Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-08-08


then another. an we kept shinnin' Off
up this way till we KEN % the conclu-
sion that we was outen Uncle Sans
kentry, an then we stopped right in
our tracks an said we wouldn't be
took on British territory.
"Up here with the South Crus an
Blackfeet / KEEP on tradin' jes' the
same way rs | had with the Assini-
BONES. Crows, South Rigans an the
rest of 'em down in Montana. and it
riled those other cusses because they
wa mt dom so we'll.
carter while they mostly gave up
tradin' an took to VIOLIN A lot of
'SpitZie' then, that's the lnjunna me.
They got along pretty well fur
while, an then they thought they'd
fur it. So they passed law that no
trader should sell ammunition to the
lnjuns.
Il heerd OF it an laid awake nights
thinkin' OF ii. | was doin' well an
maxim money hand over fist, an some
how it made me desprit like to think
that should have my Twin an every
thing | had in the world taken away
from me by lot of no-account critters
that had got the name OF bein' reckless
by SWARM loud an bullyin' any Injun
that they'd ketch by hisself | knew
there want much fight in 'em except
they had long way the best on it but
as it was jest then they had the best on
it, OWN TO most everybody bein'
afeared OF 'em. They was other
traders in the kentry as knowed 'em as
well as | did. but we was so scattered
about that we couldn't stand by e.ch
other very well.
1--WE traders kicked agin this regula.
ton, Says we, The Injuns is peacea-
BILE an friendly, an If they wanted to
be ugly thar amt no settlers to massa-
ere for hundreds y miles. Nobody's
here but big able-bodied men with
knives an shootin' irons, men as kin
! take keer o themselves But they
wouldn't have it that way, an so they
| formed themselves into gang an call
ed it the 'Spitzie' Cavalry, an started
to clean out every trder's camp as
wouldn't stop selling ammunition to
the Injuns.
" mad little tradin' fort right
whar this fort stands now. 1t want
much Of n cabin to look at, but it
covered a lot o. ground.
IL heerd one evenin' that they was
comm to see me some time the next
day, an so l got ready fur them.
Says TO my half-breed boy as was
working fur me, When them fellers
come you jest watch me, an while l
raise my hand TO my head you jist git
outside an lock the front door OF the
shop arter we, an then run down an
git the ponies and herd them along a
couple o. miles down the bottoms and
there wait fur me, but ef We hear any
shootin OF ny account We may as we'll
skin out with the ponies an do the
best We kin with them, fur they'll be
no use to me arter the second or third
shot.
Il didn't sleep a mite that night. an
was up early in the mornin' gittin'
ready fur the company was expectin'.
About 10 o'clock in the forenoon they
KEN gallopin up TO the door, armed to
the teeth an lookin' as though they'd
eaten up two or three traders afore
! breakfast.
They jumped off their HOSES
an leavin' one OF their gang ontside
TO look after 'em, KEN walkin' into my
shop.
- Good mornin', gentlemen, says !
pleasant like, jest as Of ] thought
they'd come to trade, but all the same
| was layin' fur them all the while. 1t
was warm day in October, an had
nuthin' on but my flannel shirt,
trousers, boots an hat, but had big
navy six-shooter, loaded an cooked,
stuck in my waistband right in 'front.'
] I Il IN,
Good mOrnin'. Mr.. Akers,' sez
Joshua fletcher, speakin' up for the lot
! of 'em, we've come down on little
business, an we may as well get at it
! fust as last.
"At this l put up my hand slowly
an commenced scr ,tchin' my head. l
never looked at the boy, but he under
stood the signal, an steppin' outside
softly locked the door on them, sneaked
down the bottoms, taLxin' the ponies
with him.
&" Wal says /, what's the business
! yer ken about?"
q" We you're sellin' ammunition
to the Injuns, seq he.
What if | ami? seq /.
4" Its agin the law seq he.
".'Who made that lawp' SEE |.
Z" We did, SEE he, and We know'd
that as well as anybody, We sneakin'
old varmint, afore l told we.
"'What il | told We didn't go much
on yer right to make laws fur mep' seq
! |.
" We'd jest chuck yer stuff in the
river and give We ten minutes TO saddle
cayuse an start fur the States, SEE
| he.
1" What il wouldn't scare worth
sour apples' sez |.
Z" Jest hang We up to dry in the cot
tonwoods down thar on the bottoms
sez he quite calm like.
Wall, now, gentlemen, we kinder
understand each other seq |, AN we
may as well git right down to business.
II stop sellin' ammunition to the In
juns, may as well quit tradin'. II /
won't stop We mean to set me afoot
right here, an il | resist yell hang me
in the cottonwoods. Now, gentlemen,
man as has worked hard the best
IL Ill, !, to- -.