The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-12-26
A RACE WITH ROBBERS.
EXCITING TIMES IN EARLY
IDAHO DAYS.
Joaqain Miller Relates Thrilling Exysrisnee
Of Hh Yssth y the Wilds Of the Great
Northwest SavsA b. the nsrest
Chance Ct Last,

l was lying ice-bound at Lewiston,
Idaho. says Joaquin Miller, in thrill
ing article in St Nicholas magazine.
Men wanted to send money below to
their friends or families; merchants,
anticipating tho tremendous rush.
must get letters through the snow to
Walla Walla Would gop Could l
goP
The snow was deep. The trails,
over open and monotonous mountains,
were drifted full Could any Twin
man face the drifting snow and find
his way to Walla Walla? At first the
merchants had tried to hire Indians to
undertake the trip and deliver their
letters. Not one could be found to go.
When the storm abated little, the
men who kept the ferry across the
Shoshonee River scraped off the snow.
and cutting down the upheaved blocks
of ice made it possible to cross with
horse.
At first meant to carry only letters.
But having finally consented to take a
little gol1 for one merchant, I soon
found l should lose friends If I did not
take gold for others. The result was
that had to take gold worth nearly
ten thousand dollars.
A few mufled-up friends came down
to the river bank to see me of. It
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 and icy morn
ing, after I had mounted my plunging
pony saw in the crowd several faces
that did not like. There was Dave
English, who was hung on that spot
with several of his followers, not forty
days later; there was Boone Helm.
hung in Montana; Cherokee Bob,
killed in Millersburgh; and also Can
ada Joe. This last lived with some
low Indians way down the river. So
when he rode ahead of me was rather
glad than otherwise; for felt that he
would not go far. I kept watch of
him. however. And when l saw that
he skulked around under the hill, as
If he were going home. and then fin
ally got back into the trail, knew
there was trouble ahead.
But the "Rubicon" was now behind.
My impetuous horse was plunging in
the snow and I was soon tearing
through the storm up the hill. Once
fairly on my way looked back below.
Dave English and Boone Helm were
bidding goodbye to two mounted
cowboys at the ferry-house. Ten
minutes later, as I looked back
through the blinded snow, saw that
these two desperate fellows were fol-
lowing me.
True, there was nothing criminal in
that The two highwaymen had
right to ride behind me if they wished.
And Canada Joe had just as good
right to ride ahead of me. But to be
on horse deep in the binding snow
and loaded down with gold was bad
enough. 10 have desperate block
ing the narrow trail before you with
his two friends behind you was fear
full!
/ had two six-shooters close at hand
under the bearskin flap of my saddle
bag where the gold was. I kept my
left hand in my pocket where lay
small six-shooter warm and ready.
Once, as the drifting and binding
snow broke away up the mountain,
saw Canada Joe with his head bent
down in the storm still pushing on
ahead of me at safe distance. A few
moments after, as I crossed and
climbed the farther bank of an ugly
canon, the two robbers came close
enough to hail me. One of them held
up bottle. They evidently intended
to overtake me if they could, and pro-
TESS to be friendly. This l must not
allow. I urged my ambitious horse
to his best But to my dismay, as l
fastened up narrow pass found that
was not far 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.
Twas in a tight place now, and had
to think fast. My first plan was to
ride forward and face this man before
the others came up. But was really
afraid of him. 1t seemed q 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 the most desperate had
certain rights which their surviving
friends would enforce.
l was now but a few hundred yards