Chico High School - Caduceus Yearbook (Chico, CA)

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THE TRUE HERO Of' said Uncle Dick, addressing the young folks around him, you want a hero story. Itc Wfell, let me think a moment. Ah! I know one, and if you'll pull your ch.airs up a little 5 closer round the fire-place you shall hear the story oflas true a hero as ever lived. Perhaps some of you older ones remember Gne-Arm Billy, but I think you,ve never heard the story of how he earned the title. I've never known why, but as far as I know Billy never told a living soul h.is story. And he seemed just as averse to having others tell it. After the accident he asked us all to 'forget itg' said he 'didn't want any fool reporters coming 'round to get his picture for the papers, 'twant nothing anyhow' He seemed to dread and fear publicity, and since he had given his arm and almost his life to save the life of a child we felt that th.e least we could do for him was to respect his wishes and try to 'forget it.' But now Billy is dead, and I suppose it can do no harm to tell the story. E It happened a long, long time ago in Grandfather Pearsonfs coal mine. Grandfather had a big house and there were always guests. At the time of the accident it was a party of his friends from the city, and of course they wanted to visit' the mine. There were two small children in the party, and though grandfather advised against it they were allowed to accompany the others to the mine. Billy was only a foreman, but he'd practically lived in the mine ever since he had come to us, and knew every track and tunnel of it. So, Grandfather asked 'him to sh.ow the party around. They visited the upper levels first and the children were beginning to grow restless when the party reached the lowest level of the mine. 'WVhy Billy didn't protest at taking the party there I've never been able to understand. It was part' of his nature, I suppose. Grandfather had given the order to show them the whole of the mine, and Billy wasn't the man to protest, even though he knew that tunnel wasnit safe. You see, some of the supporting timbers near the end of the .tunnel had given way and there h.ad been a cave-in. Close to the end of the cave-in a great boulder weighing perhaps twenty tons or more projected from the side and roof of the tunnel. If the boulder should fall, that whole section of the tunnel was in danger of caving in. Great timbers of the toughest wood had been placed under the boulder as supports, but the recent cave-in farther on had weakened and cracked these timbers, and the rock had partly given way. The slightest jar, or even a loud noise, might bring the .huge rock or even the whole tunnel roof crashing down. The miners had been warned to keep away from that vicinity until the damage dould be repaired. fwf- . f T-2 71- in

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Q . fn. F- 1 ka be yours. The Concows and the Mechoopdas must unite. Farewelli'-and in a softer tone, said Strike!H Vlfithout replying, Hoolipa calmly struck. VVhile Ceto lay prone o'er Hoolika's grave, his life'- blood flowing over the brown earth, Hoolipa drew his tomahawk and hacked off Ceto's head. Placing it on the point of his spear, he entered his own village. His mother wept with joy at thesigh.t. She immediately bedecked the spear with gorgeous ornaments, and painted the face. Vlfomen and children waited breathlessly for the ceremony to begin, but Hoolipa sat and silently gazed into the distance. His mother then started the war chant, while everyone followed. Faster and faster she sang and danced, mocking, hitting and tearing at the dead man's face. In the end the village was trans- formed into the dance hall of demons. Everyone joined in the ceremony, except Hoolipa and some scouts he had placed at the outskirts of the village. ' In the midst of the fiendish orgy a scout reported that a party of Mechoopdas were on their way to the village, and from th.eir appearance were councilmen and other leading men of that tribe. In a loud voice, Hoolipa silenced the people. He told them of the coming visit of the other tribe, and bade XY i A FAQ- them wait to hear the outcome of it. He then decked himself in his chieftain's robes, took the head of Ceto to where the body lay, and awaited the coming of the Mechoopdas. Cetok was the first to speak. Hoolipa, my father's blood has paid for yours, just as your father had said. I have been elected chief in my fatheris place. I came first for revenge, but the council has ruled, 'a murder for a murder, a chief for a chief,' and I see that it is just. 'fTherefore, I come in peace. Let us end our dif- ferences' Allow me to bury my father here with honors with yours. So saying he broke his spear. Hoolipa replied, So let it be. I break my arrows and bow to insure it. The Concows and th.e Mechoopdas are one. I resign my candidacy for chieftancy to you, Cetok said. Treat my people as yours-I must leave. Farewellf' , ' Into the woods he went, singing: 66 Intojthe land from whence I came, Into the land of rain and mist, Into the land of the setting sun, Into the land of rest-I gof' -HENRY AZBILL, ,is -26-

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Billy knew this, and so, of course, he didn't take the party very close to the rock. As th.e mine was well lighted there to lessen the liability of accidents, he just pointed out the rock from a distance, explained the danger, and started the party back toward the main shaft as 'quickly as he could. They hadn't gone very far though wh.en someone missed the children. At once there was a wild panic. The mother fainted, and someone else called out the names of the missing children. The rest stood there and wrung their hands. Billy was the only one cool enough to do anything. He told them to keep th.eir mouths shut if they 'didnit all want to be killed, and they started back down the tunnel. About half way between himself and the big rock he saw the vanishing edge of a little white coat as the girl dodged behind a projection. Then the boy cried out, 'I see you, Sister,' and both children started running blindly down th.e tunnel. Back with the crowd someone screamed, 'Stopl Stop! Arthur, Lily, Come backl' The children hesitated and again the cry rang out, 4Come backl' The boy started back then, but the little girl ran on, straight toward the big rock. Billy was running, too, by that time, but it seemed he must be too late. The runningiand noise had dislodged the rock, the- timbers holding' it were breaking under the pressure, the rock was slowly coming down. In a fraction of a second, perhaps, it would fall with a crash, crushing the little girl who now stood directly beneath it, whimpering helplessly. A woman shrieked, even the men covered their eyes, but Billy kept on run- ning. He reached th.e child and with one swift motion grasped her and flung her forward just as the mass of rock came crashing down upon him. 'They picked up the little girl, dazed a bit from her fall, but otherwise unhurt. But Billy-well-he'd somehow thrown him- self partly clear of the rock, so h.e wasn't dead, quite, when they got him to the surface. They carried him to the hospital and the doctors patched him up as best they could, but his right arm was gone and his body was crippled all th.e rest of his life. He'd given the best of his life and himself for another. QThat's my idea of a hero.', l -gg..