The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-12-04
A Race With Idaho Robbers.

Joaquin Miller relates an experience
of his youth in ST Nicholas as follows:
81 was lying ice bound at Lewiston,
Idaho. Men wanted to send money |
below to their friends or families; mer
chants, anticip atirg the tremendous
rush, must get letters through the snow
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 fnd
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
Shoshone River scraped off the snow,
and cutting down the upheaved blocks
Of ic. made it possible to cross with
horse.
At first I meant to carry only letters.
But having finally consented to take
little gold for one merchant, | soon
found should lose friends if did not
take gold for others. The result was
that 1 had to take gold worth nearly
ten thousand dollars.
A few muffled up friends came down
to the river bank to see me off. 1t
was a great event. Fer two weeks we
had not had line from the outer
world. And meantime the Civil War
was raging in all its fury.
AS | set cut that bleak and icy
morning, after / had mounted my
plunging pony [ saw in the crowd sew
eral faces that [ did not like. There
was Dave English, who was hung on
that spot with several of his follnwers
not forty days later; there was Boone
Helm hung in Montana; Cherokee
Bob, killed in Millersburg. and also
Canada Joe. This last lived with
some low Indians little way down
the river. So when he rode ahead of
me | was rather glad than otherwise,
for l felt that he would not gn far [
kept watch Of him, however. And
when | saw that he skulked around
under the hill, as if he were going
home, and then finally got back i:to
the trail, / knew there was trouble
ahead.
But the "Rubicon" was now behind
MY lmpetuous horse was plunging in
the snow, and | was soon tearing
through the storm up the hill. Once
fairly on my way, l locked back be-
low. Dave English and Boone Helm
were bidding good oy to two mounted
cowboys at the ferry house. Ten min
utes later, as l looked back through
the binding snow, saw that these two
desperate fellows were following me.
True, there was nothing criminal in
that; the two highwaymen had right
to ride behind ne if they wished And
Canada Joe had just as good right to
ride ahead of me. But to be on a
horse deep in the binding snow and
loaded down witt, gold was bad
| enough. To have desperate blocking
the narrow trail before you with his
two friends behind you was fearful!
I had two six shooters close at hand
under the bearskin flap of my saddle
bag where the gold was. l kept my
left hand in my pocket, where lay a
| small six shooter warm and ready.
Once, as the drifting and binding
snow broke away up the mountain, 1
saw Canada Joe, with his head bent
down in the storm, still pushing Oh
ahead of me at safe distance. A few
moments after, as crossed and climb
ed the farther bank ofan ugly canon,
| the two robbers came close enough to
hail me- One of them held up bot
| tie. They evidently intended to over
take me if they could and profess to be
friendly. This I must not allow. 1
urged my ambitious horse to his best.
But, to my dismay. as 1 FASTENED up a
narrow pass found that was not far
behind c: n ada Joe. Tits 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 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 much cas-
Ter task to turn and kill the two rear
men, and get back to town. But, no!
no! All this was abandoned almost as
soon as thought of. Iu those days even
the most desperate had certain rights
which their surviving friends won Id
enforce.
l was now but few hundred yards
behind Canada Joe So far Is 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 miles of the high plateau,
81 that the wind was tearing past i'll a
| gale, and the drifting snow almost
blinded me.
Suddenly, l had new thought
Why not take to the left, gain the ria
| teau by a new route, and let these
bloodthirsty robbers close their net
| without having me inside? rose in
| my saddle with excitement at the idea,
and striking spurs to my brave horse,
I was soon climbing up the gradual
slope at gallop. All! but was glad!
Gallop! gallop! gallop! | seemed to
hear many horses! Turning my head
! suddenly over my shoulder, | saw my
two pursuers not hundred yards De
hind me. They shouted! [ was now
on the high plateau, and the snow was
not SO deep. Gallop! gallop! gallor!
Canada Joe-thank Heaven!-was
away to the right, and fast falling be
hind Gallop! gailop! gallop! | was
gaining on the robbers, and they knew
it. Fainter and fainter came their
curses aud their shouts.