The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-08
PEACEFUL SAM.
Tie Didn't Propose Ia Let n Road Agen
Get Away with His savings.

He Didn't Propose tO Let ~ Road Agent
Get Away with His savings.
One day 'the Bank" as we called IL.
reached Grizzly Slide, says a New York
Sun writer. II was a San Francisco broker,
escorted by four men. He had bags Of
gold coin with him, and he took up our
nuggets and dust and paid US in yellow
boys. ! suppose he made a pretty good
thing out IL, hut as il was n great accon-
mediation TO us We had no complaint to
make. Only two or three days previously
one of our men, known To MS as Peaceful
Sam. had made "A find of "a humping big
nugget, and this, added 10 his wash, gave
him over $500 in handsome coin. He
was a man of %, humble and peace-loving,
and he had n wife back in Illinois. He
had never said anything abont going
home. although he was waiting, like the
rest Of ms, for luck; but no sooner was
the coin passed over To him than his
bones ached 10 take the road for home.
He must go over To Johnson's camp, a
distance of III miles, alone, and from
there goodwin the valley by "a stage line.
The chances were hat he would he held
up at the trail, and we argued and oaxed
for him to stay. Next morning. however,
he was oil. having 500 in his pocket and
The rest Of his none in his blanket on
his back lie never carried a weapon of
any sort and he started on this trip with
OF one. We never expected To see him
again, but he was back Mt night and had
a story 10 tell. He had got about three
miles from camp when a range met
him, coming in on the Deep river trail.
Peaceful Sam was no chicken, and he
wasn't long sizing the stranger up as bad.
bound for Johnson's ?" asked the man
as they walked along.
For Johnson's and home"
made your pile and going back to the
old roman eh?"
'Madc 500 and have concluded 10 light
out while il lasts. Hammer has been writ
ing for me to come, and il | can even lay
"A hundred In her lap II will he more than
she ever saw before. Lands! but when I
think of home and Hammer ] can't walk
fast muir"
The stranger didn' show his hand until
afternoon. Then when they reached a
particularly lonesome place he suddenly
halted, pulled a gun, n said.
Give me them $500 or I'll I'LL you with
leadl"
"what. Gwinc to rob me?' replied
'Come DOWN."
But think q Hanner. She's bcen
waitin' and waitin', and now IL you take
my o ! may never see her"
"D-n Hammer! Shell out or I'll pop
youy"
liant you no soul?"
"Nary soul"
And I've got to shell OUT"
"You have"
Peaceful passed him the 500 and then
sat down on "A stone and pretended to
cry. The stranger counted the coins,
dropped them into his pocket, and started
of, saying:
''You set right there for an hour and
then take any road you want 10. liz you
follow me I'll pop you."
lie was no soone around the bend than
Peaceful began scrambling up the noun
tainsidc. by making a short cut he struck
the trail again, and was just in time 10
licave a rock, which struck the strangers
head and killed him stone-dead ON the
trail then Peaceful descended. took $3.50
of the body, n started back for our
camp. Next morning half IA dozen of us
went to the spot with him and there lay
the body. When We asked Peaceful why
he bad owned mp To having 500 with him
he replied:
LAW me-! hut II I hadn't he'd have sus-
pected ! had IA heap more and shot me
without warning. That's what ] calker-
lated on when l put that sum in my
pocket"
but what possessed you TO follow on
and kill him? You never even struck a
man in all your life"
IL dunno, g~entleman-l dunno" he
pleaded, his lips trembling and his chin
%quivering with emotion. ~ Just remem-
Der that thought of Hammer and how
them 500 would put new shingles on the
old barn and buy rag carpets for all over
the house, and fust thing ] knew he was
lying dead. Lemme git alone and wrasslc
with the Lord and see il l can't kinder ex-
cuse IL oil on Hammers account"