The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-03-09
u F1OV lHE RAVEN DlED: BY Alfred Hry Lewis e

WRITTEN FOR II SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
which If you-all is out to hear of InJuns.
son." observed the Old Cattleman doubtful
ly, the best l can do is shet my eyes an
push along regardless. like a cayouse in a
storm of snow. But 1 don't guarantee no
facts; none whatever! I never does bend
mys'f to severe study of them savases. an
what notions I packs about concernin' 'em
IS the casocal frootes Of what I accidental
hears an what I sees. It's only now an
then, as / observes former, that Injuns in
vades Wolfville; an when they does. We
all scowls 'em outen' camp-sort O. makes
a sour front, 20 as to break EN- early of
them habits Of visitin' us. We shore don't
zone none to have 'em hankerin' round.
"NacheralIy, l makes no doubt, IL You
goes clost to Injuns an studies their little
game, you finds some of EN- good an some
bad. some gaudy an some sedate, some
curious an some Indifferent. same as you
finds among shore-enoueh folks Its 50
with mules an broncos: wherefore then
may not these we're differences exist among
said Injuns? Come sQuar' to the turn. you
all finds white folks separated of the same.
Some cents follows off one wagon track. an
some another; some even makes a new trail
''Speakin' of what's opposite In folks. l
one time an as'in sees two white chiefs of
eNouf5 pAooAla INV tAc
Fork. Each has mebby a score Of Injuns at
his heels who pertains to him personal.
One OF these yere scout chiefs Is all buck
skin, fringes. beads an feathers from years
TO hooks, while t'other goes CARRIED in a
stiff hat with a little jim crow &C Of
them kind YOU deenom'nates as a darby
an a dag nal overcoat; one chief looks like
a dime novel on a spree, an t'other as
much Xix the Far East as he sayeys how.
An yet. son, this we're voylent person In
buckskins is a Second Lootenant-a mere
boy, he is-from West Pint; while that out
cast in the reedic'lous hat is foaled on the
plains an never does go that clost to the
risin' sun as to glimpse the old Missouri.
This last form of maverick bursts frequent
into Western bloom, it's their ambition that
Away, to deloode you into deemin' 'em
fresh from the States as one of them tomat-
ter airtights.
''Thar's old gent Jefords: he's that sort.
Old Jeffords lives with the Apaches: he's
found among EN- when Central Crook-the
old Grey Fox-an' civilization that away
comes into Arizona. arm in arm. I used to
note old Jeffords hibernatin' about the Or
iental over In Tucson. 1 shore reckons he's
procrastinatin' about thar yet IL the Great
Sperit amt called him in. As / says, old
Jeffords Is that long among them Apaches
hack I'm Cochise's time. the mem'ry of man
don't run none to the contrary. An yet
no gent ever sees old Jeffords wearfn' any,
thing more savage than a long-tail black
surttot an one Of them stove pipe hats. Is
Jeffords dangerous? No, you-all couldn't
call him a distinct peril: still, folks who
gees devotin' themse'fs to stirrin' Jefords
up. jest to see II he's alive. gets disastrous
action. He has long gray ha'r an a tangled
white beard halfway down his front; an
with that old plug hat an long black coat.
he's a sight to Brighten children or sour
milk! Still, Jenords IL all right. As long as
towerists, an other snquisitif people don't
go p~esterin' Jefords, he shore lets 'em
alone. Otherwise, you might as we'll be up
the same saplin' with a cinnamon bar:
which you'd shore hear something drop .
whole lott
Zee myssf I,ulsss Old Jsnerds, an con-