Mower County transcript., 1907-05-29


dence had begun to wonder IL she
would ever see him again; also to
wonder why an uncertainty in the mat
ter should seem to be OF Importance.
But one evening early in June they
saw him walking up in the dusk, the
light sombrero, the scarlet kerchief
against the blue woollen shirt, the
holster with it's heavy Colt's revolver
at either hip, the easy moving figure,
and the strong, yet boyish face.
He greeted them pleasantly, though,
the girl thought, with some restraint.
She could not hear it in his words, but
she felt it in. his manner, something
suppressed and deeply hidden. They
asked where his horse was and he re-
piled with curious air of embarrass-
ment:- r. e.3 -.a.5 .-s
"Well, you see, may be Obliged to
stop around here quite some while,
10 put up with this man Wardle-not
wanting to impose upon you an---and
thanking you very kindly, and not
wishing to intrude- just came to
say 'howdy' to you' .= -...*... ....
They expressed regret that he had
not returned to them, Joel Rae urging
him to reconsider; but he declined
politely, showing a desire to talk of
other things.
Then he spoke of adventures with
the Indians while freighting over the
Santa Fe trail, and of what fine
man his father, Ezra Calkins, was. It
was the first time he had mentioned
the name and her ear caught it at
once.
"Your fathers name is Calkins?"
"Yes-Tm only an adopted son."
Unconsciously she had been letting
her voice fall low, making their chat
more confidential. She awoke to this
now and to the fact that he had done
the same, by noting that he raised his
voice at this time with a casual glance
past her to where her father sat.
: "Yes-you see my own father and
mother were killed when. was eight
years old, and the people that, muir
dered them tried to kill me too, but l
was spry little tike and give them
the slip. It was bad country, and l
like to have died, only there was a
band of Navajos out trading ponies,
and one morning, after I'd been alone
all night, they picked me up and took
care of me. I was pretty near gone,
what with being scared and every
thing, but they nursed me careful.
They took me away off to the south
and kept me about a year, and then
one time they took me with them
when they worked up north on buf-
falo hunt. 1t 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 I told him all that l could
remember about myself-of course the
people that did the killing scared 3
good deal Of it out Of me-he took mh
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 o~ght 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 if 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?'
"No, not Indians that did it-and 1
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 take
one of the long revolvers from its
holster, laying it across his lap, his
right hand still grasping it.
1T was firing my leg where 1t was,'