U niversity
of
O regon M onthly
33
vallèy, the frost sparkled liké’“'wo,v ên glass, pleasing recQmperis'e for
the chill of the night. Into the ctisp air and brilliant m.orhing light,
came the girl, and carelessly passing the time th at her father and the
engineer spent in the tunnel, she wandered down the tra il tow ard the
C reate, whîÆe:'*Pji^ger, unw ittingly, cam é/Ko’ meeb her. ''Bates, en-
,tirelÿ'/recovered/'âeeing the unprotected g irl,w a lk in g down the
stream, ’fdllowed.
A t a turn in the tçail r o s e a frightened, shriek and almost in
stantly came an answ ering c ry ^ h e -Iy e líH the native protecting
hi« s'qnaw ; à savage expression.of revenge—fury and long nourished
hate. In to the trail leaped Trigger, all his-Indian blood .scorching
,fo kill, four shots crashed as'one;;. followed a f e a r f u lc u rs e ,a n d
down w ent the white mothered beast, tw in spurts of bloQd dying,
his blue flannel shirt. . .
*
I
~
Cursé you, .Trig'!” he snarled, helplei^/ looking viciQusly at
his slayer, while the frightened girl ‘ stood' by; near fainting at the
awful stiddenness of the tragedy.
“R en lem b erth e last man you killed in M urray?’* sneered T rig
ger: “H e w as1 my father.
“So you’re the squaW-man’s brat, you dirty half breed !” and
evil to the last, Bates died;
' .H orrified, the girl turned to h e r'lo v e r; “Trigger, that can’t be
true !”r 5'J
Ensued a silence, while the . New . England corp û sèléssu rg ed
uf>, bravely, combating and subm erging those of the Siwash. “M y
mother was an Indian woman/* he answered, half turning to leave.
^ ' ^ oment ’s hesitation; a b rief/w avering of race antagonism,
heritage Qf untold, wtíite g e n e ra tio n ; ’{hen the é te rn a í feminipe : A
white cheek was pressed dgainst the brown one where a livid streak
proved the almost fatal accuracy 0$ “Two Guri” Batesï
—E. G. "05.