Smyrna times., 1890-12-24
RACE WITH IDAHO ROBBERS
REcoLLEoTlONs OF JOAQUIN Mil.
LER'S EARLY LIFE.

Carrying Letters to WaIIa Walla-TraveI-
ing Through the Snow Loaded with
Gold-FOIlOwod by NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Iarksmen.
1 was lying ice-bOund at Lewiston,
! Idaho. Men wanted to send money be-
low to their friends or families mer-
chants, anticipating the tremendous
rush, must get letters through the snow
| to Walla Walla. Would 1 go? Could 1
! 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 the merchants
had tried to hire Indians to undertake
the trip and deliver their letters. Not
one could be found to 60 When the
| storm abated little, the men who kept
the ferry across the ShOshone River
| scraped off the snow, and cutting down
the upheaved blocks of ice made it posi-
BILE to cross with n horse.
At first meant to carry only letters.
But having finally consented to take a
little gold for one merchant, I soon
| found l Should lose friends if 1 did not
take gold for others. The result was
that 1 had to take gold worth nearly ten
| thousand dollars.
| few mu1lla -up friends came down to
the river bank to see me off. 1t 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
is fury.
As set out that bleak and icy morn
ing, after l had mounted my plunging
pony I saw in the crowd several faces
| that did 1fl-o n
English, who was hung on that spot with
several of his followers not forty days
| later; ther" was Boone Helm, hung in
Montana; Clerokee Bob, killed in Mil
lersburg, and also Clnada Joe. This
last lived with some low Indians a little
way down the river. So when he rode
ahead of me l was rather glad than
otherwise, Tor felt that he would not 90
far. l kept watch of him, however. and
when l saw that he skulked around
under the hill, as if he we've going home,
and then finally got back into the trail.
knew there was trouble ahead.
But the "RubicOn was now behind.
My impetuOus horse was Dlunging in the
snow, and was soon tearing through the
storm up tie hill. Once fairly on my
way, looked back below. Dave English
and Boone Helm were bidding good-by
to two mounted cowboys at the ferry
house. Ten minutes later as I looked
back through the binding snow, l saw
that these two desperate fellows were
following me.
True, there was nothing criminal in
that; the two highwaymen had a 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 a
horse in the binding snow and loaded
down with gold was bad enough. To
have n desperate blocking the narrow
trail before you with his two friends
behind you was feaful
l had two six-shooters close at hand
under the bearskin fl ip OF my saddle-bag
where the gold was. l 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 mountains, / saw Canada Joe.
with his head bent down in the storm.
still pushing on ahead Of me at a safe
distance. a few moments after. as l
crossed an climbed the farther bank of
an ugly canon, the two robbers came
close enough to hail me. One of them
held up a bottle. They evidently in
tended to overtake me if they could and
profess t. be friendly. This l must not
'AAON' III rNNh my uAlDALlOuS uOESb 10
his best. But, to my d;smav, as l
FASTENED up narrow pass l found that
| was not far behind Canala Joe. This
lOw-brOwed black fellow was reported to
he the worst man in all that country,
and that was saying he was bad indeed.
was in tight place now, and had to
think last. My first p.an was to ride
forward and face this man before the
others came up. 1t seemed a much
easier task to turn and kill the two rear
m-n, and get back to town. But, no
no! All this was abandoned almost rs
soon as thought of. In those days even
The most desperate had certain rights
which their surviving friends would
enforce.
was now but hundred yards behind
Canada Joe. So far as l could find out.
the robbers were closing in On me- But
we had ridden over the toughest part of
the road and were within few mil OF
the high plateau. so that the wind was
tearing past in gale, and the drifting
snow almost blinded me.
Suddenly, had new thought Why
not take t. the left, gain the plateau by
a new route, and let these blOodthirsty
robbers close their net without having
me inside? l rose in my saddle with ex-
=
to my brave horse, l was soon climbing
up the Gradual s,o2c at gallop. All!
but l was glad! Galiop gallOp gallon
l seemed to hear many horses Turning
my head suddenly over my shoulder, /
saw my two pursuers not a hundred
yards behind me. They shouted / was
now on the high plateau, and the snow
was not so deep. GallOp gallOp gailOp
Canada JOe-thank Heaven was away
to the right. and fast falling behind.
GallOp gallop! gallopl 1 was gaining
on the robbers, and they knew 1t.
Fainter and fainter came their curses
and their shouts.
And then: Whiz Crack Thudl
1 looked back and saw that they both
had thrown themselves from their sad.
dies and-were taking deliberate aim.
But to no purpose. Not one shot
touched me or my horse, and reached
the first station and. finally rode into
Walla Walla, with my precious burden,
safe and sOund.-St Nicholas.