Page:The Indian History of the Modoc War.djvu/219

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was his first patron he would only charge him twelve dollars; saying-, "1 should charge you nothing, but you talk so rich, and smoke such fine cigars you had ought to pay according to your big talk." The stranger began to demur, but before he had succeeded in drawing his little pocket "popgun," Frank had covered him completely with a "Xavy," and the pompous fellow paid the bill, Frank meantime reading him a short chap- ter upon miscegenation that was new to him. Before mount- ing, Frank handed him the twelve dollars, saying he had hoped that he would refuse to pay the bill, so he could have a good excuse for thrashing him and teaching him common sense and decency.

Soon after Frank met with an accident which disabled him for several months. The farm comprised thirty acres of arable land. The rainy season began ; Frank was unable to plow. Wi-ne-ma, being physically robust, plowed the ground, sowed the barley, and with little assistance harvested the crop, hauled it to market, sold it, and saved the money. It was during this time that Wi-ne-ma demonstrated her ability to defend her husband's honor. A Yankee who had not "ac- climated" well but had retained his native habit of "arguing" things, came to Riddle's one day, and after some talk about a stray horse, intimated that Mr. Riddle had behaved unmanly in the matter. Wi-ne-ma taking in the situation, pitched into Mr. Yank, and before he knew it, his head \vas bleeding pro- fusely and a strong hand was grasping his throat. He fought back as best he could, but the poor little Yank was in the hands of an enraged Modoc woman, who was pelting him in the face, saying between her licks, "I'll learn you how you talk about my man." He begged for mercy, and Frank persuaded Wi-ne-ma to desist. Wi-ne-ma brought a basin of water and bathed the battered face of Yank while she preached a short sermon on slandering his neighbors, finally asking him to stay for dinner, which invitation Yank accepted, and the whole matter w r as amicably adjusted by him receiving the assurance that the story of his whipping should not be told of him. When he met his friends he claimed to have been dragged by his horse through the sage-brush for a half mile, and hi