the fire made yet"
said Lena.
Kate laughed. ..Ole Pete won't care;
it's too hot to eat, anyway"
But Pete did care. AS he came over
the little knoll below the camp he
looked up and saw Kate and Lena
walking together, and he frowned. He
knew what sort of a girl Lena was,
and ne knew, also, that Kate had al
ways been lively, and might be easily
influenced by her He was much dis
pleased at the thought of any friend
ship between the two, and when he got
into camp and found Kate just starting
fire and no supper cooked-well ne
did as many white men often do, he
growled. Kate only laughed good ma
turedly at first, but when Pete told her
in plain terms that she must not talk
to Lena any more, she got angry. Had
she been a white woman she would
probably have given her liege lord a
piece of her mind; but Indian women
act differently from other women, and
SO Kate said nothing. But her stolid
silence spoke her anger and rebellion
louder than words. and Pete, who knew
the Indian character well, was not sat
isfied with the situation.
IL
1t was the Fourth of July. and Pete
did not work. In the forenoon he
LACED around the camp and in the at
ternon he took his gun and went up
into the woods looking for game Pete
was usually a good hunter, but that
day luck was not with him He wan
dered far over the hills-so far that
once, when he came out upon a high
point he saw the South Yuba, winding
down through the high mountains like
a tiny thread of gold At last, late
in the afternoon, he gave up his search
for game and started homeward. As
he was walking softly along the trail
through the woods, on which the dead
pine-needles made a velvety carpet,
his gun thrown far over his shoulder,
he suddenly startled drove of noun
tain quail. They ran together in a
bunch under little bush just ahead
Of him-a fine chance for a pot shot.
Pete swung his gun down quickly but
the end of the barrels hit dead limb
above his head with a crash, and with
excited pipings, the quail scattered in
all directions. running as only noun
tain quail can run.
1t was not much, but added to
whole afternoon of disappointment, 1t
put Pete in bad humor; and he was
still in it when he entered camp. Nancy
had come up on visit a day or so be-
fore, and she was now squatted in
front of the cabin. She was alone, and
as Kate was nowhere seen, Pete asked
for her.
Nancy said nothing-only shook her
head
Did she go to town." demanded
Pete.
Nancy shook her head again. Poor
Nancy! 4n,.
Pete put away his gun, then went
out and asked another Indian where
Lena was.
"Oh, she went to town." he replied
with grin. Lena and Kate went to
town to have big time!"
Pete said nothing, but turned away
He was too angry to speak. He had
expressly forbidden Kate to go with
Lena; and this was the way she
obeyed him! Pete didn't mean to be
overbearing. He thought a good deal
of his wife, and he didn't want her to
do as Lena was in the habit of doing
IF Kate cared for me, she would have
obeyed me-" argued Pete. He went
down the hill to where his pony was
picketed. united it and brought it up
to the cabin, where he saddled it. Then
he got his pistol, put it In his pocket,
and mounted sr@~
IF I find her." he said to- Nancy as
he rode away, 'I'll kill her."
With a stolid face Nancy watched
him go, but it was not with stolid
heart She knew Pete meant every
word he had said, and she trembled for
the safety of her daughter She had
done her best to dissuade Kate from
going, but Kate, like many white wom-
en-, desired to show her spunk and
wanted to have her own way. Be-
sides, Lena had painted the proposed
less. But she promised Nancy that
she would be back by shutdown. Long
before Pete gets back" she had said.
The slow shadows-Ah how slow they
were to watching, waiting Nancy
crept up from the valleys and envel-
oped the hills. Pete had been gone
an hour or so, and Nancy was fear
fully wondering if he had found Kate,
when she heard a noise above their
camp and presently Lena and Kate
came down the hill from the woods.
Lena was laughing, and Nancy could
see that she staggered, but Kate looked
frightened.
Did you see Peter" Nancy asked
Yes said Kate; and then Lena,
who thought it all a great joke, told
how they had given him the slip.
There was a store In the edge of the
business portion of town where the In
dams always traded, and where they
were sold whisky on the sly. The man
who kept the store was an old pioneer,
and he knew the Indians pretty we'll
at least we'll enough to enable him to
do business with them with compare
tive safety Many people knew he sold
the Indians intoxicating stuff, but the
officers never attempted to catch him
at It; so year in and year out he pur-
sued the even tenor of his weigh and
measure Kate and Lena were in the
back part of the store when Pete rode
up at the door and inquired if any
squaws were there. AS he was making
this inquiry, the two mahalas slipped
out the back door, through the stage
company's stable, and fled.