California Joe, the Mysterious Plainsman | Page 4

of perfect symmetry, his mouth unrestrained by a bit, and his back not weighted by a saddle. Instead of the former was a long lariat about his neck, and in place of the latter were several blankets fastened on with a surcingle. The rider was a youth of seventeen perhaps, strange to say, clad in a suit of black broadcloth that looked as though it might have done service for his father's Sunday wear, or upon the form of some itinerant person. The coat was buttoned up close, as though to hide the absence of a shirt, and the boots into the tops of which the pants were stuck, were four sizes too large for the wearer. The hat was a black felt, and it too seemed never to have been intended to fit the head upon which it rested. He carried a rifle large enough for a man of full size, and a pair or revolvers, knife, and hatchet in a horse-hair belt. To the emigrants he appeared to be like one who had found his clothing and arms separately, and his appearance seemed to tell the story, in connection with the graves in the forest where the party of hunters had first seen him, of one who might be the only survivor of some fearful massacre of some little settlement or wagon train, and had gone back after flying for his life, to find all he loved ones dead, and had picked up for himself just what he could find. So it seemed to those who saw him, and his pale face rather added to this surmise being true. It was a bold, fearless face, a trifle reckless, with earnest black eyes, full of fire, and that seemed to look straight into one's soul. His form was well-built, sinewy and supple, and yet he looked like one who had been ill, or else met with some great sorrow. Seeing that the emigrants were too much surprised at his unexpected appearance to speak, the strange youth said bluntly: "Good-evening, folks." "Good-evening, my young friend," returned the captain pleasantly, while the others nodded at the salutation, and then the Train Boss continued: "May I ask your name, my friend?" "Joe." "Joe?" "Yes, Joe." "But you have another name?" "Isn't Joe name enough?" "Certainly, if you do not care to be known by any other." "I don't," was the frank reply. Captain Reynolds was both surprised and interested in the young stranger, so he said: "I believe we are to thank you for staking a trail out for us the past two days?" "Yes, you were going wrong; so if you were heading for Sunset Settlement." "There is where we are going." "Well, you were going wrong; so I put you right." "You are sure you are right, are you?" "I know," was the quiet rejoinder. "Well, we do not; for our guide took sick and died some days ago, and we were going by aided by one of the teamsters, who had been over the trail before." "Guess is a bad trail to follow in these parts, stranger, and, as it is, you are in danger." "Ha! Do you know of any danger threatening us?" quickly asked Captain Reynolds. "Yes." "You will of course tell us what it is?" "That is what I came here for." "You are very kind, and I am remiss in not offering the hospitalities of our camp. "Dismount, and let us give you some supper." "I have been to supper, sir, but I'll tell you that the red-skins have laid an ambush for you." "Ha! That is news indeed!" "But how know you this?" "I rode upon their camp to-night." "To-night?" "Yes; they are about ten miles from here, and their spies have been watching you all day." "They would have come nearer, but are afraid of me." "Afraid of you?" "Yes, they think I am a spook, or what they call an Evil Spirit." It was on the tip of Captain Reynolds's tongue to say: "I don't blame them; for we half thought so too." But he said instead: "What makes them think so?" "Because I live alone on the prairies, and in the forests and hills." "Have you no home?" "No." "Where are your parents?" "I have no parents," was the reply, in the same tone in which he had before spoken. "But you have friends?" "I have no friends." "And you live in this wild land alone?" "Yes." "But, the Indians--" "They don't harm me. I harm them," was the laconic response. Captain Reynolds saw that he had a strange character to deal with, but was anxious to find out more about him, so asked: "How long have you--" "Say, stranger, I didn't come here to be asked questions, but to tell