The weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1883, 1883-04-04

| hil u when one OF the group caught sight
! Of \ lartin's white teeth and uttered a
warming cry. The crowd scattered and
the chief conspirator started to flee. Too
late. The billet of wood flew through
the air, struck the deserter between the
shoulders and he fell fat in the dust
(. Martin bent over him still smiling, and
by way Of resuscitation kicked the pros
| trate Celestial several times. The Con-
| fi1cian groaned and raised himself to
sitting posture. He was ordered to stand
up, and did so with some difficulty. The
foreman produced stout rope, and smil-
ing Martin requested two of the track
layers to bind his prisoners foot. He
assisted them by administering to each
sundry kicks and cuffs, which tended to
quicken their movements considerably.
When the conspirator was securely fast
ened he was ordered to march forward
to the car. We followed.
II don't reckon there'll be any desert
ers from this gang" observed Martin, and
he administered lusty kick to water
carrier who had stopped to look after the
prisoner.
"Thcse Chinaman are terrible towards.
Do you know that every one of these
fellows carries pistol concealed under
his blouse? II is fact That cuss ahead
has one. I saw it when he was lying on
the ground. There are upwards of six
thousand of 'em here and yet manage
them without difficulty. If it was among
any other race of people my life wouldn't
be worth two bits
The prisoner had reached the car and
stood beside the step crying and sobbing.
His captor kicked him several times and
he managed to scramble to the plat
form, although he had no use of his
hands or arms. We followed him into
the car and Martin reached his hand
under the prisoners blouse and drew
therefrom a large Colts revolver
"Now if he had been white man he
would have shot me on sight"
| BULL-DozING a CHINAMAN.
! He cooked the pistol and as though by
accident pointed the muzzle at the Chi
naman's head. The wretch fell on his
knees and began to beg piteously. Mar
tin seemed to enjoy the poor devils mis-
cry and smiled upon him benignantly.
at is hop die with you anyway, John,"
was Martins consoling observation. eff
shoot you here it is all over. If carry
you back up the track you'll be hung"
The Chinaman continued to pray for
mercy, and after drawing bead on his
head several times Martin put the pistol
in his pocket and we walked out on the
platform.
"That seems like cruel treatment" he
said, ''but it is the only way to manage
'em. Make 'em fear you. Why, when I
first began On 'em they were deserting
at the rate of fifty day. If the COM
pany had not backed me up there would
not have been Chinaman left On the
line. You see, sir, out here there is
really no law. The company contracted
to carry these fellows back to Frisco as
soon as the road was finished, and every
one who deserts is so much loss to them,
for they are under heavy bond to return
them in good order. There is no telling
how much damage this one might have
done if l had not stopped him."
"What will you do with him?" asked.
"Oh, III carry him back up the road
couple ofhundred miles and drop him,
He won't come back"
There was something significant in this
latter sentence, but as the speakers teeth
were cleaning did not demand more
explicit information.
When we got ready to move out the
Chinaman was locked in an empty box
car. That was the last l saw of him.
One of the train hands told me the next
morning that he was dropped alongside
the track during the night When l
asked what they were shooting at about
midnight he replied:
"Antelope"
Every mile or two we passed China |
mans grave. They bury their dead
above ground in wooden boxes, over
which thin layer of dirt is thrown.
Each one was marked by headboard,
covered with hieroglyphics. Some of the
graves were newly made and the little
piles of paper money, which the dead
mans friends had placed there to pay
his expenses in the other world, had not
yet been blown away. On some of the
graves were bowls of rice and baked
| chicken. Dead Chinaman are always
supplied with provisions for the long
journey remarked on the great num-
Der Of graves to the brakeman.
"Yes," he said; ''it is sickly country
for Cinnamon"
That fellows irony was Incompatible.
| All the sections are worked by Chinese
laborers. At one of the section houses
where we stopped the "boss" came out
and chatted with Martin.
"Oh, by the way" he said at length,
''that fellow who was ki-who died yes
terday is laying out there in the car
house. This new gang Of mine are from
Canton, and it's again their religion to
bury Hong Kong man."
"Religion be d-d" answered Mar
tin, and his teeth cleaned, "Call 'em up.
The section boss did as directed and
the car was soon surrounded by pigtails.
| Martin addressed them from the plat
| form. One Celestial, who seemed to be
the spokesman. replied. Martin prompt
| " knock ed him down. Hed dealt out per-
suasive kicks and cuffs to several others.
Before we left the dead Chinaman from
| Hong Kong was securely boxed, and, as
| we passed around curve, saw his Can
ton friends begin to throw dirt over the
rude coffin.
A DOOMED MAN.
Ny friend the brakeman, after we be-
came better acquainted, volunteered
some interesting information about the
"Cap'n.' As it was mainly Of q statisti-
cal nature am unable to give his re-
marks verbatim. He seemed to hold the
subduer of the Chinese in high esteem
and gave me q minute data respecting