to quiet him. At last, he burst into tears of anger. For a moment, the mutterings and hisses ceased, but they burst forth again with greater strength. The child sprang from his teacher, leaped like a squirrel to the back of one of the ruffians, climbed to his shoulder, and dealt lightning blows upon his eyes and nose and [Pg 23] mouth. The man grasped him and hurled him with terrific force to the ground. The little fellow lay in a helpless heap where he had fallen. Esther rushed to the child and bent over him. All the brute seemed roused in the drunken man. He lunged toward her with menacing fists, and a torrent of oaths. [Pg 23] "Blank yer!" he said, "Yer needn't interfere with me. Blank y'r hide. Yer'll git out o' Gila ter-morrer, blank yer!" But he did not observe the three stern faces at the right and left of Esther Bright and the prostrate child. Three men with guns drawn protected them. The men who had come to insult and annoy knew well that if they offered further violence to the young teacher and the unconscious child, they would have to reckon with John Clayton, Kenneth Hastings and John Harding. Wordless messages were telegraphed from eye to eye, and one by one the ruffians disappeared. Esther still knelt by Wathemah. He had been stunned by the fall. Water revived him; and after a time, he was able to walk into the schoolhouse. Oh, little child of the Open, so many years misunderstood, how generously you respond with love to a little human kindness! How bitterly you resent a wrong! Afterwards, in describing what Miss Bright did during this trying ordeal, a Scotch miner said: "The lass's smile fair warmed the heart. It was na muckle, but when she comforted the Indian bairn I could na be her enemy." As Esther entered the door, she saw two middle-aged Scotch women clasp hands and exchange words of greeting. She did not dream then, nor did she know until months after, how each of these longed for her old home [Pg 24] in Scotland; nor did she know, at that time, how the heart of each one of them had warmed towards her. [Pg 24] Several women and children and a few men followed the teacher into the schoolroom. All looked around curiously. Esther looked into the
Prev.
Back
Top