Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-08-15
Stover's Machine Gun.

WOulu nave Hkeu 10 nave seen
your fireworks display" he began.
at must have been rather interesting.
1t reminds me of the time l was used
for bait"
Used for baitw exclaimed sever
al of us in astonishment.
"Yes, bait for Indians. l tell you,
gentlemen, about the most unpleasant
thing in this life is to be used for In
dian bait. 1t has made me nervous
ever since. 1t is exciting and gives a
man all the horseback exercise he
wants, yet it is not as general thing
a healthy occupation. l would not
care to choose it as steady business" "
"The first time | met Slower | had
no idea he was crazy. He would talk
as nationally as any man here"
(Which wasn't saying much for
him." observed the man from st. Paul.
Il was out of a job in Kansas City
and was looking around for work of
any kind when | stumbled on Slower.
He seemed to have sort of ma
chine shop. There was lot of gun
barrels lying round and portable
forge stood in the corner, with the US
ual tools here and there. He said he
was going West and he wanted man
who knew how to take care Of horses
and wasn't afraid of work. l told
him l was just his man and he took
me on the spot. l asked him if he
wanted to start machine shop fur
ther west and he smiled grimly and
said that that was just what he was
going to do. We packed up lot of
fixtures that he had there in some
boxes and there were lot of other
boxes already packed, of the contents
of which l was ignorant.
"Well we got away with another fel-
low who deserted us when we were out
on the plains, and so it was no small
work looking after the horses that
carried the things, for we had three
wagons and, when the other fellow
left, only two to drive and take care
of them. 1t was the usual overland
business. Travelling slowly all day
and camping at night. We kept on
the lookout for Indians but didn't see
any, and we kept on so long that l
began to think old Slower was going
clear through to California, but the
old man knew where he was going
and went there in bee line. One
afternoon when we were days and days
from civilization we came to bluff
close to small river.
"Here's our spot said Slower.
why said |, you don't expect
to start machine shop here?
"'You bet do replied Slower.
"'Well,' l said, where will you get
your custom. There isn't anybody but
Indians for hundreds of miles around
"We'll have lots of business when
we get ready for it. Besides / intend
to send you out to drum up trade ifit
don't come in by itself
81 began to suspect then that the
old man wasn't just right, but what
was to do? He kept the firearms
and tho provisions and he owned the
horses. OF course could have stol-
Ell one OF them and got away, perhaps
when the old man was asleep, but |
didn't care to do that sort of thing.
Besides knew that the chances were
ten to one that the Indians would
have me before | got ten miles off.
Although Slower wasn't very soci able
he was heap bettern an Indian.
III took the horses down to water and
when came hack said to Slower:
See here, there's been some one here
ahead of you on this claim. There
was a cabin down there by the river
that's been burnt down.
"Well,' says Slower quietly, that
was my cabin
"'Nonsence,' said, now thorough
ly convinced that he was crazy F; you
don't expect me to believe that you
were ever here before =
"'If you go to the other side of the
bluff he said, as quietly as ever, you
will see four graves with rough
wooden cross above them, if the Indi.
ans have not taken it down. Those
are the graves Of my wife and three
children, murdered by the redskins.
One day when l came home from
hunting in the foot hills found them
there and the cabin burned down
"'l wouldn't think you would want
to come back here | said.
81 came back to settle with the In.
dians.
"'Then you'll never leave alive
Don't expect to-
And how about me 2
Don't expect you will either. !
hired YOU
"'Great heavens, ! cried, Jumping
up. DO you think hired to get
killed for SIC a month I?
.sts'Soldiers do it for about that much