Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-01-27

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up the dead 'uns. It's all well enough TO
stay at home and talk about it, but when
it comes to goin', it's horse OF another
|. color"
You teamsters have strange, wander
ing life. How do You manage to live sol?
.'Most fellers as comes out to work or
drive has run away from the East for rob-
bin of murders. And can't stay in no cne
place; 1t haunts them all the time,a d they
must keep a goin.' But never did no such
thing. Have you ever been IN the L. jun
country?"
.'Never in my life; but Ihave often wish
ed to-"
"You had better stow that, and keep out
of it. It's attemptin' Providence and many
red devils, t. go there. But, as was say
in, we squared up with the boss ss-whicb
there wasn't much like sailors, and never
had dollar in the dunnage-box-and it
| don't take much drinkir, and dancin, and
poker to clean q feller out. But we got
away from there, andg to Omaha the best
we could-there WASH any railroads in
them days-and Canvas and me wash't long
in hiring out ter drive; for some o. them
guv'ment sojers-paItickly them as has
dirty uniforn.s-has a buggered smart eye
to pick out a teller as knows his biz and
they see at on ct as how Canvas and me
saveyed hosses up to the Handkerchief it
was true. though l say it. for Canvas and
me had saveyed hosses ever since we was
knee-high to snipe-and some o them
drivers didn't know no more about hosses
than a dog does the price of hymn books"
"What made you and Canvas such
friends?'
"Waal, you see, we had padded togeth-
er, and was made TO go TO In double har-
ness. Don't you know that Natur' makes
everything il pair? And some men gifts
married-which l never could sence that
city chap carried of 'Melia, and which is
resky, any how, cause Cne or t'other is
bound to kick over the pole or bust the
breechin'; bat there's some as glts to be
pards, aud them's better nor man and wife,
And old Canvas, he onst saved my lite
when was attacked by a euchre-slinger
in Chicago, which sometimes think be
didn't ought ter, az / hain't been wuth
much to nobody"
But" said !, ''tl ere's always something
for a man to do, If le only knows it."
And the teamster drained his glass, and
answered:
You right, there, but it's lucky If
anybody can find 1t ont, if he onst gifts
down like. You amt gettin' tired, are
YEP I'll GO through the rest like the Ten
Commandments through a Sunday school
"By no means; it interests me very
much"
''Waal, we started on our trip, and was
bound for Arizona; twenty-eight wagons,
four ami lances, and two companies of cav
airy right smart line OF Us. IL amt very
interetsin', goin over the Plains; nothin'
but sage-brush aud jackass rabbits, and
deer, and such vermin. And the deserts
where we had to drag along, hub-deep, in |
the sand, water forty miles apart, and no !
grass nor nothin'-in some o them nights !
1 used to wish TO get home agin. Bat Cam
Vas and me was goin' TO git gold. and 60 |
back rich and see the old folss-but which !
it can never be. Canvas and me done the |
best We could. We didn't see many Injuns !
fust along; onst in awhile few would hang
around behind us, or We would see one or
two skurrying up q canon. After We eoi \
well away from the settlements, they tried !
to stampede the cattle; but We was pre-
pare for them, and they didn't get but a |
few. 1t wasn't pleasant for man to be |
thinkin' o Injuns all the time, and many |
a nieht as I've been on guurd l thought 1 |
see big 'un under every bush. My old |
mother used to read in the Scriptur about |
roarin' lions and 'seekin' to devour,' but |
that book don't say nothin' bout 'Paches. !
which is very sing'lar, il it makes for to |
show us how to go. P'r'aps the fellers as |
wrote it never was in Arizona and | often |
thought as how God left that country out !
OF his day book, as bein' o. no account
leastwise, p'r'aps that was the place where |
the devil squatted when be was jerked out |
O. the garuIng. as gran'ther used to tell on" p"
'.But the Government does its best there, /
doesn't il? spends millions of money!"
BEST be d Young man, dye know |
thinks our Guv'ment is bilked in them |
matters. They sends out agents, and bur-
eaus, and commissioners, with pockets full |
of money, and them fellers cheats the In-
juns, and cheats the Guv'ment, and every |
body but themselves; and stead OF wipin' I
out the cusses, writes reports. and sends |
home skillets of yarns-how two regiments |
corroled one squaw, and retired without no |
loss. But they've got one bully boy there
now Custer-and he's pattin head on
them Injuns; and he just don't wait for no
commissioners, but goes for EN-, and plum
to the devil goes Mr.. Injuu.
Il see that some Quakers have been ap-
pointed that Department. Don't you think
they will sreceed?"
'You can just bet high agin' it, and bet
TO win! Did you ever try to keep off bum
bie-bees by aivin' ON 'em sugar? Them
territories won never be wuth nothin' nor
safe till them cussed varmints is wiped out.
If was the boss driver of that Department.
I'd send enough sojers to cDrr1l all on EN-.
and I'd take every blarstsd. copper colored |
thief and hang him up in what trees we
could find, till the crows day o judgment
had settled on 'em. But this amt my
story.
II guess I'll lie up a little; it runs ray
ther heavy to right" said he, as he filed
himself another glass, and continHed:
'.We camped out one night at the jaw of |
a canon, ate our suppers, and Canvas and |
me was on guard together. in the early /
watch. We used to meet at the end of the /
walk, and stop bit and telk. But wehad |
good lookout all the while. 1t was very /
dark. and every one was asleep. By-and-
by. Canvas, SAYS he, Centre, I'm going up
to the spring to get drink The spring
was about hundred yards up the gulch,
among the bushes. Well says I, don't
be long. and if you see anything. yeli.-
And of he went, whistlin' softly like to
hisself; and stepped away again He was
gone long time-loneer than he bad any
ought to, and though hadn't heerd any
noise, was kind o. naryous, as we never
knowed how many Injups might be dog
GIN us. At last, couldn't stand it no
longer, and and put for the wagons, and |
walked up Jim Bruce, which was outside. |
and Bill Wess, and says to 'em as how
Canvas had been gone too long and would |
they 60 along @ me to look arter him;
which they did, bein' good fellers and never |
hard to do good turn, partickly for me
and Canvas, which had often helped them |
shoe their team when the-blacksmith was !
sick, and we went to the spring togeth-
er. You couldn't see wink, and we dar-
sent take light for them to shoot Us by, |
and we softly crswlsd up to the SPRING
There was big cottonwood CROWN just |
aside of it, and we ran agin' this, and hit !
something sittin' like leanin' 'gaiDst the |
trunk. Canvas, says /, Canvas, my boy.
is that you? And he never made me no J
reply, but kept as quiet as q skull on a |
tombstone, Jim Bruce, says l. Just scratch |
for q lantern there's somethin' wrong / |
felt Of the body. andthere was wet, sticky |