Mexico Missouri message., 1907-04-25

was the ufBt time ne hnd meuuonoa
the namo and her ear caught It II
once.
Your fathers name is Caikins5"
"Yes-lm only an adopted son"
Unconsclously she had been lettina
her voice fall low. making their chat
more confidential. She awoke TO this
now and to tho fact that he had done
the same, by noting that he raised his
voice at this time with casual glance
past her to where her father sat.
"Yes--you see my own father and
mother we're killed when was eight
years old, and the people that muir.
dered them tried to kill me too, but I
was spry little like and give them
the slip. II was n bad country. and I
like to have died. only there was a
band of Navajos out trading ponies.
and one morning. after Id been alone
all night. they picked me up and took
care OF me. / was pretty near gone,
what with being scared and every
thing. but they nursed me careful.
They took me away on TO the south
land kept me about year, and then
one time they took me with them
when they worked up north on buff
falo hunt. II was at Walnut creek on
the big bend of the Arkansas that they
met Ezra Calkins coming along with
one OF his trains and be bought me
OF those Navajos. remember he gave
so silver dollars for me to the chief
| Well. when told him all that could
remember about myself-Of course tho
people that did the killing scared a
good deal OF II out of me-he took me
to Kansas City where he lived. and
went to law and made me his son, be-
cause he'd lost a boy about my age.
And SO that's how we have different
names, he telling me I'd ought to keep
mine instead of taking his"
She was excited by the tale. which
he had told almost in one breath. and
now she was eager to question. look.
ing over to see II her father would not
also be interested; but the latter gave
no sign.
you poor little boy, among those
wretched Indian! But why were your
father and mother killed? Did the In
dians do it,"
mo, not Indians that did it-and
never did know why they killed them
they that did do It,"
But how queer! Don't you know
who It was?"
Before answering. he paused to tako
one OF the long revolvers from its
holster, laying II across his lap. his
right hand still grasping IL.
u.nu tGrfuo INV loo uhapa 90 usn %
he explained. IN just rest myself by
holding II here. I've practiced good
smart bit with these pistols against
the time when I'd meet some OF them
that did it-that killed my father and
mother and lots OF others, and little
children, too"
How terrible! And it wasn't In.
dians?"
mol told you that already-it
wasn't Indians"
Don't you know who II was?"
"Oh. yes. know all Of them want
to know. The fact is. up there at
Cedar City met some people that got
confidential with me one day, and told
me a lot of their names. There was
Mr. Barney Carter and Mr. Sam
Woods, and they talked right freely
about some folks. found out what /
was wanting to know, being that they
were drinking men"
He had moved slightly as he spoke
and she glanced a. the revolver still
held along his knee.
Isn't that dangerous-seems to me
it's pointed almost toward father"
"Oh. not bit dangerous, and II
rests me to hold II there. You see II
was hereabouts this thing happened
In fact, came down here looking for
big man. and n little girl that | re-
membered. whose father and mother
we're killed at the same time mine
was. This little girl was about three
. or four, l reckon. and she was taken
by one OF the murderers. He seemed
, like an awful big man To me. BY the
way. that's mean whisky your Bishop
, sells on the sly up at Cedar City
Why, it's worse than Taos lightning
Well, this Barney Carter and Mr. Sam
. Woods, they would drink II all right
. but they said one drink made n man
, ugly and two made him so downright
r bad that he'd Just as lief tear his
wlfe's best bonnet to pieces as not
But they seemed to like mo pretty
, we'll. and they drank a lot of this
, whisky 6hat the Bishop sold me, snd
, then they got talking pretty freely
, about old times. ! gathered that this
l man that took the littic girl is a l,-otty
r big man around here. OF cour1e
wasn't expecting anything like that,
= thought naturally he'd be a low-loWr
/. sort TO have been mixed up In q Thus
, like that"
, He spoke his next WORDS very SLOW
/. ly, with little pauses.
But found out what hts peme wal
' 1T was"
> He stopped. for there had been az
I indlstinet sound from where her fathal
} sat. now in the gloom Of the oreninS
81. - "a