The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-15
AL media.
RACE WITH IDAHO ROBBERS.
Joaquin Miller Relates an Experiences o

Joaquin Miller Relates an Experiences OF
His Youth.
| was lying ice-bound at Lewiston, Idaho
Men wanted to send money below to their
friends or families; merchants. anticipating
the tremendous rush, must get letters
through to Walla Walla. Would l GO?
Could | go?
The snow was deep. The trails, over
open and monotonous mountains, were
drifted full. Could any living man face the
drifting snow and find his way to Walla
Walla?
AT first l meant to carry only letters. But
having finally consented to take a little gold
for one merchant, soon found / should lose
friends if i did not take gold for others. The
result was that l had to take gold worth
nearly $4,000.
A few muffled- up friends came down to the
river bank to see me off. IL was a great
event For two weeks we had not had
line from the outer world And meantime
the civil war was raging in all its terrible
fury. AS set out that bleak ana lev morn
ing, after had mounted my plunging pony,
saw in the crowd several faces that did
not like.
There was Dave English. who was hanged
on that spot with several Of his followers
not forty days later; there was Boone Helm.
hanged in Montana; Cherokee Joe, killed in
MillerSburg, and also Canada Joe. This
{ last lived with some loY Indians little way
down the river. So when he rode ahead OF
me was rather glad than otherwise, for |
felt that he would not 60 far. / kept watch
of him, however; and when / saw that he
skniked around under the hill. as If he were
going home, and then finally got back into
ths trall, knew there was trouble ahead.
But the "Rubicon" was now behind. NV
impetuous horse was plunging in the snow
and was soon tearing through the storm up
the hill Once fairly on my way looked
back below. Dave English and Boone Helm
were pldding good-by to two mounted cow
as looked back through the binding snow,
l saw that these two desperate fellows were
following me. True, to have a desperate
blocking the narrow trail before you with
his two friends behind you was fearful!
had two six-shooters close at hand under
the Dearskln flap OF my saddle-bag where the
gold was. l kept my left hand i'm nv
pocket, where lay small six-shooter warm
and ready. Once, as the drifting and blind
ing snow broke way up the mountain.
saw Canada Joe with his head bent down In
the storm still plunging on ahead of me at
safe distance. few moments afirewaryl. as
crossed and climbed the farther bank Of
an ugly canyon, the two robbers came close
enough TO hall me. One of them held up
me If they could and profess to be friendly.
This must not allow. l urged my ambiti-
GUS horse to his best. But to my dismay as
FASTENED up narrow pass i found that
was not Tar behind Canada Joe. This low
browed black fellow was reported to be the
worst man in all that country. And that
was saying he was bad indeed.
was In a tight place now, and had to
think fast My first plan was to ride for
ward and face this man before the others
came up. But was really afraid of him
1t seemed much easier task to turn and
Kill the two rear men and get back to town.
But no! no! All this was abandoned al.
most as soon as thought Of In those DAYS
even tne most desperate had certain rights
which their surviving friends would an
i was now but q few hundred Yards be-
hind Canada Joe. So far us l could find
out. the robbers were closing in on me. But
we had ridden over the toughest part Of the