The day book. [volume], July 24, 1914, LAST EDITION, Image 19

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
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Btory. Doctor Wharton told me about
it. It sterns that when the son was
shipped away secretly the chief gave
him a great satchel filled with gold.
Then he wenjt to the doctor. 'I make
you rich,' he said. 'I have a mine
all gold. You save my son I not
forget.' Well, in about a week back
comes Big Bear. He had no gold.
He was all bruised and beaten up.
There was a great gash in his skull.
All his old fire was gone. It ap
peared that he had met his bitterest
enemy, one Lone Wolf. They had a
terrible fight. The skull blow had af
fected the brain of Big Bear. He
seemed to have forgotten about his
mine. Like a faithful dog he took
up his home with the doctor and has
been with him ever sinee."
The story passed out of the mind of
the marshal almost immediately for
he had a busy day before him the
one following. A wild west show was
coming to town and the experienced
official knew that this event was like
ly to call in all the cowboys and
rougher element of the district for
a characteristic good time.
There was to be a procession and
it came about with a band of music in
the lead, then a dozen mounted In
dians. The sight was only moderate
ly attractive to the townspeople, for
cowboys and Indians were no novelty
to them.
On the present occasion, however,
there was an incident added not an
ticipated and more tragic and sensa
tional than the fiercest play episode
on the program.
Big Bear had sat on a railing like
others casually reviewing the proces
sion. Of a sudden as a big brawny
brave mounted on a mustang came
into view, there rang from his usually
placid lips a hair-raising yell:
"Lone Wolf!"
"Hold him!"
"He's gone mad!"
It seemed as though in a flash some
stirring impulse had reawakened in
the chief all the long dormant feroc
ity of his nature.
Electrified, he sprang to his feet.
An ear-splitting war whoop left his
lips. Then like a bloodhound he
reached the middle of the street in
four tremendous bounds.
With a spring he landed against the
painted brave on the mustang. He
tore him from the saddle. Both fell
to the street There, rolling.over and
over in a firightful fist battle, they
seemed like two rabid wolves, intent
only in ending a struggle of desperate
strife and hatred in death.
Big Bear was foaming at the
mouth, his eyes glared with fury. His
enemy was armed, however, and he
was not. At his belt the show Indian
carried a short stone headed blud
geon. He managed to free one hand.
The murderous weapon cut through
the air and Big Bear sank back with
a groan, his head and face deluged
with blood.
His assailant, grim, gruff, taciturn,
refused to make any explanation. The
marshal had to admit that Big Bear
was the first assailant. The show
people of course defended their mem
ber. "It must have been a sudden fit of
frenzy," said- Doctor Wharton, but
two days later, after the show had
passed on to" another town, he was
further startled and troubled.
Big Bear, under his surgical
charge, had disappeared in the night.
Then a week later he reappeared."
There was a lively new intelligence
in his face. Four rangers, rifle arm
ed, guarded the closed wagon in
which be rode.
"Ugh, good doctor!" he cried ex
ultingly, as he drove up to the house
of the physician. "No more trouble
for little Caribel and gold for you,
my friend gold! gold!"
"Strange, wasn't it?" the next day
spoke the marshal to a friend.
"About Big Bear?" was the re
sponse. "Why, it's like a romance.
They say he has come back with
whole bricks of gold."
"Pretty near that, and more in
sight"
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