White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1920-05-02
WHEN PIONEERS RETURN
Continued from Page 3

very small child that he and Wetona
had left her asleep at camp to go
pick berries they had not gone far
when they heard a frightened cry
from the baby they had left asleep.
They had gone back to find that a
young lion had attacked the child
and tore that cash in WINS fore
head.
The old fellow seemed to be Al
peace with the world now that his
search was at an end. He lived with
us and he and little VIM had be-
come great companions. But my
heart and happiness was taxed almost
to the limit. Now that VIM had
found her father she did not seem
happy at all as she should have been.
She brooded silently and that ever
ready smile that was always on hcr
lips was gone. She believed that she
was a half. breed Indian and she
thought that ! loved her less since
| learned the truth. For Vim ds-
spised mixture of races. | assured
her that this was of no importance
10 me but still she thought that |
must just love her out of pity, but
God knows thai nothing would have
me love her less.
| had a little room which | called
my den and here | spent many hours
in thought and meditation. When
ever | went into my study VIM knew
that ! did not want TO be disturbed.
Here l had gathered many euriosities.
| had one hobby and that was to
gather eurios not for their value but
because ] just wanted to have them
There were many relics among these
of Indian battles and there were
Indian blankets and baskets OF many
kinds. but there was n blanket thai
| priced above all my other curio
possessions. it was woven in many
colors and had curious designs and
images on IL. | had often wondered
what they meant for N time | had
shown this blanket to another friend
in hobby and he had shown much
enthusiasm over il and had offered
me a great deal of money for IL but
| had not sold 1t to him. Then one
day | a forgetful and Stebbins
wandered into my den for ] had left
the door unlocked. When l found
him he was bending over the rug and
was talking excitedly, a strange
tongue which ! could not understand.
Then it dawned on me that he was
reading the signs and images on that
rug. He stopped on my entrance
and explained that into that blanket
was woven the history of all the
and victories that the Sho-
shone tribe had won for centuries.
For three days Stebbins labored over
the translation of thai blanket, for
he had forgotten much OF the Sho |
shone dialect. AT the end of each
day he would read to me what he
had translated. Then mid-afternoon |
one Sunday when | was not working, |
5tebbins came 10 me with q trans
|ation that he mad just deciphered.
For there nearly at the bottom OF
he blanket was a record of whore
he Shoshone Indians bad raided an
immigration party and had killed all
Put the three small children, These
hey had taken back TO their tribe
)ut two OF them had died and only
he one white girl had lived. Her
hey had named Wetona. She had
away with a man of her own
.yhiteness. and the great chief pah-
-an-a-gat had called the vengeance
IF the evil spirit on her and her
.hildren's head.
When he had finished reading this
translation to me | called VIM and
again he read it 10 us. Then |
Jaw the smile of happiness come
again TO my Winn's eyes for Der
had been a white woman who |
had been stolen away from her
people. The cloud was lifted from
Dur happiness. and VIM knew that
truly loved her.
Art Stebbins lived ten more happy
years with us and then he died peace
at the ripe old age of ninety !