The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-01
ROMANCE OF FOUR LIVES.
BY KATHERINE HOPKINS CHAPMAN.

Well, l believe have all the oandages and necessarles, so goodbye, dear. and don't be uneasy if I'm late" A nasty kiss and Dr. Guild rode hurriedly away, while his wife stood in the door and watched the party gallop off to the scene of this fresh Indian outbreak.
 It is hard for us, in this day Of rail- roads, telegraphs and telephones, to real ize the utter isolation of this brave little woman as she stood on the ramparts of Fort Humbolt that bright morning in lSo6. The interior of Asia or Africa IS more accessible and receives the news of the world sooner now than the slopes or cal ifornia did then.
 A scout had dashed in that morning ana renorted that, despite the vigilance or the United States soldiers, the Digger lholais had renewed their differences in the raV- inc to the west He had hardly hnlsheu before Dr. Guild, the post surgeon was gathering together necessaries Tor one ol those missions of mercy for which he was sa beloved by all soldiers, Indians and Spaniards alike, irrespective Of color or creed The courtly, yet commanolhe man ner. habitual to men of his class in ms native town of Tuscaloosa, Ala'' ndu clung to him through all the rough eX- periences as an army surgeon in the west during those pioneer days And his wlte' apparently such a fragile little body was vet so brave and unselfish that the naroy soldiers would have died for Miss Patty' And the sick soldiers would take medlclhe for her, which was an even greater test of devotion in men of their calibre
 The Digger Indians of the surrounding country were a low type, who eashy rec ognized the superior power of the Omteo States but found it impossible to over come their tribal antiquities which had been inherited from generations or savage ancestors and strengthened by numoerless bloody battles. The mountain tfipe ol Diggers were lazy and improvident' hVlng on grasshoppers and herbs. They would even set fire to vast slopes in oroer to obtain this first deiicacy in abundance and nicely browned. The Coast Diggers. though savage and revengeful were so superior to their kinsmen and enemies or the mountains that pr. Guild was con- firmed in his belief that fish, on which the Coast Indians chiefly lived. was a fine brain food.
 About a year previous to this, and just after, the annual outbreak between these two factions of the Digger tribe' pr. Guild had received summons to the te- pee of an old Hill chief, who lay dying. Offers of medical aid were gruffly refused by the old savage, who stoieally re- marked.
 No, my time has come, but must put my sons son in your care before can go in peace. In this last battle all of our tribe was killed save I, who lie here death stricken, and this lad, left behind to tend me. He can never be chief of his own tribe, which perished gloriously, so I would rather he went with you. I trust you-I trust your squaw-' and without a groan the old man suddenly stiffened and died.
 The lad thus thrust upon the good doc tor was about ten or twelve years old and unusually taciturn even for an In- dian; but he quietly attached himself to Mrs. Guild and when not making himself useful to her. would sit and watch Dr. Guild with the dumb devotion of a dog. Even to these good friends, however, he would never tell his name, saying 1t had perished with his hopes of ruling his own race; so this scion of an extinct people came to be called by the convenient, but incongruous name of Joe.
 Joe s eyes ndu HdSneQ that morning al the scouts news, but he quietly &C., quiesced when pr. Guild told him to re- main with Miss Patty
 As the first party neared the scene of battle. an orderly. who had galloped ahead, returned and said:
 Well, doctor, it seems to me you might as we'll go back for all who lie down wonder are past the sufferings of this world, anyway"
 But they pressed on. until they came to a scene that shocked even their hardened eyes, so used to bloodshed. For while the gurgling stream and rustling foliage of the ravine murmured only of peace, and the eternal mountains stood os silent wit nesses of Gods divine wisdom, the ground was strewn thick with those who would have been still enjoying the beauty and fulness of that glorious land but for their own violence. The onslaught had been so wild and terrific that friend and foe lay in one horrible, weltering mass, and truly all were beyond mortal aid.
 Just as Dr. Guild remounted his horse. with a sigh for his powerlessness, faint cry broke the silence of that blood stained ravine. He paused with bated breath until another feeble wall enabled him to locate the sound. and then hurried to pile of hodies from which this appeal seemed to come. There stranned to ;t.