Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-17
STOVER'S MACHINE GUN.

Bolder spoke up.
II would have liked to have seen your FIRE
work display" he began. 1T rnust have been
rather interesting It reminds me OF the
time was used for bait"
used for baitr' exclaimed several Of us IN
astonishment.
YES, bait for indiana tell you, gentle
men, about the most unpleasant thing in this
life is to be used for Indian bait. It has
made me nervous ever since. It is exciting
and gives man all the horseback exercise be
wants, yet it is not es general thing
healthy occupation. l would not care to
choose it as steady business.
The first time met Slower had no idea
be was crazy. He would talk as nationally
as any man here
(which wasn't saving much for him" OBJ
served the man from St Paul
81 was out Of q job in Kansas City and WIS
looking round for work Of eny kind when
stumbled in on Slower he seemed to have
sort Of machine shop. There was lot of
gun barrels lying round and a portable forge
stood in the corner, with the usual tools here
and there. He said he was going west and
he wanted 81 man who knew how to take caro-
OF horses ana wasn't afraid Of work. told
him was just his man and he, took me On
the spot. | asked him il he wanted to start
machine shop further west, and be smiled
grim!y and said that that was just what he
was going to do. We packed up lot Of fig
lures that he had there in some boxes and
there was lot Of other boxes already packed,
Of the contents Of which was ignorant.
"Well, We got away with another fellow
who deserted us when We were out on tho
plains, and 50 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. + was the usual overland business.
Travelling slowly all day and camping out at
night. We kept on the lookout for Indians,
but didn't see any, and we kept on so long
that began to think old Slower was going
clear through to California, but the old man
knew where he was going and be went there
in a bee line. One afternoon when we were
days and days from civilization we cane to
q blufi close to a small river
"'Here's our spot said Soover.
"'Why,' said 1, you don't expect to start
machine shop herer
''Yo1 bet do replied Slower.
"'Wen.' said, where viii you get your
custorna There isn't anybody but Indians
for hundreds Of miles around
Gwen have lots Of business VIXEN we get
ready for it. Besides intend to send you
out TO drum up trade IL is don't come il by
ITSELF
al began to suspect tlsen that the old man
wasn't just right, but what Was I to do.
He kept the firearms and the provisions and
he owned the horses. Of course could have
stolen one of them and got away, perhaps,
IL ~c7. 1N,S 4 ,.1
care to do that sort Of thing Besides I
knew that the chances were ten to one that
the Indians would have me before got ten
miles OF. Although Slower wasn't very So
ciable, he was a heap beerer'n an Indian.
81 took the horses down to water ana
when / came back 1 said to Slower: Sea
here, there's been some one ahead Of you on
this here claim. There was q cabin down
there by the river that's been burnt down.
ayes said Slower, quietly, that was my
cabin
Nonsense said, now thoroughly con,
WINGED that be was crazy; you don't expect
me to believe that you were ever out here
beforer
"'If you goto the other side Of the bluff
he said, as quietly IS ever, 'you will see four
graves with o rough wooden cross above
them, if the Indians have not taken it down.
Those are the graves of my wife and three
children, murdered by the redskins. Ono
day when I came home from hunting in the
foot hills found them there and tine cabis
burned down.
al wouldn't think you would want t.
como back here said
81 cane back to settle UP with the In
dams
"'Then you'll never leave here alive
"'Nevcr expect to-
"'And how about ms"
"'Dou't expect you will, either. hired
you
's'Great heavens cried, jumping up.
DO you think hired to get killed for sic q
month";
"'SoIdiers do It for about that MUCH said
old Slower, as calmly as il it were an every
day bargain.
eyes but soldiers know what they are
hiring for. didn't
"'Well, you can give me months notice
and quit if you want to-.
"'A months noaicel Where viii we be in
a. month if the Indians got on to usf
"'Blamed if I know said Old Slower.
"WeIl next day the cid man laid orta
system of Notifications and set me at dig
ging. He ran shallow trench down to the
river and took out Of one of the boxes coil
of lead pipe and uncoiled it down the ditch
into the river and fixed up . natty little
pump inside the lines, SO that il the Indians
cid come they could not cut Us OF from the
water. Then ne covered up the trench, and
there we were-au right Is far as water wns
concerned. which is an important thing when
you're fighting REDSKINS One OF the boxes
was fixed so that i. was water tight, and that
VIC pumped f1N Of water. Then Slower left
me working st the euihs nknlcnts, went down
10 the timber belt and go. out some logs,
which he snaEed up TO the top with the SIX
horse and IN the center OF the Notifications
he framed his tirnbers together, making
mighty solid structure, partly sunk into tho
ground
when I had the earthworks finished
Slower had his machine set Up, and It was the
QueeTest looking arrangement ever saw. 1t
had ell been made In Kansas City and put
together there. Then he had taken 1t apart.
numbered each piece, and Ii went together
again without hutch There were foar rows
OF short rife barrels, about ten barrels Ii a
TOW, and oae row under tae oIDer. he mug
zles CT the barrels were slightly further
apart than the butts, 50 that tie battery nad
sort Of fen look. The next row Urdhr
was tie same way, but the barrels wore not
exactly under each other. / saw tdOt II the
thing would shoot it would cover quite bit
Of territory, and cover IL pretty well at that
The whole affair was very clan1sT looking.
but it turned quite easily on swivel and
could be made to sxesp the who's bora2cu.
Then the old man made me &c; bot q poles
and saut ID, out around the fort and had 10
SCI up tie poles al different points all around,
while be sighted the machine gun There
was one disadvantage sbou. tbs thing. and