American essays; Short stories, American; Western stories
We had arrived just before daybreak, my escort and I having made a "dry
march"--which would have been too severe on Uncle Sam's mules in the
scorching sun of a June day--during the night. The morning, flashing up
in the East with all the glorious colors that give token of the coming,
overpowering heat, brought with it also the faint, balmy breath of wind
in which to bathe one's limbs before the sun burst forth in its burning
majesty. Phil, the ambulance-driver, and my oracle, said I could wander
off as far as I wanted without fear of Indians; so I had ascended the
steep hill back of the station, and, spying what looked like a graveyard
at the foot of it, on the other side, I had immediately clambered down
in search of new discoveries. I knew that there had formerly been a
military post here: it is just so far from the Mexican border that
fugitives from the law of that country would instinctively fly this way
for refuge; and just near enough the line where the "friendly Indian"
ceases to be a pleasant delusion, to make the presence of a strong
military force at all times necessary for the protection of white
settlers. But there are none; and Uncle Sam, protecting his own property
"on the march" through here as well as possible, allows the citizen and
merchant to protect himself and his goods the best way he can. Why the
camp had been removed, I cannot tell--neither, perhaps, could those who
occupied it--but I am pretty sure they were all very willing to go. I've
never seen the soldier yet that wasn't glad of a change of post and
quarters.
There were quite a number of graves in this rude burying-ground (I don't
like that name, on the whole; but it seemed just the proper thing to
call this collection of graves), and among them were two that attracted
my attention particularly. The one was a large, high grave, with rather
a pretentious headstone, bearing the inscription:
"TO THE MEMORY OF JAMES OWENS,
Who came to his death May 20, 186-."
The other seemed smaller, though it was difficult to determine the exact
dimensions, on account of the rocks, bones, and dry brush piled on it.
It is the custom of the Mexicans in passing by a grave to throw on it a
stone, a clump of earth, or a piece of brush or bone, if they have
nothing else, as a mark of respect: so I concluded at once that some one
of that nationality lay buried here. One, too, who had some faithful
friend; for there was a look about the grave that spoke of constant
attention and frequent visits to it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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