The Grenada gazette., 1888-02-25


llse and contents. With that one bre,cl
OF fidelity fell my lauded anticipation
OF the noble red man as friend. A
enemy, l had yet to know him.
Fort Leavenworth did not seem I,
strike me as an ideal fort. 1t was sur
rounded by a stockade. or high fence
OF which l am reminded when see
q garden or meadow patch with ten
foot board fence around it, and all tn,
cracks battened over to keep the con
tents OF the garden from getting out
and the nodus operandi of the concerr
didn't agree with my established IDEAS
The victuals, however, were of rea
Western flavor, and were garnishef
with flies. afterwards found out tina,
in fort life flies are indispensable.
When the cook spilled the content.
OF the pepper-box in the Colonels cot
fee, l had the rare opportunity Of hear
ing the ''simple and pleasing Western
vernacular" Of which I had read SC
often. In substance, it didn't differ
fnr from the unvarnishcd address OF
"some mute, inglorious Milton" who
had run his plow point under hickory
root, but the Colonel added startling
feature of originality in shooting a hole
through the cooks left ear.
While at the fort l made the &C.
qualntance of an elderly gentleman,
whose bronzed features and vigorous
breath told Of many winters on the
plains. He seemed at once to realize
my embarrassment, and volunteered
to give me a lesson in frontier life.
First, he told me to brace UP. lie
knew how l felt-had been all along
there himself. He informed me that
ii l wished to be respected, to kill a
man now and then. No man amount
ed to any thing unless he killed his
man on the first Friday of every month
He concluded by borrowing dollar.
Being offered situation with a
wagon train about to start versus the
plains by the Great Santa Fe trail to
New Mexico, l accepted As / was a
tenderfoot, my wages must necessarily
be small, the agent informed ME, but
concluded arrangements by guaran-
tee of SIS per month, and free burial
should any accidents occur while in
the service. With this cheerful infor-
nation l took my position.
Every thingprogressed peaceably un-
til about one hundred and ninety miles
out, when a member of our advance
guard came galloping into camp in
great haste. At the first sight of the
returning scout, every man turned out
with his rife, ready for business. The
wagonmaster was an old frontiersman,
and had many times faced death with
the same quiet resignation as you or
would a plate of turnip greens, yet his
check blanchcd when he beheld the
excited features Of the incoming guard.
1nstinctively he grasp his rifle more
firmly in his hands.
whats the matter?' he asked, in a
hoarse, stage whisper.
"B-hoys, um outen terbacker!" was
the reply.
The wagonmaster promptly shot the
advance. and commissioned me to take
his place, and return to the other boys
with the required weed. With many
misgivings complied, but as my
motion seemed too slow for his worship,
he shot hole through my hat. l
hurried off without raising any dis
turbance with him for his familiarity,
for knew that if I should get mixed
up with the entire troop, somebody
would get hurt l also feared that l
would never draw my wages, further
than the free burial promise. Ispared
no time in getting out of the reach Of
the amsterdam Belden' s-revolvcr.
and catching up with the remnant of
the guard.
Here l received hearty welcome.
and when l had informed them of the
action of Dan Beden concerning their
comrade, they decided to 60 back and
clean out the camp. Accordingly we
rode back to where the train had
"pulled up for the night, arriving at
about two a. III.
Recognizing that I was a new hand
at the business, Bill Cole, captain Of
the guard, selected me to hold the
horses, while he and his four comrades
should fall, all spread out, upon the
unsuspecting camp and massacre it rs
it slept.
In five minutes every thing seemed
awake. The bullets playfully whstled
over my head in most astonishing
manner, but I got behind horse and
bravely stood my ground. I resolved
10 die hero, at least, if bullet found
ts way through the horse.
In half an hour the bcligerents re-
.urned. Bill Cole playfully displayed
;welve human ears strung to q wire,
as he did so. in bis own
simple manner:
"TMsh'ers what comes of some
lolkses durnid smartness!'
The attacking party had cleared out
he tyrannical element with but trivial
oss. Bill lost his right eye, three fin
,crs and u pound of flesh from his right
high. Jake Summers lost one-half of