Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-25
ALKALI JIM.

number among my stanchest and most
highly valued friends among these hardy
and picturesque mcuntaineers. in person
Is fully six feet tall and very slim The
hair on his head is thick, but unnaturally
and apparently prematurely white.
Deeply set gray eyes twinkle cheerily
above cheek bones, over which Is tightly
stretched skin the color of sole leather,
beneath which the play of every muscle
is plainly seen. Spry as a cat and tough
as a pine knot exactly expresses the
physical characteristics Of this quiet, self
contained nountaineer.
The other evening we were seated out
side the cabin door, after the days work
was done and supper had been eaten. |
had just expressed my wonder as to the
way in which 'Fidgety Bill" who is one
of the quietest of men, came by his name,
when Jim, after slowly blowing cloud
of smoke, asked me: Ibid ye ever hear
how KEN by my nameY'
had not and asked for information.
Jim settled himself down comfortably on
his rough stool and began:
at uz this yer way. Because, long
bout fourteen year ago he'd bit Nv ex
perience tibet KEN blame near putin an
end tine an left me In jess about tn
wuss fix l ever seen, sides turnin my
hair plum white-ez it is now-in weeks
time. l wuz young Teller in tn States,
18th more grit than sense, an I'd listed in
tn army. Belonged t. troop in tn
Fourth cavalry. We uz stationed down
to Fort Bowie, Arizona, an my time uz
most out when this thing happened, n
whole company O soldiers got lost, n
nj -, oil bod
n they was tn wust sufferin' fer while
y ever hear tell on.
eve w KEEP near tn reservation where
tn Apaches stayed, jess t be handy IN
case o tr .ble. One day some O tn red
devils got out n TUX TIL war path, n be-
gun KILN all tn settlers they cd find.
Our company wuz ordered after EN-
when they'd got dern good start, Nv
course. We'd fit Injuns afore, u ruther
tux kindly to it, fer it promised sumthin'
t break up tn monotony O camp life.
Our captain was off on sick leave, n tibet
left US under command O Lieut.. Hanson
Percy, his name wuz-a young Teller t
never d been west till he'd been sent ont
from West Point th' same summer. He
wuz a regular dude; wore a white
shirt all the time; alters he'd his boots
BACKED; ketched bugs n pinned EN- on q
board n studied 'em; seemed t. enjoy it;
came from Boston. Thet mostly settled
it 18th tn boys. They didn't fancy fightin'
Injuns with him. But orders is orders,
n grumbin' don't go, SO we started, all
the same.
9TH Apaches wuz last reported bout q
hundred n fifty miles north. T git on
ther trail we he'd t cross one O. them dem
plains full O alkai n sage bresh n moth
in else but rocks n sand, n mebbe few
cactus n mesquit thrown in fer good
measure. Water wuz not t be thought on
there, only in spots, where they uz pool
here n spring there, jess 80 it wouldn't
all be like he'll, | reckon. None on us
knowed tn lay O. tn land, so we tux a
guide-Mexican Joe, they called him-a
big headed. bow legged Teller, 18th bull
fiddle voice n a mean look. He said he
knowed every inch o tn ground n speci-
ally all tn waterin' places. 1t wer n
August, n eff you've ever bin in Arizona
bout dog days y know what that means.
TIL sun jiss nachuny blazed down n that
alkali plain wer red hot n gitten hotter
every blessed mint. n ez they wuzn't a
mite O shade II no umberils we jess he'd
L take it. We he'd all our canteens filed
when we started II expected t git t tn
first waterin' place before night. Long
bout noon KEN up sand storm. Worst
things v ever seen, them sand storms Is.
TIL wird jess lifts tn huh surface O tn
yearth n makes it turn summersets 18th
itself, so when tn fun's over y don't
know tn place yer seen hour afore.
This ez tn worst one / ever seed. Tn
wind bowed Hail Columbia Y cudnt
see inch afere yer face. The air uz
full o. sand n alkali n bits O. dry sage
bresh n dry mesquit branches n gravel.
It KEN ithout a rninit's warnin', q
we he'd t turn our backs to it n
hold our breath u let it blow. 1t lasted
bout half an hour, | reckin, though it
seemed half day t. us. An stopped ez
quick ez it started. But, Lord. we didn't
know where we WIZ when 1t quit tn
lay O. tn land wuz changed all round.
Tn hills n boilers bad swappe3 places
Wed huddled up tn best We could wh:e
tn storm lasted, n they wuzn't one nv Us
could tell which wsy we come or which
way we d bin goin'. Y never see worse
beat man n Mexican joe Looked like be
III sstonished out o 9 years growth he
turned every way n each way he az sure
was wrong. T. make matters worse, tn
clouds WIZ too thick { see Ia sun n We
hadn't compass in tn whole command.
That Uz mistake our captaind never
made. Finally Lieut.. Hanson took joe
of one side n p IAversd itk hin, n 5oe'd
nod his bead q 81, senoredY al tn time,
but | felt sure he didn't know nothin'.
But tn lieutenant seed su1nthin' had :
be done n put himself I IN head O. VI
colurnn n wa started off tn vRy Joe
lowed uz right.
Well. xe hep a-goin' tin long s~hils
fore dark, n Menicsa Joe be KEEP gitsin'
ner~ouser an nsrsouser. Tn ksctensnt
KEEP his eye On In. 4 s. last hs rode Up
clost n ser: zoe, believe yoa're LOST
Thet dern fool Ms1icsa Jess topped ca his
horse n onto his knees a begun beg fer
mercy. a.haliin' up ais hAnds like be vuz
prsyin' IN lieutenant laughed e n
he didn't Know ez well en- he did after
wards thet sittin' los: o. slkA plzan
ant 10 laushin' razt.u-'n told Mm &
@~>-iiAs AAAA- A1As~>A $3.50.