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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1887)
018 THE WES of Indian fighting in exaggerated nod exciting stories, and "Old Bye" was M wild fur scalr,." Ho and Billy were the find to call on the president of the the meeting to put their names down. Charley Wright was elected captain, and an Billy had an old cornet, he was cho sen bugler. Hie instrument waa false, having leen cracked, but it was good enough. Early next morning, over fifty moun tain era -brave men, and all mounted wi re on their way toward the headwa ters of the South Boise, to which point the Bannocks ncro rejwrted heading. On leaving town, Billy kept blowing the reveille on tho instrument, to " gctalip," as ho ci prosed himself, and those who remained iu town listened to the notes, as they were carried on tho gentle bree.e, till they died away in the dis tance. As the little, but determined, compa ny were pressing forward, about noon, two of the scouts, who had been sent ahead, rc turned and reported pony and moccasin trucks. Tho men pressed for ward, esgerly watching tho bluffs for signal smokes, and exacting to be fired up n at any moment But nono could l seen. Almut il:00 o'clock they found two oLies with the hoofs of tho feet cut off. They hml given out, and tho brutal act hnd leen committed by the fi( i.da to prevent their being of any uso to these who should find them. Tho old mountaineers pressed forward morovig orously thaa ever, anxious to hear the arhonp; bat the day passed, and not r n Indian or signal was seen. Captain Wright, realizing tho liability of an at tack at any moment,, gave orders for tho hones to Ik kept in readiness to bo used the tciiucut the bugle sounded; guards re placed on all sides of the little Kind, and tlo who were not on duty lay d u to rot. using the wild hay of the creek bottom to shield their bodies r shore. from tho dampness of tho ground. Billy was stationed at tho head of tho canyon, about fifty yards from camp, and ordered to blow the call to arms in case of an attack. The rippling of the little stream below filled his heart with sad recollec tions of the past, and the deep peals of thunder, from an approaching storm, spoke words of terror to his mind. As the brilliant lightning displayed the clouds, unfurling like banners in the sky, he thought of "Old Bye's" quota tion, " There is a silver lining to every dark cloud." It was on one of those pleasant even ings in August, that Ella was sitting in her room, gazing at the beautiful sun set The shadows of the high granite cliffs were growing longer and longer, as if to cover her lifo with gloom and darkness. The sweet incense of the beautiful tlowers came with every breeze, as if to bring back sorrowful memories of the past; and the rippling of the wa ters seemed to repeat tho reveille of poor Billy's cornet She loved her father, as a true, faithful daughter should, yet sho dreaded the interview when the sub ject of her engagement to Billy would come up. Why it was that ho had not ventured to spproach the subject, she could not understand. She dreaded it, becauso sho loved Billy as herself, and could not believe that he was guilty of the crime for which tho majority of the people of Atlanta were f everely censur ing him. While thus meditating on the past, with dark clouds of tho future roll ing before her mind's vision, her aged father, with signs of a troubled mind marking his face, and exhibiting some nervousness, entered, lie was moved with pity as a tear passed over Ella's flushed cheek. She invited him to sit besido her, and for a few momenta not another won! was spoken. Ella knew it remained with her to approach the 6ab-