Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-07-23
Something in the mans manner and

something Ill the man 5 manner an
the way in which his eyes sized N
up, gave me q sinister impression
Yet the offer was hardly one to be re
fused in my present situation. So
/ expressed my thanks, dismoqnted, an'
hobbling out my two mules, took N.
pack inside the shanty and began con
yersation.
Like myself, my host was a youns
man and Of about my own size, buile
and complexion. He told me that ht
had been in Montana three month:
''prospecting'' and elk hunting; tha
| he managed to get living by tht
sale Of buffalo and elk hides. In {
general way he talked Of the pros
poets Of finding gold; and told me
one OF two anecdotes Of his experience
hunting but3aloes, and also his name
Albert [ airbanks.
The squaw soon prepared dinner
and gave us a fine roast Of buffalo
meat, along with a sauce from some
kin1! Of wild plrl1ns which she had
gathered. We partook bountifully,
But once, as we sat eating, [ noticed
that slight noise outside the cabin,
made by enc Of my mules, caused my
host TO start uneasily, and that he
went hastily to the door for a look
about.
| As soon as we had fairly finished
eating, he observed to me, confden-
tally. that he had promised sIaggy,"
the squaw, to set set her on her way
to her folks that evening, she being
desirous OF returning to her tribe;
and he asked me if / would mind sit
ting by in the shanty to look oct for
things, for an hour and half, posi-
bly,, while he started the Indian wo-
man on her way.
Such request, involving no ser
vice OF trouble on my part, was not
easily refused to a man who had just
furnished me with good dinner [
assented, made myself comfortable
before the fire in the shanty, for the
night was rather chilly; and immedi-
ately Fairbanks, accompanied by the
squaw, set out on foot
An hour passed, perhaps more;
night had fallen, and it was quite
dark outside, the moon not having
risen yet. [ had hitched my mules
to tree outside, when my ear caught
the gallop Of horses feet coming mo-
mentarily nearer, evidently numer-
Gus party. It's Fairbanks friends.''
I thought to myself, getting up and
walking to open the door
There, by the wavering reflections
cast out from the from the wood fire
in the fireplace inside, / saw ten Or
twelve men on horseback facing me,
each with d revolver pointed straight
at my head.
Throw up your handsr' cried
stern voice from behind one Of the
pistols.
[ obeyed instinctively, resistance
was out OF the question: I had, CON |
c7uded, fallen into the clutches Of
road agents.
"Ne'Ee unpleasant business with
you my friend" the leader continued.
''Iou probably know what's coming,
since you've paid no heed to our warn
ing;;' and he pointed to the placard
on the tree by the shanty
] utterly failed to understand, or
gain SO much as a hint Of their mean
ing. Even as their leader spoke, they
all sprang off their horses, which two
Of their number took hold; two 9TH
2rT, stepping dnterminedly forward,
seized my upraised arms, one on each
side, while the fifth, whipping a lariat
from beneath his coat, threw moose
over my head which drew rather I'M
comfortably tight and held 50.
I now saw that it was q case Of pro
5pective lynching, and that I was
mistaken for some other
nan T fairbanks, most likely. [ I'M
and most vigorously remon-
'trated with them.
w hom do you take me for2" I ex-
,laimed, with great heat. "Nhat are
Tou hanging me for?" etc
'.Forwardr' the leader ordered, and
n the midst Of my remonstrant out
ries, was forced along, out through
he willows to the trail and thence
inward to a crag beside it, where two
edars grew, overhanging the path
,elow.
My shouts, my frantic denials Of
laying been guilty Of any crime, and
element assertions that my was not
Fairbanks, made not the least impress
ion on my captors, and We're received
With nothing more than an incredu-
Gus laugh
The leader now spoke again. ssAI