The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-02-10
SQUAW CHARLEY.
THE TRAGI-COMEDY OF AN AeORIG.
iNAL OUTcAST.

He Had Committed the Red Mans Un-
pardonable Sin and Was Doomed to
Female Attire and Ostracism- Only
Friend Was MongreI Cur.
1t is many years since poor Squaw Char
10y enacted his tragi-comedy to the end
and passed on to the happy hunting
grounds, but many who were once deni-
Kcns of that strange city whose ways he
rod will still recall him to mind when in
D reminiscent mood. 1t was n unique city
set on a hill, and its fame was not hid
under o bUshCl, but went abroad in the
cart h, for the shares of its great silver lode
were eagerly bought and sold in all tho
stock mart; Of the world. 1t bad two level
streets w!crCon its business was transact
ed, and tho rest of it hung on by its ego
lids where and how it could, to the por-
chyry outcrops of tho mountain that rose
behind it, glowing all the long summer
with myriads of bright yellow sun1lowCrs.
At some time in his past Charley had
committed the rcd mans objectionable sin
he had proved himself craven i'll some
crucial moment, and all his life henceforth
must wear tho uniform of his shame,
which, according to in:memorial usage, is
rcmalo apparel. No Piute woman ever
wore a criEoline, but within the recent
memory of man it had been the distinctive
badge of white femininity; SO, to mako his
punishment doubly atrocious, the victim
was ENGAGED in discarded hoop, garnered
from some ash heap. When Charley was
fortunate enough to possess n skirt and
shawl TO hide his skeleton, 10 might pass
comparatively unnoticod up and down the
Ia, q; Il
permit such luxury, and then his long
limbs clad in somebody's castoff neither
garments-it might be u pair of ragged,
blue ovoralls or, with moro startling effect
pair of red flannel drawers-loomcd gro
tcsqucly through the rusty and distorted
bars of his pcramDulating prison.
We palcfaces always wondered what &C.
cult power compelled the stalwart, hand
some fellow to yield obedience to the tribal
decree, OF, if such power existed, what
prevented him from betaking himself be-
You'd its reach. But the unwritten law of
the nomad is obeyed as will never be the
printed and concentrated and enshelved
code of any civilized race. Charley re
maincd and endured to the end with stoical
patience His ostracism was complete.
Dwelling in the midst OF his kind, he Was
wistfuliy Watching ON the outskirts of II
laughing, gambling group, but Ec was
never invited to take Il hand. IIo might
gaze l0nginGly at q merry picnic party on
timber pilo feasting on watermelon, but
no juicy morsel was ever rendered him.
His own sex ropudiatcf him utterly. Did
he approach knot of tho sex whom his
garb travestied, they 1outCd him and
lonphirov Tho children, #
both sexes and two races jecrcd at him
with the needless barbarity of youth.
Ono fortunate day no acquired u stray
dog, vicious, nCngrel cur, and thence
forth the two outcasts were inseparable.
Together they were all hungered. Togeth
or they endured the gibes and sometimes
tho missiles of their deTiders, and together
they cuddled at night for mutual warmth.
Together they not infrequently came to
our back door, and tho animal retired
deprccatingly to corner, while his incon
gruously CARRIED master sawed wood OF
split kindlings. But when tie task was
lono he came forth promptly to share the
compcnsating ration and unfailingly got
his share, whether tho dole were Iucagcr
~ abundant. Often then the man threw
himself down upon the sand, with Lis
3ack rroppcd against sun heated bowldcr
1t the corner Of cur fence and lay there foi
lours, his gaze feed upon the far horizon.
:Ihilc facing him sat tho dog. alert ut his
Highest movement, its amber ol hs-liko
ilany ours, is had beautiful cycs-1xCi
,tCadfcStly upon Kim. it was q strange
andsca;e that { Earlcy's stole gaze ranged
rvgr. Ear below him tic canyon wound
Tor miles, lilo writhing serpent. before
it dcbouchcd into the desert, whence the
:;.mcI trains came up from Fort Churchill,
laden with sails ard borax Tor the rrduc
ton works, and V here of afternoons the
sandstGrlnS walt=ud ciIyly III the sun in
couples and trios, travelling about i'll sway
ing hCurglGss columns that reached from
earth to sky.
In all tho immense prospect there were
but two things-thc brilliant concave
vault and tho baro brown earth, SCARED,
upheaved and contortcd by the throCs Of
world birth. But in richness of coloring,
ever varying and ever beautiful effects of
passing cloud shadows and vast, solemn
grandeur that scene has 10 equal il any
land Whether or not any of its profound,
dcathlike peace entered the Pluto S soul it
is certain that no white creature ever lived
long in tho face of it without growing to
feel fatalistic resignation stealing over
his spirit.
As timo wore on Charley and his dog
became such familiar figures to the Com
stockcrs that they ceased to glance a sec
ond time at their pathetic grotesqucncss,
and the children gavo over tormenting
them.
His punishment was to him what oX-
communication must have been to its VIC
tins in tho middle ages. Nothing is SO
nbhorrent to tho savage as solitude, and
Charley grew abjcct, dropping, premature
ly old, whilo his dog grew daily more i'll
tempered and disrcputable. But fate
most crushing blow was yet to fall. One
day an irato tollgatc keeper shot his dog,
caught in the very act of maraudiEg
among tho whito mans chickens. Over
the body of his slain companion Charley
wcpt the only tears lie was ever known to
shed, and bore it of in his arms, u bowed,
dcsolato figure slowly fading from ken
against ashcn plain and ultranarine sky.
Tho Eariah was seen no more in the
hauntS of men, and it was long after when
prospcctoTs found Ills skeleton, still cased
in the Corroticd stclls of the old hoopskirt.
None could Know how no met his end OF
through how many hours or days of thirst
and anguish the outcist had wrestlcd alone
with the grim conqueror of all. AS the
beast dicth, so dies the Indian, and Char
ley had pcrchaIce not Jared much worse
at the CnG than others of his race.-San
Francisco Areonaut.
NOT ExacfInE.
In one Of Miss Mulcck's stories she
says that "a cheerful heart seeth cheer
full things" and gives this incident in
proof of it:
A lady and gentleman were in lum-
Der yard situated by dirty, foul smell
ing river. The lady said, Glow good
the pine boards smellp'
'Pine boardsp' exclaimed the gen.
tleman. Just smell that foul river"
"No, thank you," was the reply, 81
prefer to smell the pine boards"
Rough on the Solons.
1t was III Maine that an outspoken
parson Of the old school prayed: 80
Lord, have compassion on our bewilder-