The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-03-28
Jake Rawlins' Gear Story.


ye bout that ar scrape ov mine up on
the Clmarron, two year ago? Didn't ?
Wall, twas tins away. ! war darned
foolish 'nuN to offer to kerry dispatches
alone mind you, from Bents Old Fort
clar down to Santa Fe. Wall, Tux the
old trail, and struck the south branch
of the Cimarron. bout twenty mile be-
yant the Big Chimlies Everything
were loyely-nice weather-the Injuns
all down to Fort Powell maxim a new
treaty, and film their bellies with Gov
eminent grub, an their possible sacks
with paint, and their pouches with am
munltlon-dGrn 'cm-so'st to be ready
for murderin an scalpin in the Spring,
| took up the river, maxim easy march
es and campin wherever [ found plenty
of wood and water. Seed plenty of
game, and didn't go hungry much you
kin bet. The fourth day | had to keep
purity well away from the river on
count of the lowlands long the banks
being full of quicksands. To'ards night
| struck ont Tor the river agin, not find
IN any water an nary timber. | war n
gittin inter a range o foot hills, sort of
spur of the Mirage mountains, an
when | headed straight for the river, |
found myself riding through sort of
pass or ravine between the hills, which
war mostly ki,ered with heavy timber.
When | got in sight of the river, the
ravine | war follerin narrowed up like,
till thar wernt more II room for me an
my old mar to pass. All of suddint
the gully tux a sharp turn to the left, an
= q | | nd
myself facin n sort of cave in the hill
side, an standin' right in the openin'
war the biggest, ugliest, savagerest
grizzly | ever laid eyes on. / reckon
he war about as much surprised as /
war, fur he stood fur full mint
glarin at me with his little yaller eyes.
My old mar was burned near scaart to
death; | war purity considerable scaart
myself, for l seed old Eph war in a
burned ugly mood, an | knowed |
couldn't git away from him so long as
the ground war SO badly broken. Be
sides the cussed ravine war SO narrow
| scurcely he'd room to turn back, and
the old divil was right in my path. |
war n considerin all this in bout half
mint. Then rs | seed old Eph make
motion rs eff he war goin ter begin, |
tux sight at him an blazed away. Old
Wagtail, my mar, cuss her, give a
Jump list as | fired an the bullet only
scored him 'crost the forehead, rippin
the skin enough to make him madden
then blaZes
He KUN at me like a streak of lightin,
and before | knowed what | war dom |
war pulled off the mar an war a strikin
out with my bowie, and bein' tore inter
ierked beef, by that thar bar 'thout no
ceremony WHATEVER, l tell We boys, that
were tuif fight an no mistake. | sooked
the bowie inter him, up ter the hilt
livery time, and he jist clawed an bit,
an rolled me bout till | war like to be
sausage meat. / war n gettin' mighty
weak from loss of blood, an the cussed
bar war wrastlin' me wuss'n liver. when
all ter wonst my mar give shrill scream,
and come gsllopin back from wher-
ever she'd run to, with her ears laid
back, an her mouth wide open, lookin
saragerouser than sneakin Lipan
what had lost his top-knot.
Tue bar were Just gettin the better NV
me, when the mar wheeled around
boys, | hope | may die if faint the BIZ
BILE truth I'm tellin' ye-an' let out at
him with her heels, fetchin' him Il crack
in the ribs that would hev' killed the
biggest bull buffalo tween here an
Pixies Peak. Boys, you oughter seen
that bar He war the most dumest,
astonishod grizzley l liver did see He
dropped me quicker n lightnin an
went fur the mar, but she war too
cussed cunning for him. She war in
the narrowest part of the ravine, an
livery time he'd try to grab her she'd
give him another sockdolager in the
ribs. or longside the head, that sicken-
ed him. Then he suddenly 'membered
me, an turned round to finish the Job,
but | bednt been n dom nothin', not
'zactly. | war mighty weak and shaky
like, an bleedin' like stuck pig but
had sense enough ez soon ez / could git
my breath little to pick up old Sure
Death" here, and load her as keerfully
as could. Jist as Old Eph faced around
| raised my shootin' iron and plunged
him beautifully in the eve, layin' him
out ez n stun. Down he come, eau
hallop, an when seed he didn't strug
gle darn bit, follyed his example and
tainted dead away. 'Twar nigh sun
down fore kun to myself, an thar
war the bar alongside o me, ez dead as
julius Caesar, an the old mar Il graizin'
close by ez if nuthin' had happened. |
war mighty weak and sore, but | cut
some cactus an made a sort o dressin'
fur my scratches. an then got supper
bar meat war the principal dish. /
reskiu. Wall, l lay by that fur fvo