The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-06-04

MOUNTAIN CHARLEY.
By JOHN TRUEsDALE.

blue TO go to the wars, and while
was drifting about the world
seeking for some place where I
could find both employment and
pecuniary profit, l fell in with
friend who was as needy as myself,
and far more adventurous. He
proposed that we should join
train of settlers then about to set
off from ST. Louis for the new Ell
Dorado. Pixies Peak, where the
gold fever was raging high. He
argued that, as we had little to
lose, and much to gain, we might
safely make the venture. l con-
sented TO the proposition, and we
left New York for ST. Louis, trav-
cling night and day, but reaching
the latter place only to find that
! the train we had hoped to join
| had started about the time we had
| left New York, and was now far
on it's way to tho Plains, too far,
indeed, for Us to hope to overtake
it, We were told, however, that a
party of miners who had come
| over from the Peak few days be-
fore to deposit their gold dust in
safety to ST. Louis. would return
shortly, and we were advised to
wait and join that party. Our in
formant added, by way of induce
ment, that Mountain Charley was
with them with his wagon. Who
Mountain Charley was we did not
know. but it was not long before
| we learned.
We made satisfactory arrange
| ments with the miners, and on the
day appointed set out with them
for the land of our hopes. Our
party consisted of about a dozen
men on horse back, and a wagon
well stocked with goods and pro-
visions, drawn by four stout
horses, and driven by the famous
Mountain Charley This individ-
ual was a small, lithely-built fel>-
low, clad in the rough dress o. the
Plains. which set off his we'll
made figure to great Advantage =
He was, to an extent, effeminate
in appearance, but his face, which
was almost too delicate for a man,
seemed too masculine for wo-
man. 1t was clear cut and smooth,
without the slightest trace OF,
beard, and his long black hair
floating in masses over it, gave
his countenance a wild, elfish ap-
pearance. His eyes were large
and brilliant, and his thin lips
were set with an expression of
| greater determination than [ had
| ever seen on a human face. AL
together he was singular looking
being, and [ could well believe
tue stories my travelling compan-
| ions told me about him. In their
ewes he was hero. He was one
of the most reckless and daring
men on the Plains, the best shot
in the country, the hardest to
make drink. and the most skillful
/ card player about Pixies Peak,
yet withal the most thoroughly
generous fellows in the world
He made a great deal of money
by his team and by cards, yet
conld never keep it, The result
was that he became famous among
many of whom he had befriend-
ed. ----
As we rode along I watched
him closely. He rode one of the
horses of his team, and kept well
in the advance. He did not seem
to care to have much to say to any
one, but amused himself singing
| in, iri
song, the refrain of which he
would repeat over and over again.
Sometimes I could catch a few
words as they foated by me, and
they breathed q threat of ven~
geance for some wrong. The
manner of the man, and the tone
in which he sang, gave me an idea
that he was applying the song to
himself, and uttering his threats
against some real enemy. This
was not strange, for l was in
land where the law of vengeance
was swift and sure, and where
wrong was repaid with prompt
ness and vind;ctlyeness that would
have seemed bar barous in more
civilized community. Yet here it
was both upheld and encouraged,
and, indeed, it was to some extent
necessary, for here no regular law
prevailed. Men must have some
restraint over them, and in such
a state of society as this, brute
force alone can control them.
We had been out Just about a
week from St Louis, when an ac-
cident occurred which gave me an
insight into the character and his
tory of Mountain Charley. We
had encamped for the night, and
built our fires upon a convenient
spot, and after the evening meal
was over, the party, as usual, re-
sorted to cards. Mountain Char
ley, however, refused to play that
night, declaring he had the head
ache. He sat moodily by the fire,
occasionally stirring it with his
foot
The conversation was of chars
acter calculated to shock a refined
nature, but l had grown SO accus-
toned to the ways of these rude
people, that it Interested me-
Each of the players around me
bad killed his man and to night
they were all relating the manner
in which these deeds had been
performed. One of the group
was large, powerful mar named
Ephraim Bailey. He had gone