The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-30
ALKALI JIM.

"Alkali Jim. whom ] have learned TO
humber among my stanchest and most
highly valued friends among these hardy
and picturesque mountsinccrs. in person
Is fully six feet tall and very slim The
hair on his head is thick, but Qnnaturally
and apparently prematurcly white.
Deeply iet gray eyes twinkle cheerily
above cheek bOh6s, over which Is tightlt
stretched skin the color Of sole leather,
beneath which the play Of every muscle
is plainly seen. Spry as a cat and tough
rs a pine knot exactly expresses the
physical CHARACTERISTIC Of this quiet, self
contained mountaineer
The other evening We were seated out.
side the cabin door, after the DAVIS work
was done and supper had been eaten.
had just expressed my wonder as to the
way in which "iidgety Bill, who is one
of the quietest Of men came by his name,
when Jim, after slowly blowing n cloud
of smoke, asked me: did yo ever hear
how | KEN by my nameY'
had not and asked for information.
Jim settled himself down comfortably on
his rough stool and began:
bout fourteen year ago | he'd bit NV ex-
perience thet KEN blame near putin ar
end tine an left me in Jess about tn
wuss fix | ever seen. sides turnin' my
hair plum white-ez it is now-in a week s
time. wuS young feller In tn States,
18th more grit than sense, an Id listed in
th' army Belonged { b troop in tn
Fourth cavalry We w stationed down
90 Fort Bowie Arizona an my time NJ
most out when this thing happened, n
whole company O soldiers got lost, n
several NV EN- died n most all persisted,
m they was tn wust suffcrn' fer while
y ever hear tell on.
owe az KEEP near tn reservation where
tn Apaches stayed jess { be handy III
case o trouble One day some o tn rcd
deyis'got out n TUX th' war path, n be
gun KILN all tn settlers they cd find
Our company WIZ ordered after en-
when they'd got den good start, Nv
course Wed fit lujuns aforc, n ruther
tux kindly 10 IT.. fer 1t promised sumthin'
& break up tn monotony O. camp life
Our captain was of on sick leave, n tibet
left us under command o Lieut.. Hanson
Percy, his namo wuz-as young Teller Z
ifNtl q Hftil Ntnb iii liN VI ttt~AA cfbA bAt
from West Point tn same summer. He
wuz a regular dude. wore q white
shirt all the time; alters he'd his boots
blacked, kctched bugs d pinned EN- on a
board n studied en- seemed { enjoy IT,;
came from Boston Thet mostly settled
it it'll tn boys They didn't fancy fghtin'
lnjuns With him But orders is orders,
n grumblin don't 60. SO VIC started, all
the same.
9TH Apaches wuz last reported bout a
hundred n fifty miles north. 7 git on
Their trail we he'd cross one o. them dem
plains full @ alkali u sage bresh n moth
in' else but rocks n sand. II mebbc a few
cactus l. mcsqui. thrown in Ter good
measure. Water wuz not be thought on
there. only IN spots, where they w pool
here n "a spring there. jess so it wouldn't
all De like he'll. ] reckon None on us
lmowed ia lay O. tn land. SO VIC TUX a
guidc-MeXican Joe they called him-a
big headed bow legged teller it'll bull
fiddle voice mean look. lie said he
knowcd ever, inch o. ia ground n spcci-
ally an TIA watcriu places. 1t wor II
August. % # you've ever bin IN Arizona
bout dog days y know what that means.
TIA sun iss nachully blazcd down n that
alkaii PLAIN wer red hot b gltten hotter
every blessed mint y ez they wuzn't a
mite O shade n no umberil5 VIC jess he'd
& take it We he'd all our cauteens filled
when we started D. expected Z cit { tn
first waterin place before night. Long
'bou. noon KEN up "a sand Storm Worst
things y over seen, them sand storms is
Til wind Jess lifts tn hull surface o tn
ycarth ~ makes il turn summerscts 18th
itself. SO when tn funs over y don't
know th place yer seen hour atore.
This ez IN worst one ] ever seed. Tn
wind blowed Hail Columbia. Y cudn't
see inch afore yer face The air w
full o sand alkali II bits o dry sage
bresh n dry mesquit branches n gravel
IL KEN ithOut a minits warnin, Il
We he'd 1 turn our backs TO IL II
hold our breath n let il blow. II lasted
bout half an hour ! reckin, though 1T
seemed half day l us. An stopped ez
quick O. it started. But Lord, we didn't
know where we wuz when 10 quit. IN
lay O. ia land wuz changed all round.
Til hills m hollers had snapped places.
We'd hnddled up tn best we could while
tn storm lasted, n they wu2n one nv us
could tell which way we come or which
way we'd bin goin' Y neycr-scc worse
beat man n Mexican joe Looked like he
NJ astonishcd out O years growth. He
turned every way II each way he NJ sure
was wrong. T make matters worse, tn
clouds wuz too thick T. see tn sun n We
hadn't . compass in tn whole command.
That u a mistake our captalnd never
made Finally Lieut. Hanson took doc
of orc side N p1avcred 18th him, n iced
nod IBIS head II ST, senoredl all Ia time,
b.. felt sure hc didn't know nothia'.
But tn lieutenant seed sum.hin' had &
b. douo n put himself & Tia hcado "a
column n We started of tn way joe
loved ~ right.
"Wel. We KEEP eoin' till long awhile
fore dark. n Mexican Joe hc KEEP gIttin
nervouscr an nervOuser Ia lieutenant
KEEP his eye on i'm, n at last he rode up
clost IA sez. Joe ! believe you're los, !
Thet dern fool Mexican Jess foppcdoh lis
horse n onto bis knees n begun L bes Ter
mercy. aholhn up his hands lie he VIZ
prIyin. Tn lieutenant laughed 81 m
ic didn't know cz well ~ he did after
wards thet gittin' lost on q clldli PLATA
amt 10 laughin' ratter-'n told hin :.
cit on his boss n come on. Ho did 50,
. a,