The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-04-25
the ROAD AGENTS.

the ROAD AGENTS.
A Tale Of Black Hills Life, BY Lean
der p. Richardson,
Author Of mo SLOUGH" "True Sto.
ries Of Wild WILL" Etc., Etc.
In the midst OF dreary waste of barren
land, where the only green thing to be seen
is a narrow thread Of verdure ringing shall
low and infrequent streams, lies . govern
ment post, in the Territory Of Wyoming,
called Fort Larimer
Being directly in the line of the road
from Cheyenne to the reputed gold fields in
the Black Hills, and the lest point on that
lone and perilous journey where there is
any pretension to civilized life-wagsu
trains going over the road wait until this
stage Of the trip 10 reached before complet-
ing their final organization-for organized
they m ust be like regular military compa-
mics.
This precaution is rendered necessary by
the exceedingly dangerous character of the
surrounding country, where hostile Indians
and renegade white highwaymen-known
rs road agents-are like to attack travellers
At any instant.
To avoid this peril the men of every
train divide themselvesin into regular watches
BY night, and elect captain and lieutenant,
under whose command they place them
selves IN order to prevent any confusion of
authority in the times of danger.
Early in the spring Of 1876, a small
company OF people were camped upon the
oppo-ite bank OF the North Platte, complet-
; ing their equipments before starting upon
the journey.
There were five wagons, drawn up 30 as
to form a circle, within which small fire
was burning, The evening neal for the
party was in course Of preparation there, n
brawny negro being employed in the culin-
airy feat.
| The party consisted Of Just dozen per
sons. Fist was 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
Lhe reasons of 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 go, bat
the hard times came on, debtors failed to
pay their accounts, and he suddenly found
himself IN crippled circumstances. Things
went on from bad to worse, until late in
1879, the Black Hills gold excitement be.
gan, and young Bailey determined to try
for himself a miners lite. 1t was his in
tentiOn to leave his wife and fve-year old
child behind, while he braved the terror.
Of the borders along. But plucky and de-
termined Rose Bailey chung to him, and
declared that no danger should come which
she might not share; so quickly convertins
his property into cash, and settling I'D al
his affairs, he started with his family int
the unknown wilderness, and here we fine
him with this emigrant company.
The other persons specially worthy O.
note were two men widely different in zen
eral appearance, habits and language al
though they were inseparable companions
!. One of them was tall and lank-the mos,
uncouth specimen OF mortality possible
over six feet high, and very narrow in pro.
portion. His arms and legs were long and
slender, his face thin and cadayerous
though clean-shaven, and from his head
long, grizzled locks fell upon his neck like
80 much broom-corn. A coOn-skin cap and
buckskin clothes formed his attire.
In one hand he carried an old-fashionet
Kentucky rifle, and in the other large tir
fish-hOrn. In his belt was q revolver and 3
bOwie-knife with blade twelve inches long
His companion was almost his very Oh
posite. Rather below the medium height
very broad-shouldered and heavily bull
throughout. His hair was long, heavy anG
brown, and was shaded BY broad brimmed
sombrerO. A frm-set mouth and SQUARE
chin, both covered with wiry brown hair
denoted firmness of purpose and strength o.
will.
He was clad in buckskin throughout. and
carried a short, breech-loading carbine. In
his belt were two heavy revolvers and 9
bowie-knife like the one borne by his Older
companion.
The strangest thing to be seen in camp
however, was an animal which lay stretched
at the feet of the two men.
Its body was FIVE feet long, or more, very
slender in shape, and covered with a re.
markably heavy covering of yelIowish.
brown fur. Its tail, perhaps twice the
thickness of rifle barrel, was long and
tipped with black, and sleeping or waking
this appendage was never still, but moved
softly to and fro. The animals head, rest
ing calmly in the lap of the oldest man.
was short, broad, and surmounted by point.
ed ears.
The two men were Silas Clark, better
known to western people as Uncle Sile, the
Preacher, and William Speck, who was
widely reputed under the name of Oregon
Bill. The animal lying at their feet was
mountain lion, the widest and most un-
tamable of the panther species.
The two men were conversing about the
creature.
"But how in the thunder did We catch the
beast, Uncle Sile ?" asked the younger of
the two.
oval, seein' it's you, Bill, p'raps riu
tell ye about it. Ye see, sev'ral years ago,
when fust come out this away, war To-
Gated down into the Rockies nigh onto
Georgetown. One Sat'dy night a lot of the
boys says to me, Let'sgo out an hunt cat. ,
Now, | didn't know what huntin' cat was,
but they let on like it war lots O. fun, an
we started ont. Presently 1 heerd tarnal
yellin' off in the woods, an We started after
the critter. 1t KEEP runnin' an a screechin'
an We KEEP arter it, until we run it into
tree.
oval, it war decided BY lot that I should
60 up arter the cat, ketch her by her stump
Of tail, an Stat her down onto the ground.
So l clumb up into the tree az we'll as
could, in the dark, an presently came to
where could see cat crouchin' into
crotch.
"As I climbed closter an closter, it began
to appear like that cat were larger than any
l had ever seed, an I growed cautious.
Pretty soon l felt suthin' soft kinder gently
touch'n me on the jaw, an putin my hand
uP, if you'll b'lieve me, l found q great,
long tail hangin' down. Just then it flashed
onto me tibet it war purity nigh Sunday
mornin', an that it warn't right for to hunt
on the Sabbath. So Jest clumb down the
tree an went hum without my cat. That
set me to thinkin' bout the Sabbath. an
afore the week was out l was a good Chris
tian!" And raising his horn to his lips
Uncle Sile showed that his lungs at least
retained their youthful force.
"Well, but ye didn't tell me whar We
catched Deatbgrip."
"HerNoh. yes. Ye see, some o the boys,
that Sat'dy night, shot the old 'un out O. the
tree, an this was her baby. took her in, |
an tanned her, and yere she ia, as gentle as
a kitten. But 1 tell ye what, Bill, she's |
death on 1niuns-ain't ye, gal?"
The animal slowly opened its eyes, showed |
its powerful teeth, and gave deep sigh, in |
answer to the question.
Supper was soon called, and after Uncle |
Sile had blown upon his horn, rnd asked |
grace, the party sat down.
At dawn on the following morning the |