Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-08-25
A Valuable Trading Horse.

tatiDn OF becoming a fnlillOnAlrc- hIter
arduous labor in Dead Mans Gulch he
acquired, not n fortune. but the skeie-
ton Of horse and a mule with wen
on its leg. which had been first stolen
from the Government by the Indians
and afterwards recovered from the In
dians hy the miners. He had got them
in the way Of legitimate horse trading.
and was holding them to trade again
One evening a long, lank stranger drove
through the gulch with led horse and
mule behind his wagon. The horse was a
fine looking bay. and McD. wanted him.
The stranger stopped and a crowd of
miners gathered around him. Med.
joined them and bantered the stranger
for trade. The stranger was willing
10 give his BAY for the mule with a wen
on its leg and $50 to boot. Med. was
very uneasy for fear he would see the
wen, but the stranger did not appear to
notice il. Then Med. went around the
big bay. felt his legs and found him
sound Is = new dollar. He had on a
Texas saddle with very broad girth.
bu; this did not seem a matter of any
importance.
ITS bargain" said Med. refer
ring 10 the $50 boot. and reaching for
the horses halter in haste to close the
trade before the stranger saw the wen.
The stranger took the boot money
and held il meditatively in his hand.
"Young feller," said he, looking sor-
rowfully at Med, ..you must have a
mother, and 1 hate to do it on her ac-
count. Here, my boy. take back yer
money you're beat on this trade-bad-
" beat"
"Never mind that" said McD., show
ing the mules bride into the man $
hand ard thinking OF the wen.
We'll. then, can't help it; bTt I've
warned sou. You're beatm and step
ping round on the other side of the
big BAY, the stranger unstrapped the
saddle. \ yell from the crowd showed
that a discovery had been made, and
Med, going around that side, saw tina:
there was terrible ulcer in the big
BAYS side which had been covered bv
the g:rih. His jaw fell. The stranger
looked at him commiseratingly. That
horse cant 1--we two hours he said.
The Injuns shot him thar whar you
see that hole. and the best thing you
can do is TO hitch him To a tree and let
him die. =
The crowd yelled again. and Med.
who saw that his reputation was at
stake. hraced up. Never YOU mind,
said he, lust YOU look at that mules
leg"
That knot thar. saw il when YOU
KEN in thirty yards of me. | meant to
teach YOU a lesson. but I'm soft heart
cd cri,icr-allers was; an now, If YOU
want 10 trade, I'll keep the fifty dollars
and give you yer mule for that crowbait
thar"
McD. gathered hold of his horses
halter and led him off towards his cab
in. Never mind. he said; I've taken
a liking to this horse, and | guess FL
keep him.
The stranger followed and kept up
his offers until liualiy he said he'd give
the mule and the $50 boot ii McD.
would only give him back his horse.
Don't You never trade horses agin,
my boy said the stranger, rs he
handed back TIE money and took his
big baw
what does all this mean. anyhow
asked McD.
"Well, it means Just this that
wouldn't take -. 900 for that are hole
in that animals side I've traded him
thirty times This week and got $40 Il
time 10 take him back. was mighty
skeerei for fear you was goin' to keep
him"
The stranger went his way and Med,
- B
of the miners OF the guleh ON the same
trick Isut the gu.ch was saddened q
week after by news of the stranger ;
untimcly demise. 1T the Clear River
CANYON camp At the hands OF Jim Long
wood. man who never did have any
patience when he was beat in trade
The stranger LETT his mark on dim ;
right eye. which he slashed with his