Tales and Trails of Wakarusa — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Tales and Trails of Wakarusa
John Stuart Mill · en
there ain't any real ghosts for some people, but them old faces are
real when they come back to me. It's more than thirty years, and ever
so long I thought I'd go back and see them some day, and I used to
write them that I would, but I never did; and they're both gone now.
Their ghost is all I have, and I kind o' like it, and wouldn't trade
it off for anything in the world."
As the story ended the stars gradually went out for the boy, and he
thought no more of ghosts until morning. Since then, he has
accumulated quite a number of ghosts of his own of the same kind and
character as the ones that followed the old cattleman, all born of
the grief of separation, and they are all real to him and have become
part of his life.
An Indian Christmas
(A legend of the camp by the spring.)
On Christmas night the Indian camp was a noisy place. The fires were
burning brightly in every tepee, and shouts and laughter told of the
good time that was being had by everyone as a part of the celebration
that the old French priest had taught them to have.
Outside the wind was blowing cold, with skiffs of snow. A strange boy
wandered into the camp. He stopped at the tent of the chief and asked
that he be admitted and given food and allowed to get warm. The chief
drove him away. He went to the tent of Shining Star and tried to be
admitted, but Shining Star grunted, and his boys drove him away with
whips. He then went to many of the tents, including those of Eagle
Eye and Black Feather, but none would receive him, and at one they
set a dog upon him. His feet were bare, and tears were frozen on his
cheeks. He was about to leave the camp, when he noticed a small tepee
made of bearskin off by itself. He walked slowly to it, and quietly
peeped in. Inside he saw the deformed Indian, who was known
everywhere by the name of Broken Back. His squaw sat near him,
preparing a scanty meal for them and their children. The children
were playing on the ground, but were watching their mother closely,
for they were hungry. The fire was low, and the boy started to turn
away, and broke a twig that lay on the ground.
Broken Back ran out and stopped him as he was about to turn away.
"What do you want?" he said.
The boy commenced to cry.
"I am so cold and hungry," he said, "and I have been to all the
tents, and they will not let me in."
Then Broken Back took him by the hand and led him into the tent, and
they divided the food with him, and built up the fire until he became
warm and happy. They urged him to stay all night and until the storm
was over.
So he sat on the ground near the fire and talked and played with the
children until it was time to go to sleep.
Then he stood up, and they all noticed that he was tall, and as they
looked they saw that he was a man instead of a boy. His clothes were
good, and over his shoulder hung a beautiful blanket, and over his
head was a bonnet with feathers of strange birds upon it. As they
looked, he reached out his hand and said: