Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-03-08
ON THE VERDIGREE.


Those were lively times on the Verdi
gree. The redskins had sent us their
ultimatum. There sat their Envoy
Extraordinary, half-naked, on his man
gy steed, armed and equipped for war
ard erect and imperturbable as Bis
marck. The noon-day breeze just
moved his trailing scalp-lock, else he
might have passed for painted statue
Herndon sat on a hewn slab of oak,
beating the "long roll'' with the frag.
ments of broken ramrod, and laugh
ingly commanded us to fall into line.
But we had no trifing matter before us.
Early that morning, we had spurred
our ponies through the crystal tide of
the Verdigree, clambered up the wes-
tern bank, and, after exploring one of
the lovliest villages that ever charmed
the eye of man, had each selected a
prolific tract of land, and determined
to settle there for life. The forenoon
had been passed in cutting wood for
our cabins. But the Jealous Osages had
resented or summary proceedings, and
had despatched us premptory summons
| to retire across the river, or pay the
penalty of noncompliance with our
lives.
"Won't you just be kind enough to
ride out to that there mound there p
said Ben, the black -mustached Missou-
rian, to the vermillion-daubed savage,
who partially understood English. We
want to talk this here thing over lit
tle." And he pointed to spot about
thirty yards distant, as though he ex-
~ i L, pno,,not %n hn nHiat alxT
obeyed. Wheeling his charger grace
fully, the Indian acceded without a
word.
Our whole civil and military force
had been mustered for the occasion.
There were six of us we were all young
and vigorous; every man had "seen SER
vice." and that of the roughest kind.
| We held an impromptu council OF war.
"What do you think we'd better do,
boys ?' inquired Ben, nonchalantly.
A silence ensued; each waiting for
the other to speak first. At last, Text
can ventured to express an opinion.
| What his true name was, | never
learned. From "Texan," the frontier
| lingo had metamorphosed his title into
"Texican," and by that anomalous
soubriquet we knew, respected, and
called him.
"I'm in for fight, boys" said he.
"This here land can't be beat nowhere !;
it's A Number One. And they amt
got any better right to it than we have !;
and besides that, they amt give us a
decent invitation to leave. 1t wouldn't t
look we'll for us to- travel eff on terms
like these.n And with a grating oath,
he swore he'd die in his boots before
he'd get out of the way of a set of
greasy Osages. He shot 'em, anyhow,
every chance he got. Three seasons
preceding, the Comanches had
scalped his father on the "old Texas
line" and Drained his sister with a war
club. We expected him to talk in just
this style.
"You Just settle the matter for your
selves, boys, whatever it's to be-" inter-
posed the Missourian, yawning, as
though nothing more than an every
day dilenma-a mere deal in "poker"
was to be decided.
[ thought it prudent to dodge the
responsibility and follow his example.
'I It's all very well to talk about fight.
ing it out" remarked Cotton; and it's
likely that we've got about as much
sand in our craws as any of 'em, but
what can six of us do against three or
four hundred? | don't like the way
they talk, myself; but the game is all
in their own hands, and they know it..
had all the fighting wanted in the
war, and don't want any more of it, if [
can help it. We might throw our logs
together, and hold our own till morn
ing, but it would turn out an ugly
scrape before we got through with it.
We haven't got a drop of water, and
we'd soon rnn out of provisions, and
they'd dance over our bones in forty
eight hours. If the rest of you want to
fight, why, fight it is but [ think we'd
better go little slow"
He was a young, blue-eyed, faxen-
| haired Minnesotian, and the border
rutfians gave him credit for being " as
| cool as a wedge and sharper than
STEEL"
"I'll tell you what Pm in for" said
| +" Indiana" We generally went by the
| names of our native States. "We're
all old vets in the military business, and
we want to use little strategy with
| the vagabonds. They've insulted us,
4 ana OuSs l. NNOn U 1SCl 1lhS IdlIluS
back without burning powder. But it's
Just as Minnesota says. We can't fight
'em all to any purpose. But we may
beat 'em after all Now, | move that
we'll pick our man, and they'll pick
theirs, and let the two shoot it out. Ii
their man wins, we'll evacuate; if ours
wins, we'll stay"
! This novel proposition suited every
one. Herndon amended it by suggest
ing that we should cast lots for the
championship, and that the fight
should take place with rifles at twenty
PAGES. This was declared to be " get
ting the thing into shape . and we all
cordially. agreed to it. Ben rose and
motioned Importantly to the envoy.
That nude parsonage gravely rode up.
received our reply with stolid decorum,
i = IL