Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-09-27


from that place-that great wagon road
which leads from the gold mines to civ
ilizatiOn, over 200 miles among noun
tains and across plains, over Govern
ment land and through Indian reserva-
tiOns.
''Im goin' to bed an to sleep to-
night, " said Gene Brooks, a freighteri
with three great freight wagons and
twelve mules, which he drove alone, as
is customary; ''I set up all last night
tellin' you fellers stories, but you can't
rope me in that way tonight" We had
fallen in with Gene on the trail the day
before. We looked at the fire, now
burning lower, as we listened to the
night wind,s unfelt below, singing
through the pine tops the same low,
sad refrain which the wind and the pines
ever sing.
Hanged if there amt a stray mule, -
said Gene, as he strained his eyes
through the darkness toward the trail.
Clocks some like one Of Bill Jenks's
leaders, too, but Bill don't let none of
his mules get away. Sides, he's gone
to Sundance this trip, though it must be
bout time for him to get back-he hur-
RES long kinder fast nOW-he gets lone
some, 1 reckon. I b'Iieve I must tell
you bout Bill fore I forget it." and
Gene cut off a chew of tobacco with a
pOcket-knife and rolled over and kicked
his toes into the ground as he gazed at
the fire, while the pines ceased their com
planning song for a moment and the
murmuring of Bear Butte Creek came
to our ears as it dubbed over the rocks
a few yards away, all grayish, milky
white, muddied by the silver mining
along its head waters IN the Galena dis
trict-al the streams IN the Black Hills
run either the same gEaYish, milky
white or blOod-red-silver or gold min
ing.
F'You heard me mention Bill last
night, went on Gene. ''He's q good
one-ain't 'fraid of nothing that walks.
Been freightin' ever since I have-nine
year. Got twelve-mule outit-three
wagons. Bill amt exactly quarrelsOme,
but if he has got anything agin'
anybody he don't go round
tryin' to forget it. More likely he
Bill amt never been licked on the trail.
Carries a gun in the wagon to use In
cases of necessity. Good teller if you
know how TO take him never had no
trouble with him-but little queer, an
not man to monkey with less you're
loOkin' for mighty lively exercise. Z"
Gene meditatively took off his hat and
blew the dust from the wide brim-tbe
red, powdeIy dust of the trail, the dust
that is blown hither and thither. on
everything, in everything, through
everything; that is stirred by the treas
ure coach and passenger coach, mule
train and bull train, by the passing
breeze and the gale as it sweeps down
out of the canon and whirls it along In
great clouds that shut from sight the
coach and wagon train, dusty passenger
and dustier driver. Then he began
again:
''Well, bout two year ago we was all
freightin' from Pierre-nearest railroad
town then, you know. Them was lively
times at Pierre. Killed a man every
night, buried him the mex mornin', Of
mebbe the day after, 'cordin' 60 how
busy they was.
sdThere was a girl at Pierre named
Pearl Queen. Least that's what the bill
said her name was, though I al'ayl
thought il was a little mixed bout i
bein' right. She acted at the Alhambrl
Thea re, you see. Danced on her toes
remarkably pretty Ike. Shed bseI