Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-07-19
BIRTHSTONE.

fwccn Kansas City and Denver, near the
lividing lire between Kansas and Colo
ado; the time, the summer Of 1866, when
Inc Plains Indians cast of the Rocky
Hountains were in general outbreak
against the whites. a large wagon train
inder charge Of that veteran and noted
ireighter, Pete Ouray, was on its way
Westward To Salt Lake City.
At that time the plains stretching be-
tween Eastern Kansas and the Rocky
fountains were a barren waste, unbrokcn
oy abodcs of civilized men save an oc-
:asional military or trading post, and the
tations of the Ben Holiday overland
tagc line. Civilized men might cross and
.ven hunt on its drcary cxpansc, but il
"as regarded as lit home only for In
iians, buiialoes, antelope and coyotes.
The train had proceeded so far on its
Quincy without nisadvcnturc The grass
VAS good. and there had been no Indian
attack. Signs of the hostlcs, however,
we're not wanting, and some were omi-
ious enough. But two or three days he
ore the frcightcrs had come up with IL
wagon train which had left Kansas CITY Il
little ahead of them.
1t was Il dismal sight The mules were
gone, and the wagons Il plundcrcd wreck
The :ean.>tcrs lay about dead, all scalpc,l
md mutila;cd with every freak of SAVAGE
oarhariiy.
All this tended 10 produce reflections
HE reverse of cheerful in the minds of the
indcrs. After burying in one grave the
aiangled bodies. the tcams.crs returned
% their wagons, and the train moved on.
But scenes even as appalling us this do
rot long dcprcsS ncn accustomed 10 ever
present dangers. The expedition was
strong IN men and equipment, and, to
guard against surprise hy Indians, a viai
ant watch was Kept night and day.
II happened that on this June day, af-
or the roonday halt, three men whose
duties did not call them to the wagon
seats fingered after the train moscd on,
% let their horses Craze on the luxurian
1cw rrass.
! nave said horses 10 he exact, there.
>trc two horses and tt mule. The mule.
an important figure in my story, WAS the
special saddle animal of Frank Sanger. a
iaring Young rider, vino WAS making his
.iiird trip across the plains "Brim-
stone" the animals name, indicated both
the quality Of lis temper and its peculiar
yellow color.
Birthstone had joined the expedition in
Ibis wise: a lank, discouragcd-looki
Missourian brought him to the wagon
train as it was about leaving Kansas City.
The man wanted badly to sell, and Of
fcrcd the beast Mt Il price far below his
seeming value. He showed proper vouch-
.rs for his ownership, and Pete Ouray
sought the animal for a song.
When Pete tried to use the mule he
thought that he had paid far too much.
lie first haIncssed him in II team, but nc
sooner did the traces begin to draw than
ihe beast fell to kicking and plunginp
and finally TUNED short round and faced
the wagon. He so mixed up the cntir,
sight-mu!c team that parts of the harness
had TO be cnt TO get them clear. He wa.
excused from further service as II draucht
animal, and remandcd for the line being
to halter
lie kicked, struck and bit at whom Oh
whatever was about him. There sccmc,
to he no bounds to the reach of his hind
legs and his accuracy in locating hi:
hoois. 1t was commonlr believed that ht
could kick round Il corner. Tha. he WA,
worse than useless Joe Dubbs was free I,
assert, as he came limpinS from the cor
ial, holding his knee with both hand,
and hunting for a revolver; he was vow
ing, III the first transports of pain anC
'aGe, to kill the malcvolcnt brute, which
had assumed Il look of extreme innoccnc,
10 lure him near enough for tcllin.
Kick; but birthstone lived and kicked O,
ierencly. He had q destiny to fulfil tina
40 blusterings of Infatuated tcamstcr
could avert.
BiSspur Bill, who claimed to be
oronco breaker, offered to ride him. s.Il
make saddle mule of him, or cit broll
lp tryin'," he said, with an air OF de
termination, us he posed hcroicallv il
Mexican pantaloons, set of by spurs lik
rising suns.
All hands turned to and helped, nm,
Birthstone, with much ado, was saddle,
and bridled. Four men held him. Bill
got i'll the saddle.
NOW turn him loose, boys he said
The men at the mules head let 20
Brimstonc's head went down to his fore
legs, his back rounded and he went int
;he air. When he came back to earth
Bill, who had gone some feet higher, re
manned astride the high corral fence o
which nc had fallen, and which he seemc
20 prefer to his late seat in the saddle
Birthstone kicked for him hopefully
"hcreat Bill slipped down on the othe
side, and, with clanking spurs, mad
-apid tracks for safety.
For time after this no one underloo
20 handle the yellow mule, which lived n
ease, toiling not in the long days march
except to follow leisurely the wagon
which he was tied. Pete Ouray becam
disguised. al don't know what to d
with the BRUTE" he said. ~ hate
give up for useless a young mule with a
fine pints as he has"
He made this remark to Frank Sanoe,
The two were looking at Birthstone. VIII
stood tied to wagon, and with head cree
and white CLEAN in the corner of his cv
was waiting for whoever might come nea,
beaten path which circled behind hir
at least ten feet beyond his heels was re
iigionsly followed by every one VIII