Jt
10 Conservative.
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING.
A 8TOIIY Of NKHUA8KA.
The low sun had blazed all day in
a cloudless sky , and all day no sound
had broken the silence of the primi
tive wilderness , save the rustling of a
rabbit now and then in the dry grasser
or the distant cawing of crows in the
trees that fringed the creek , or flap
ping their way to the wooded island
under the hill. The sun was drawing
toward the western horizon , where the
yellow prairie hills stretched , roll
after roll , to the limit of vision , and
the mild southern breeze began to
take on a chill. It was the 24th of
November , 1842.
A traveler toiled up the northern
slope of the hill from the creek bed
that lay at its foot. When he reached
the level top ho laid his parflecho-
covered pack on the ground , took off
his fur cap and stood leaning on his
heavy rifle , surveying the quiet land
scape before him , while the breeze
swayed his long hair. He was a very
tall man , of the broad-shouldered and
spare build that promises limitless
endurance ; his frame was bowed , but
evidently more with hardship than
with age , as the hair that lay about
his shoulders was untouched with
gray ; and as his keen eyes scanned
the wide river-bottom before him , ho
fell into an attitude expressive of
great weariness.
Suddenly the weariness fell from
him , and he started into the alert
posture of a listening wild animal.
Up the long slope from the south
came two horsemen , driving a pack
animal before them. The tall man
faced them and shifted his grasp on
the rifle , then stood leaning on it as
before and awaited them , immovably.
Presently they halted ; evidently they
had seen him. They seemed to con
sult , and then turned their horses to
wards him. As they approached
within hailing distance , he tossed
his gun into his arm ; "Who bo ye ? "
ho called.
One laughed. "I took ye for an
Indian , " ho said. "We're white men ,
all right , " and they came jogging to
ward their questioner , whoso stern
ilv features relaxed into a child-like expression
of . "If '
pression curiosity. you're
looking for a place to camp , better
stop here , " ho said. "You won't get
nowhere tonight. ' '
"This was whore I aimed to camp , "
said the other. ' ' I been hero before.
This good enough for you , Batiste ? "
His companion made no reply , but
leaped heavily to the ground and be
gan to unsaddle.
"Where ye from ? " inquired the tall
man from the north , ' ' and where ye
bound for ? "
"We're company men , " was the re
ply , "just from Cyprien's and going
; %
to Sarpy's. We'll winter there and
thereabouts. My name's Jackson ,
his'n's Batiste Labadie. What's your
name and business ? "
"I was there last night , " said the
tall man , "at Sarpy's. The first time
I've slept under a wood roof for
twenty years. 1 was half froze for
fresh air , but I reckon I'll have to
get used to it. I'm Richardson , and
I'm in . "
just from the mountains.
"Paul Richardson ? " asked the
other ; and the man assented with a
nod. "Haven't loft the mountains
have ye ? " Another nod. "Left'em
forever. Have ye been there ? Do ye
know what that means ? " "I've been
there , and I guess I know , ' ' said the
man from the south.
The suu sank behind the prairie ,
and the west was flushed with red.
In the east a deep blue band above the
Iowa hills heralded the coming night ,
and the full moon stood forth , with
her light reflected in the water of the
great river , which from this height
was like a blue mirror. Batiste had
made a fire and withdrawn with the
three horses to picket them where
there was grazing for the night. The
two Americans sat down and talked
of the doings of their world.
"Did ye see anything of Cap. Fre
mont ? " the mountain-man inquired.
"He's down " the other
gone , an
swered , "but ho never stopped. We
heard of him from the lauding. I see
him last spring when ho went out.
He fitted out at our place. How is't
you didn't come down with him ? "
"I was sick up at the Hole , " Rich
ardson said. "Been sick all summer.
The Indians brought word that there
were soldiers in the mountains , and
I'd have come down with them but I
couldn't get down in time. I was
only three weeks behind them at
Laramie , but they were nigh eight
weeks ahead of me at Sarpy's. I
couldn't travel very fast. " "Get
hurt ? " asked the man named Jackson.
"Eight arrows , " the other answered ,
"one in my ribs. Blackfeet. The
Indians are all consid'able riled this
summer , account of all them folks go
ing through to Oregon. I and another
man , named Wheeler , were out after
meat , and the devils surrounded us.
We stood 'em off all day , and crawled
out. I was hurt pretty bad. Wheeler
got rubbed out since after all on
Medicine Bow. " "Any scalps ? " the
other inquired. "Nary scalp but my
own , " said the trapper. "I've had
scalps enough in my time , but my
day is about over. One more scalp
and I'm done. " "Who's wearing
that ? " Jackson asked.
' ' An Otoo , ' ' was the reply , and the
two men looked steadily in each oth
er's eyes. The company man asked no
questions , and Richardson presently
went on. ' ' There was an Otoe , a big
devil that camped with mo one night
ton years ago on the upper Platte.
I was alone , coming down to meet
Milton Sublotte ; there was a dozen
of the Indians. While I was getting
my dinner they jumped on mo and
robbed me of everything but my
clothes ; horse , knife , flint and stool
everything. There was snow on
the ground I begged the chief for my
rifle and a little ammunition ; ho
laughed , and they rode off yelling.
With my bare hands I caught gamete
to keep me alive till I came to white
men ; but I swore to have that chief's
scalp. This morning I was at the
Otoe village above here ; my man is
dead , died last winter of smallpox.
But there are others ; a band of them
is camped below here somewhere. ' '
The trapper's face had lost its look
of simplicity ; it was fierce and merci
less , like a wild beast's. "I want an
Otoe scalp , " ho said.
They were silent ; one stared into
the fire , the other smoked and watched
the moon. The third traveler came
back from the horses and began to un
lace the packs.
"What do they call this place ? "
Richardson inquired suddenly. ' ' Blest
if I know , ' ' said Jackson ; "do you ,
Batiste ? " "Yass , " answered Batiste ;
"I been here plenty time. My fader ,
she bring me hero when I wass little
boy. Da's Table Creek. " "About
four miles below here they are , ' ' said
the trapper , and fell again into sil
ence.
Batiste stirred about , getting sup
per , and presently began to whistle
and then to sing. He produced coffee ,
sugar and bacon ; ho scraped the dirt
off a fresh quarter of venison with his
knife , and began to slice it. Richard
son watched him with softening look ,
but at this he shook his head. "Cut
ting it across the grain , " he said.
Then Batiste opened a tin can of hard
bread , and at this ho laughed aloud.
"Gimme one of them , Batiste , " he
said ; "I've been a year at a time
without seeing bread. " And as-he
crushed it in his strong jaws his face
took on its childlike expression again.
Presently he looked across the fire
with an oddly timid glance. ' ' Where
you from , Mr. Jackson ? " he said.
"Ohouteau's , " said Jackson. "No , "
said the trapper ; ' ' where was you
born ? " The other looked up defiant
ly ; hesitated , then said "Kentuok. "
Richardson laughed merrily again.
' ' And I'm from old Connecticut , ' ' he
said. " Twenty years a mountain-man ,
and now going to turn farmer back
at the old homo I left when I was a
boy. Yonder. " waving his hand
across the river , " is the United States.
I heard a cowbell this morning , a
thing I hadn't thought of in years.
And I've been thinking all day say ;
ain't this Thursday ? " The other