The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-03-21
On the Terdigree.

There were lively times on the Yer
| digree. The redskins had sent u
/ their ultimatum. There sat their en-
voy extraordinary, half naked, en- hi
NANCY steed, armed and equipped 70
war, and erect and imperturbable a
Bismarck. The MONDAY breeze jus
moved his trailing scalp-lOck, else hi
might have passed for painted stat
ue. HerndOn sat on a hewn slab o
oak, beating the "long-roll'' with thu
fragments of a broken ramrod anC
laughingly ordered us to fall into line
But we had no trifiing matter before
| US.
Early that morning we had spur
red our ponies through the crystal tide
of the Verdigree, clambered up the
western bank, and after exploring one
ofthe lovliest villages that ever charm
ed the eye of man, had each selected
a prolific tract of land, and determin'
ed to settle there for life. The fore
noon had been passed in cutting tim.
ber fer our cabins. But the Jealous
Osages had resented these summary
proceedings, and had dispatched US 8
peremptOry summons to return across
the river or pay the penalty Of non
compliance with our lives.
"Won't you be just kind enough tC
ride out to that there mound there ?'
said Ben, the black mOustached Mis-.
sOurian, to the VermilliOn-dauhed
savage, who partially understood Eng.
lish; "we want to talk the thing over
little" And he pointed to a spot
about thirty yards distant, as though
I. l. 70 -, h.a i'm, oil
ately Jbeyed. Wheeling his charger
gracefully, the Indian acceded without
q 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
service,n and that of the roughest
kind. We held an impromptu council
Of war.
"What do you think we'd better do
boys?n said Ben, nOnchalantly.
A silence ensued each waited fol
the other to speak first. AT last Text
can ventured TO express an opinion
What his true name was 1 never
learned. From "TeXan,n the frontier
lingo had metamOrphOsed his title in
tc "Texican," and by that anomalous
soubriquet we knew, respected and
called him.
"pm for fight, boys" said he
f'This here land can't re beat nowhere,
it's A Number One. And they haven'l
got any better right to it than we have
and besides that, they amt give us a
decent invitation to leave. 1t would
not look well for US to travel off on
these terms" And, with q ripping
oath, he swore he'd die in his tracks
before he'd get out of the way OF n SET
of greasy Ossges. He shot 'em, any
how, every chance he got. Three sea
sons preceding, the Comanches had
scalped his father on the sold Texan
line" and Drained his sister with a
war-club. We expected to hear him
talk in Just this style.
HYou Just settle the matter for your.
selves, boys, whatever it's to be-" in
terposed the MissouTiaR, ,yaWning, as
though nothing more than an every
day dilemma-a mere deal in poker
was to be decided.
1 thought it prudent to dodge the
responsibility and follow his exam.
pie:
mIps all very well to talk about
fighting II out, /" said Cotton, land it's
likely that we've got as much sand in
our craws as any.Of 'em; but what car
six of Us do against three or four hun.
dred? 1 don't like the way they talk
myself; but the game is in their own
hands and they know it. 1 had all
the fighting / wanted in the wal
shooting you Texas fellows, and
don't want any more of it if I car
help il. We might throw our logs to,
gether and hold our own till morning
but it would turn out an ugly scrapt
before we got through with it. We
have not got drop ofwater, and wee
soon run out of provisions, and they'C
dance over our bones in forty-eigh
hours. II the rest Of you want t.
fight, why, fight it is; but think We
had better 90 little slow"
He was a young, blue-eyed, fax
en-haired MinnesOtian, and border ruff
fans gave him credit for being "ai
cool as a wedge, and sharper thar
steel"
'pll tell you what Pm in for" saiC
'Indiana." We generally went BY
the names of our native States. "W,
are all old vets in the military bust
ness, and we want 20 use little STRAIT
egy with the vagabonds. They've in
suited US, and for one, / don't fee
like falling back without burning 1
little powder, but it's just as Minneso
ia says, We can't fight 'em all to an!
purpose; but we can beat 'em afte
all. Nov, move that we'n pick on
man and they'll pick theirs, and lie
them shoot it out. IF their man win
we'll evacuate; if ours wins, vel
stay"
This novel proposition suited ever,
one. Herndon amended it by suggest
ing that we should cast lots for tn
championship, and that the igh