Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-12-22
A MOUNTAIN COURT SENE.
How the Name of "Mother" saved a
Life.

Old Job Dawson had been duly elected
to Gil the responsible position of Justice
of the Peace, and this was the first case
which had demanded his attention. job
was an old veteran mountaineer, and had
lived in the shadow of lofty peaks hunting,
trapping and lighting Indians, to use his
own words, sense Adam war kid" In
that rough region an accusation of a great
crime against any one but forerunner of u
hanging bee" and a trial even is seldom
thought Of But in the present instance
wild "cuss' who had been frequenting the
settlements had appropriated "broncho'
llndian pony belonging to neighboring
ranChman, and had been pursued, captured
and brought back. Old Job was summon
ed to try the culprit, and a spot in rocky
gulch near the 'Squire's cabin was selected
us the site for the investigation. a motley
crowd of hunters, trappers, miners and
rancheros had assembled. Some were ly-
ing upon the ground and others sitting up
on the rocks all anxously awaiting the
'Squires coming. job soon came from to-
ward his cabin and with q dignided air
seated himself upon a boulder, took oil his
bearskin cap, and said:
"Fellers, the Court a ready 10 git down
TO biz, an ] want 80 all lc cheese yer rack
ct an let up on that chin music according
to law. Throw yer ha'r in sight and pay
'tention to the Court
Every hat came Off at his command, and
His Honor" glaucing around the circle,
said
"Whar is the dam cuss ?'
Three mountaineers sriEed with Henry
rifles and siX-shoOterS stepped forward
with the thief, ayouny man, w".rf-g aGold,
devil-may-care expression His hands were
| securely fastened behind his back r'ith Sucl,
skin thongs. Clad in buckskin from head to
| foot he presented picturesque appearance
rs he faced the Squire
Nv Mt do they call you when yer at
home| asked the Court
"Ain't got emmy home, loastways in these
parts, sullenly replied the prisoner.
"Ain't hey Well, wat tho nam5 you
TUX W en- you left the States then 2'
Tho boys hyer on the hills call 1no Ii
ger jim"
Wall, Tiger, yer spotted as % hos thief
an / reckon thar's sumthin' in It or the
| boys wudn't brought you in. God can't
| expect tOnoy trial like you git down {,
Laramie or in eny of them towns along the
road. We hevn't eny paper, pens or ink
or eny o that sort o fooiishness up hyer ir
the hills an thar amt one o us as coula
engineer en- ef we had, SO wo'li iist gsint
| her through, an do the best we kin Tor yuu
In the name O tho law | now ax you did
you collar that hoss-but stop er rite thar
| doggone il, l forgot TO swar you. Gun
mitey near forgittil' it. Hold up yer righ
han'rI
"Hold up nuthin'. How kin i whe,
hey'r tied liter n blazes 2"
"rhat's so. Yer k'rect, Tiger, rut ges
eny member o the body II be 'cordin tC
law in 'xtreme cases. .Stedey him a little
| tellers, SOS he kin hold up his right foot
"Tge7 raised his noccasin-covetd foo
while u guard on each side held hir II
| position.
Now, then, l amt fly on them ar law
yers' afydavys but III make her st5u
enutf to hold Mexican mule. Tiger Jim
do you swar by the holy Moses, accordin
to tho laws of Wyoming Territory, the
every time yo chip:into my racket ye' u Civ
US the squar' truth. An Of you don't DO yOl
hope thai ye IGqy git Chawed up by
! grizzly, chopped u pieces by Sioux, strun.
up to Il pine with n rope 'roun' yer dan
thievin' neck an fail to connect on HEAVIER
wen yer lite goes out, 10 the best O ye
understandin' rs proNided by law, Shell
yer God, ch
That's iist W at i does, pardy."
Now, Tige, yer under oath, an ev'rl
time yer speak yer want ter hit the bull.
eye. Did you nip thet hossW
well Uncle Job, there's no use o. lyin
about it an I'll tell you jist how it war
Las night you know thar war n jamborc,
over to Al. Wilkins rancho in Miller
! gulch an ] war thar. AL had bin in e
Laramie City and got a keg o. good OLD
! bulge, an VIC all got purity full. Artcl
the dancin' war over | pulled out fur Bow.
| less rancho, whar m hangln out an as
was staggerin' down round Mountain Ca
! Hill runs right onto the broncho that wal
! picketed out in the grass, an L war jis
| drunk enough to mount him an lite out.
! know I'm gOin' to swing fut it an sHll die
| game, too. l amt Woth cuss anyway an
| eff it warn't fur my good old mother back
| in the States there the tears began to rol
| down his bronZed cheeks) who never closes
! her eyes 'thOut prayin' fur God TO send me
back to her, I'd laugh at death, an help ye
| to fix the rope, but when l think o. that
darling old soul git weaker ma wounded
antelope l tell ye fellers I've bin a tuf
cuss ever sense / struck out fur these
mountains, and | s'pOse the wOrld'il be
| better 'thout me in it. My old mother il
! suffer, l know that, fur I'm her only kid,
an hev sent her every ounce o. dust thet
could spare, an its all she's he'd TO live on.
| She's bin q good 'un to me, God bless her,
an Pm sorry l hevn't lived SOS l can camp
with her up thar (raising his fearful eyes
| towards Heaven), and, boys, won't some O
| We write to her. Tom Kirk thar knows
whar she lives, an tell her / got let out by
an lnjun, or pegged out nat rally. For
Gods sake don't let her know j war strang-
! led. Tho news I'D XIII her, But then i II
cheese this CAB or ye II think Pm weaken
! ing, an the man don't live as can skeer Ii
| ger Jim. Elevate me, boys, jist as quick
as We please. Pm ready when you are.'
During this recital Jim's eyes were filled
with tears, and close observer would have
detected silent weeping on all sides. That
magic word mother had awakened ten
der recollectons in the breasts OF every one
of those hardy mOUntaineers. Men who
could face death in any shape without q
particle of feeling did not try to hide thor
tears at the mention of that sacred name
motherl How sweet it sounded in their
| earsl 1t carried them back TO the happy
! days in the past, when they were blessed
with the love of parents before the insatia-
| bic thirst for gold had led them into these
mountain wilds. Not u word was spoken
| for a few seconds, and then old Job drew
| his horny hand across his watery eyes and
| said in husky voice:
'Iige, ye Wudn't break an oath, W nd
YEP
! "No, Job Dawson, not for friend or foe
| Thar amt boy in tho hills as can say thel
! Jim ever went back on even his given
word. I'm p rough 'un an do sum mitey
wicked things, but when l say a thing "
/ can gamble every dollar you've got on Il
! T.. .H.. ia.