New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-17

followed HIM He says: Good God man do
yon know that the house is full of road agents :,
OF mine. I'd done MN several favors, you know
fitted him out as people do up there
Now says he, Pm going to have you and
s 'ef these Sh c SSaI FFn pw that "S you've
got dust with you, and they mean to
take you in. But I've got it planned out how
| to fix You. I'll come and rout you out when
! III feed your horses, give them good feed, ana
then take them right across the creek and have
| them saddlcd ready for you"
He to put me on the trail-put us both on
Well of course we couldn't sleep much. We
| listened for the road agents 10 get quiet and
listened for bennett. We talked it over; and
made mp our minds what to do. and got ready for
rush. Gus thought if we rode hard we could
make his camp at the foot OF the mountain DIV
or o'clock. or perhaps by daylight
After a while the signai came on the window.
and we handed out our traps gold dust anu
stuff and crawcd through the window. 1t was
| hardly big enough TO squeeze through. but we
| didn't make much noise. There little snow
! on the ground and it was light enough to see;
| We paid our bill. saw that everything was packed
in good shape crossed the creek and started or as
| quietly could The other horses were III
the corral. and the road agents were lying down
| asleep the floor.
| Apparently it wasn't q great while before they
discovered we were gone. At any rate. they
roustcd out. and started OH our trail. They never
overlook MS, though.
wasn't SO he led the way. and | followed close
after him The trail wound along high blum.
YOU know. the edge of the Salmon R!ver,
| and was covered with light snow two three
! inches thick. We got all RIGHT for several
miles and then. right Mt very particularly bad
place the trail had been cut by another gang OF
road agents. who were LAYING for the express
messenger. Gus saw il as he came TO IT, ono MS
| horse, you know, spranS over IT, But IN jumping
he loosened the ground on the edge. and 1t went
down and made the break worse than 1t was
| before.
lie sung out to me. but was too close behind.
and the first thing ! knew my horse went oyer r.
| | threw my feet out Of the stirrups. and tired 10
| Jump with my knees. but there wasn't tune. ana
we both went down. The horse screamed Just
heard it. did Won? Well. you don't want TO
| it's an awful thing 10 hear: the horse screamed
lust like apGrson And that waS TT tG i@it IL knG% S
Salmon River and Gus rubbing me with snow to
bring me to.
was pretty well used up. | had on leggins.
| you know. and it cut right down Through those
! lcg2ins you know. and tore my SHIN from the
knee to the instep. and in some places to TIE bone
! Ny Jaw was broken. TOO. and a piece. front teell
and gums held only by ore little piece of flesh.
and the sharp. broken edge cutting Like knife
at every move.
Gus had taken his horse of the trail. so lie led
| him back and helped me up. and nut me on ms
horse mine was killed.
We couldn't take of any of the traps. only the
gold dust; You know We held council % war.
the dust from both horses. Gus led the horse.
with me on. and that and the gold dust was about
all that tie horse could Staggcr under.
We got ~ camp about DAYLIGHT. or course Won
| know how they an formed YOU know what the
camp is they form in a ring. with their cargoes
/ i'm the centre Well for three DAYS the only thing
| could take was 10 take an old pipe and suck
| coffee i'm through n. ! was in pretty bad shape
! when got IN Lewiston; ! went to tie dentist
/ and got fixed no enough TO show lhysel 10 M
| wife She never knew all about that scrape for
a long time: then told her. After got - the
Dalcs | was in the dentists hands for week.
and he had pretty hard job putting me together
Well. that was all the adventure there was 10 i
Got through with that trip. haven't made much
Of Cherokee Bob. after all Well. now Cherokee
You see salmon River Dgginrs. like all those
mushroom towns. grew pretty fast. and good
many respectable pcopl" came IN. 80 tne ,r ncN,
| holiday. and give first rate ball. We'll. after
| the ball fairly golng. in walks Oher9 see houi
madam lie always dressed her well. OF course
he was going 10 have a place on the floor: Inc
ladies all quit. and the gentlemen had TO form a
| committee they got together. and talked II all
over and decided 10 appoint committee 10 tel
| him he must qu-t
lie wa, going to draw blood on the spot They
told him that wouldn't do: it wasn't any place.
there we're ladies' present and all that. you know
SO then SAYS he. III 20 away. hut ! shall
shoot every man oi you at sight Tomorrow Oh the
! street
III, saw il was no usr - stick 10 il that night -
there would be- no dancing - long AS he STAYED:
| So hc had 10 take his W-tc away
| But with the opening OF the next daN tEeIc
! was very l.ttc business done in that camp. Every
one was armed. and prepared for business You
sce. they knew be meant 10 XII them. ana tleN
| knew he could do II II he got show. 50 theY
! were on the lookout.
Cherokee Bob comes ont about Il o'clock in the
morning. and ma kcs ms appearance on tde s'NTt.
| There wls considerable snow ON the ground. lie
! had "A loaded sin shooter IN each hand. aud the
| first head he saw hc went for 1t. Ike DonhN-
! brook ia!r
That shot was the signal They rushed ont =
| "A man out If the door Of every cabn-and t-e
| firing bean. He fired back ri the crowd. Now
| / can't tell what damage WAS done 10 them Ont
| they all started pumping Lead INTO MN from
| every side. You know the whole town against
! this one man He stood there in the middle OF
the street as cool and handsome as ever and every
! head he saw he fired at H. lie va, icd tull OF
| lead but be- stood still and fired IN and by he
fell. but hc pr,ppcI himself mp on one elbow ana
went on shooting. -,
door of the saloon right by. looking at him
liy and by he sang on 10 her that he'd fired
his last shot She turned round and ran IN ana
got him another loaded revolver. ana came riIut
out amons the bullets. and knclt down by hm
and nat 1.-THE pistol into his hand. and held h-s
hand 10 shoot again. / don't know whether he
got in that shot or rot: he WAS about gone aud Ill
They hustled her out Of camp after that. am
never knew what became Of hcr. but thdt WAS
| the end of Cherokee Bob.
The degree of idcalizaton the character has
| been through and the degree in which u : true
to life. becomes very clear rom ms pam "T az
! literal story of the remarkable Red River hall-
! breed hiacklcg and gentleman OF course much
! i'm him that lartr has made typical w1s really ms
| individual quality or perhaps more truy ms
| race utlalty: So that siucuorly enough. much mas
! gone into the tradition Of the American gambler
in California that is IN fact clmrlctcrlstlc oi lhc
! northern Indian. OF whatever calling
Bret IIarte is scarcely responsible Tor TINS ap-
| propriation of traits from one type ana race To
another. for he las kept tae Indian blood in Jack
| IIauIin and distinctly credited 10 it some of his
| quality.
The final touch Of sclfsacriiicc IS really ihe
only purely fictitious touch. II is possible thtt
| il was imporicl into the story Of Cherokee SOD
from some other baclIleg; but II IS too distinctly
| literary and too common in all the school OF writ
| inc TO which lIaric belongs. 10 make THIS pronapP
| ike any other Indian Bob was easily capapc oil