Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-18
the ROAD AGENTS.
a TALE OF BLACK HILLS LIFE.

the ROAD AGENTS.
TALE OF BLACK HILLS LIFE.
BY LEANDER T.. RICHARDSON.
Author of Slouch,' "True Stories of
Wild Bill" Etc, Etc.
In the midst Of = dreary waste of barren
land, where the only green thing to be seen
is q narrow thread Of verdure fringing shall
low and %infrequent streams, lies a govern
ment post, in the territory of Wyoming,
called Fort Laramie.
Being directly in the line of the road from
Cheyenne to the reputed gold-felds in the
Black Hills, and the last point on that lone
and perilous journey where there is any pre-
tension to civilized life, wagon trains going
over the road wait until this stage en- the
trip is reached before completing their final
organizstion-for organized they must be,
like regular military companies.
This %precaution is rendered necessary by
the exceedingly dangerous character of the
surrounding country, where hostile Indians
and renegade white NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. as
road agents-are likely to attack travellers at
any instant.
To avoid this peril the men of every train
divide themselves into regular watches by
night, and elect a captain and lieutenant,
under whose command they placed them
selves, in order to prevent any confusion Of
authority in times Of danger.
Early in the spring Of 1876, a small COM
pany Of people were camped upon the oppo-
site bank of the North Platte, completing
their equipments before starting upon the
journey.
There were five wagons, drawn up 80 as
to form 3 circle, within which = small fire
was burning. The evening meal for the
party was in course Of preparation here, q
brawny negro being employed in this Gull
nary feat.
The party consisted Of just a dozen per-
sons. First was a good looking man and
wife, named Bailey. Evidently they were
new to the rough life of the frontier, and
their experience was not exactly pleasant.
The reasons for their presence may be brief
ly told.
Scarcely six years previous, the couple,
then living in Vermont, were married. The
bridegroom had been a village merchant,
and successful, as village merchants 60, but
the hard times came on, debtors failed to
pay their accounts, and he suddenly found
himself in crippled circumstances Things
the Black Hills gold excitement began, and
young Bailey determined to try for himself
a miners life. 1t was his intention to leave
his wife and fve-year-old child behind, while
he braved the terrors of the border alone.
But plucky and determined Rose Bailey
chung to him, aud declared. that no danger
should come which she might not share, 80
quickly converting his property into cash,
aud settling up all his affairs, he started
with his family into the unknown wilder
ness, and here we find him with this emf
grant company.
The other persons specially worthy of note
were two men widely different in general
appearance, habits, and language, although
they were inseparable companions.
One Of them was tall and lank-the most
uncouth specimen Of manhood possible,
over six feet high, and very narrow in pro-
portion. His arms and legs were long and
slender, his face thin and cadaverous,
though clean-shaven, and from hi, head
long, g~rizzled locks fell upon his neck like
so much broom-corn. A coon-skin cap and
buckskin clothes formed his attire.
z In one hand he carried an old-fashioned
Kentucky rifle, and in the other a large til
= fsh-horn. In his belt was a revolver, and
, bowie-knife with a blade twelve inche
long.
His companion was almost his very oppo
e site. Rather below the medium height
very broad-shouldered and heavily bull
h throughout. His hair was long, heavy, an
brown, and was shaded by q broad-brimme
sombrero. A 6rm-set mouth and squar
chin, both covered with wiry brown hail
denoted frmness of purpose and strength
will.
He was clad in buckskin tn oughout, an
:. carried a short, breach-loading carbine. Il
q his belt we're two heavy revolvers and
o bowie-knife like the one borne by his olde
1t companion.
The strangest thing to be seen in camI
= however, was an animal which lay stretche
= at the feet of the two men.
q It's body was five feet long or more, yer
q slender in shape, and covered with a RI
markably heavy coating of yellowish brow
fur. Its tail, perhaps twice the thickness 9
:. q rifle-barrel, was long and tipped wit
u black, and sleeping or waking, this append
o age was never still, but moved softly to an
fro. The animals head, resting calmly in tn
? lap OF the Oldest man, was short, broad an
surmounted by pointed ears.
The two men were Silas Clark, bette
, known to western people as Uncle Sile, tn
preacher, and William Speck, who wa
o widely reputed under the name Of Orego
D Bill. The animal lying at their feet was
Q mountain lion, the widest and most untau
able of the panther species.
The two men were converting about tn
creature.
% "But how in thunder did ye catch til
beast, Uncle sile" asked the younger
the two.
1t oval, SEEM it's you, Bill, p'raps l wi
n tell we about it. Ye see, sev'ral years ag
g. when l fust come out this away, l were L
re Gated down into the Rockies nigh ont
s., Georgetown. One Satdy night a lot O. II
i. boys says to me, let's go out an hunt a ca.
D. Now, / didn't know what huntin' a cat va
'e but they let on like it was lots Of fun, a
We started out. Present l heerd d tarn'
yellin', off in the woods, an We started aft
ut the %critter. 1t KEEP a runnin' an a screecl
~ in, an we KEEP after it ontil we drove it in
a tree.
eva, it were decided by lot tibet l shou.
tn up after the cat, ketch her by her stump
lis = tail, an slat her down onto the groun
F, So 7 clumh nm into tho free az ve1l "A coul