The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-09-09

cOnsin, but always hankered alter the
show, and come back to It. There was
three Of us chums; and. very sing'ler, we
was all named Bill, and they gave us
names TO know us apart. I was Centre
pole Bill, cause I drove that wagon
there was Canvas Bill, as drove that wag-
on; and Stubby Bill, rs was general
hand. We travelled and travelled until
we got to Mound City. in Ioway; and
there Stubby Bill was knitted for some
thing or other In row, and died. He
and l didn't 60 cahoots 50 much rs Cam
vas and me, but we missed him for all o.
that. We see somo hubby life of and
OIL, we did; and II ] was a youngster I'd
rather set up in any profession but cir
Gus driver. but man cant always have
his 'drathers. Leastwise II he could,
pr'aps he wouldn't be no better off,"
We got to Ioway, rs I was sayin', and
the boss was mighty teary one night. He
had q swivel-eye, and was hot when he
was drunk; and he give us particular
diviltry, which no man bankers fur II he
don't deserve 1t, which we didn't; and
that night Canvas comes to me, and says
he. 'Centrepole. ! haln'ta goin' TO sling
this cart any more.' And said to him,
'Whyp No man. says he, can drive over
me with sharp-corked horses Which /
knew then he meant to leave the show.
and was bound to jine him any way.
And he said to me, There's an old pari
Iof mine here. and says rs how there's a
Guv'ment trnin goin' to start from Oma-
ha next week, and we can get q job there
to 60 out to the Injun country We'll.
Canvas says I, kinder .lowly like, III
you goes, goes .All right says hc.
i couldn't help wishin' twas somers else
than the Injun country, for had heerd
them critters was lightnin' to fight, and
ate up the dead ones. It's all well enough
to stay ut homo and talk about 1t; but
when 1t comes to going, it's q horse OF
another color
You teamsters have n strange, wander
ing life. How do you manage to live
SOP .a .- ..m#.stI. i.. s'.
Most fellers rs comes out here TO work
or drive has run away from the East
for robbin' or murders. And they can't
stay in no one place; 1t hunts them all
the time, and they must keep agoin'.
But never did no such thing. Have
you ever been In the lnjun countryP'
Never in my life; but ] have often
wished to-
You had better stow that, and keep
out of It. It's temptin' Providence and
many red devils to go there. But rs l
was sayin'. wo squared up with tho boss
which there wasn't much comm to us,
as there always Is, for we was just like
sailors, and never had dollar in the dun.
nage-box-antl It don't take much drink
In and dancin' and pokerto clean a fcl.
Ter out. But we got away from there,
and got to Omaha the best we could
there wasn't any railroads In them days
and Canvas and mo wasn't long in hirin'
out 10 drive; for some of them Guv'ment
soiers-partickly them rs has dirty uni
flrms-has buggered smart eye to pick
ostnfe) as knows his biz, and they
SEQ at onct rs how Canvas and me savoy
ed hosses up to the handle-which was
true, though ! say 1t, for Canvas and me
had saveyed hosscs ever scnce he was
knee high to snipe-and some o. them
drivers didn't know no moro about hosses
than u dcg does the price OF hymn books.
What made you and Canvas such
friendsv
'Waal, you SEQ we had padded togeth-
er, and was made to 60 In double harness.
Don't you know that Natur' makes every
thing In pairs? And some men git mar
ried-which never could sence that city
chap carried Off 'Mclia, and which Is res
XIV, nnyhow, cause one or t'other Is bound
to kick over the pole or bust the breech-
in; but there's some rs gets to pards, and
thcms better nor man and wife. And
old Canvas. he onst saved my life when
was attacked by euchre-slinger in Chi
cago, which sometimes think he didn't
ought ter. rs han't been wuth much to
nobody
But said I. there's always something
for man to do, II he only knows it,
And the teamster drained his glass, and
answered:
You're right, there, but It's lucky II
anybody can find it out, II he onst gifts
down, like. You amt getting tired,
are ye? I'll go through the rest like the
Ten Commandments through n Sunday
School,
BY no means 1t interests me very
much ~.
'Waal, we started on our trip, and was
bound for Arizona; twenty-eight wagons.
four amb'lances, and two companies of
cavalry-a right smart line Of us. 1t amt
very intercstin', goin' over tho Plains /;
nothin' but sage.brush and jackass rabbits,
and deer. and such vermin. And the
,,,I, hn hal fr Hruf nIn h
dcepin the sand, water forty miles apart.
and no grass, nor nothin'-in some o
them nights used to wish to get home
agin. But Canvas and me was goin' to
git gold, and 90 back rich and see the old
folks-but which It can never be. Can
vas and me done the best we could. We
didn't SEQ many Injuns fnst along onst In
a while n few would hang around behind
us, or we would see one or two skurrying
up canon. Amer we got well away from
the settlements they tried to stampede tho
cattle; but we was prepared for them, and
they didn't got but few. It wasn't
pleasant for man to be thinking of In
iuns all tho time, and many night rs I've
been on guard I thought see big 'un
under every bush. My old mother used
to read in the Scripiur' about 'roarin'
lions and .seekin' TO devour.' but that
book don't say nothin' bout 'Paches,
which Is very sing'lar, II II makes for to
show us how to 60. Pr'aps the fellers as
wrote II never was In Arizona, and often
thought as how God left that country out
ofhis day book. rs bein' o. no account
least wise, pr'aps that was the place where
the dcvil squatisd when he was ierked out
o. the garrlin. as gran'ther used to tell on.
4 guess I'll lie up little; Il runs ray.
thcr heavy tonight said he, as he filed
himself another glass, and continued
we camped out one night ut the jaw
OF the canon, ate our suppcrs, and Canvas
and me was on guard together. In tho
early watch. We used 20 meet Mt the end
Of the walk. and stop bitand talk: But
we had q good look out all the while. 1t
was rery dark. and every one was asleep.
Bye and bye, Canvas says he Center, I'm
going up To tho spring To get q drink.