They gave each of the children ten acres of
land; they gave Ted sixty-five, and me, whom they pleased to consider
very plucky, one hundred and fifty acres. I felt rich enough, and time
has made it very valuable land. The man on guard was our warmest
admirer. He thought Ted, Shep, and I wonders of courage. He said when I
came down on the bridge with the open knife, he thought his last hour
had come.
Gil Mead committed suicide not long after this. He was always queer. No
one ever knew that Yik Kee set the stack afire. I tell you Jack rewarded
the faithful fellow--gave him a good farm, taught him to work it, and
built him a house. The funniest thing was Yik Kee had a wife and three
queer little children back in China, and Jack sent for them, and Yik Kee
and his family are as happy as they can be. The children play with
Jack's (he has twelve now) and get along finely together.
In '75 I married Harry White, which, I suppose, was foreseen from the
beginning--at least, Jack says anybody could have seen it. The most
serene and satisfied face at the wedding was that of the Celestial. In
my inner consciousness, notwithstanding he is a "heathen Chinee," I have
the conviction that as great a hero as is seen in modern times is the
man of few words, Yik Kee.
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