News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-07-16
CHAPTER v.
The Burning Bush,

Among the Indians, before a boy
gets rated warrior, he goes alone afoot,
naked, starvin' thirsty, way off to the
| back side of the desert. Thar he just
waits, suns, weeks, maybe whole
moon, till the Big Spirit happens to
| catch his eye. Then the Big Spirit
shows him a stick, or stone, or any
| sort of triflin' common thing, which
| is to be his medicine, his wampum,
| the charm which guards him, hunt
| ing, or in war.
Among them Bible Indians you'll re-
member a Teller called Moses, out at
the back side of the desert, seen the
Big Spirit in burning bush. Later
his tribe set up medicine lodge, and
the hull story's mighty natural
This Indian life explains lot to
men like me.
Many find peace in death, only a
few in life, and I found peace thar in
the wilderness, the very medicine of
torn souls, fresh from the hand Of the
Almighty Father.
And found wealth. Seems there's
many persons mistakfng dollars for
some sort OF wealth rye had a few
at times by way Of samples. the things
which you're apt 10 be selfish with,
or give away to buy seifFightsousness
Reckoning with them produces the
feeling called poverty. They're the
very stuff and substance of meanness,
and no man walks STRAIGHTFORWARD.
Dollars gets lost, or throwed away,
or left to your next of kin, but they're
not a good and lasting possession. I
like 'em, too.
l found peace, I found wealth, yes,
and found something more thar in the
wilderness. Sweet as the cactus for
est in blossom down Salt River is
that big memory.
1t was after I'd found the things
of happy solitude. I'd gone to work
then for the Bar Y outfit, breaking
the Lightning colts. We was out
few weeks from home, taking an out
fit of ponies as far as the Mesa Abaho,
and one night camped at the very rim.
rock of the Grand Canyon. The Ma.
vajo Indians was peevish, the camp
Vi 81 doo 0SIuI, ASlu Ill d ldDl5b
mood, and night come sudden.
I'd just relieved a man to get his !
supper, and rode herd wide alert. |
scented the camp smoke, saw the |
spark Of fire glow on the boys at rest, |
and heard their peaceful talk hushed |
in the big night. They seemed such |
trifin' critters full of fuss since dawn,
SO small as insects at the edge of |
nothin', while for miles beneath us |
that old, old wolfy Colorado River was
playing the Grand Canyon like a fid.
dler. But the river in the canyon
seemed no more than trickle in a
crack, hushed by the night, while over
head the mighty blazing stars-point,
swing, and drive, rode herd on the
milky way. And that seemed no mere
than cowboys driving stock. Would
God turn His head to see His star
herds pass, or notice our earth like
some lame calf hating in the rear?
And what am |, then?
That was my great lesson, more
gain to me than peace and wealth of
mind, for l was humbled to the dust
If earth, below that dust of stars. So
. very humble thing, not worth pray
ng for, at least l could be master of
myself. l rode no more for wages, but
tut out my ponies from the Lightning
lerd, mounted my stud horse William,
old the boys goodby at Monticello,
md then rode slowly north into the
british pocSecsiODs Go coma at last |
o this place, an old abandoned ranch.
There's none so poor in dollars as to
envy ragged Jesse. or rich enough to
want to rob my home. They say
here's hidden wealth wllar the rain
,ow goes to earth-that's whar l live.