Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-04-27
Aasnuins Indian Circus.

". T. Hornaday In special CORES
pondence to the Globe-Democrat from
Miles City, Mont, says: One day dur
ing a long and wearisome search for
buffalo In the most desolate looking
country this side. of the Sahara, a COW
boy rode up to our camp. In that re.
gion of long rides, thirst and hunger,
hospitality is the rule everywhere, and
the stranger was promptly invited to
get off and put up with us for the
night" He said:
We'll, thank ye, don't care if 1 do.
I've been a-ridin' since sun up this
mOrnin', and to tell the truth, I've
kinder lost my bearings. 'Taint very
often get ratified lost, but I've never
been through this part of the country
before, and must a-missed the land
marks. started out for the LU-bar
ranch. Can you fellers tell me where
it is?"
Yes, fortunately we knew. He got
out of his big, heavy stoek-saddle, and
at first his joints were so stiff he could
hardly walk straight He removed the
saddle from his tired pony, led him
down to the water-hole, and after he
had drank his fill he tied the end Of the
piclzet-rope to a cIump of sage brush,
and came and sat down to supper.
In the course of our conversation he
mentioned the fact that the boys"
called him "Piegan Johnny, and L
said:
Now, if 1 am not too inquisitive, and
you VIII excuse me, I'd like to know
| how a cowboy ever got name from
such a gang of horse-thieves as the
| Piegans? %
L put the question as deicately as I
could, for, from its very nature, it
might easily prove Objectionable. But
| my guest took it very goOd-naturedly,
! toward me at least.
'.Well, said he earnestly, 1T is a
/ dOgOned shame that any decent white
man should be named after such
! blank blanked set of thieves and cut-
/ thrOats as thsm Piegans, and if it
wasn't fer one thing L wouldn't allow
/ the boys to call me 'Piegan Johnny
! They give me that name on account of
a little circus 1 had with some Piegans
/ last year, and I've give 'em leave to
/ call me that right along until [ get
! even with that gang. 1t keeps me in
mind Of it, We know. Oh! I'm a-layin'
fer 'em. And I'll pay 'em off one O.
these fine days, You just bet.
He muttered another sentence be
/ tween his teeth, but it contained such
/ big words and so many of them, and
was so far from complimentary to the
/ honesty and virtue of the Piegans, that
L am really afraid to report it verbatim.
If you don't mind telling" said 1,
! I'D like to hear about that affair, I
| think I've heard some mention of it,
! but, to tell the truth, I could hardly
! believe that it really happened.
well, " said Piegan Johnny, eye see
/ it was this way. Last year I WIS down
on the Big POrcupine, wOrkin' for the
/ o. II. B. outfit, and it was the first sea-
| son 1 had ever worked this far north,
| In fact, was little bettern a tender
! foot IN this part Of the country, and I
wasn't up to snuff in some things.
! Well, when our boys all went off on the
! spring roundup, 1 was left at the shack
/ ranch housed to take care of what little
/ stock was left. I had quite little
bunch of horses to keep track of, be-
! sides a couple of mich cows and a team
/ of mules. OF course all the stock ran
I
| in a while to keep them from straying
/ away and getting lost.
! Zone day while I was out huntin'
/ horses L started to ride up to the top of
a ridge, and when L got about half way
/ up a half a dozen bucks Indians
! showed up on the top of the rise, lev
/ eled their guns on me, and mOtiOned
! to me to go around 'em. Now, We know
/ it's kinder rilin' to have anybody draw
/ on We when yer on yer own ground and
/ hain't done nothing. Well, L pulled
/ up an cussed 'em a little, and then rode
/ off around 'em. There warn't no In
| dian troubles then and hadn't been for
/ years, so L knew in a minute that them
! bucks had been stealth ponies some
! where and didn't want any white man
to see what they had.
well, L didn't find my horses that
( day, and it was after shutdown when 1
/ got back to the shack L picketed my
pony ana then went into the shack, and
set down to the table to have bite to
eat. 1 was settin' with my back to the
door, and as bad luck would have it /
had left the door open. L was hungry
| as could be, and was right busy with
the vittles, when the first thing L
kuOwed DANCED ii somebody behing me
/ didn't Jerk my six-shOoter out OF my
belt 1t hung behind me, 50, and We
know the holsters they make now don't
have no flaps to 'eIn. the way they used
to have
Il jumped up quicker'n ightnin', and
if the whole door wasn't blocked up
with Indians, In a liar. One Of EN-
had Gptoed in till he could reach the
handle of my six-shoOter-and he had
1t! If I'd "a had d knife, or anything
IL IL --L-sII.l LIN, --s-Lr H..