Pioneer Sketches, Part III: Our New Bell [pp. 258-261]

Our Newb Bell.
they filed through the town they received as
hearty an ovation as ever was given to any
conqueror. "Peace hath its victories as well
as war"; and we all felt that this was a glorious victory. But it was when the last three
wagons came along, and the rough-bearded
men gazed as in a vision at their contents,
that the excitement of the day attained its
height; instinctively every man uncovered,
for there in the fronts of the wagons were
seen the tired, worn, but still happy faces of
the first white women who had ever favored
our town with their presence; and fully as
strange and delightful to us was a sight of
the little surprised faces that were peering
out under the edges of the partly raised
wagon-covers. Under the influence of that
scene more than one of our rough characters became for a while entirely oblivious of
his surroundings; the wheel of time had been
suddenly reversed for him, and he was once
more living over his early life, and was surrounded by the dear faces of his childhood.
Men who would hurl back with scorn the
insinuation that anything could cause themn
to shed a tear, as though by so doing their
manhood would be impeached, were that
afternoon seen standing bareheaded, shouting and hurraing like veritable maniacs,
while the tears were fairly streaming down
their cheeks.
But while I was in the height of my enjoyment of the scene before me, a sudden
pang of fear seized me as I saw Texas Jack
approaching a point where his late antagonist Bill was standing. I knew that words
had passed between them at their last meeting that only blood could erase. Why could
not their meeting have been put off another
day at least, and not mar this happy one
with what I felt sure would be a tragedy?
They were both brave men; there was no
back down about either; yet there they were
within a few feet of each other, each unconscious of the other's presence, and in another
moment their eyes would meet, and then
Jack had been absent ever since his last
quarrel with Bill, on business connected with
the sheriffs office; he had only returned a
few minutes before, and heard for the first
time what had been taking place in camp
during his absence, and the earnest part Bill
had taken in the matter. He had evidently
had a look into the emigrants' wagons, for
he was still carrying his hat in his hand, and
some pleasant, long-forgotten home memories must have had possession of him as he
found himself suddenly standing face to face
with his late enemy. But such men are
never taken by surprise; they always know
just what they want to do, and are very
prompt about doing it. Instantly his open
hand was extended as he said:
"Put it there, Bill."
As those two men stood thus for a moment with clasped hands, a prayer of thankfulness ascended from the hearts of all who
witnessed it, for we knew that the longstanding trouble between them was now
buried beyond all possibility of resurrection;
surely, the coming of the emigrants had
already brought a blessing on our camp.
And now once more quiet reigned in our
little town. The emigrants were all well
cared for, and were having their first good
rest for many a weary month. Scattering
snow-flakes were slowly descending upon the
covers of their deserted wagons, as if the
storm, vexed at their escape from him, had
crossed his usual boundary, andwas reaching
out his long white fingers in his desperate
effort to grasp them once more. Singly and
in small groups our tired men passed out of
town to their cabins on the surrounding hillsides, soon to be in the enjoyment of the
pleasant dreams that all had a share of that
night. But none passed our new bell, now
resting after its unwonted exertions, without
looking up at it kindly and with an affectionate feeling; for we were glad to include it
in our gratitude over the happy termination
of its first alarm.
V
261
1883.]