The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-12

sunday MORNINGS,
,.a of alone over the snow with her
book in her hand.
Well, hadn't been in Salmon river dig
elngs long when struck Cherokee Bob. I
coHected what was due me at the main
store afh then started down the street
snere was just one street, You know, and the
houses were built ON each side Of it-and
snefe ne stood in the door Of his saloon,
you know, as went by.
M VI course ne sung out for me to come in.
men ne wanted to introduce me to his wife,
ne said, and he brought out this blonde
woman.
And while you're here" says he, s'you
own THIS house. You come in and drink
ana smoke the cigars and use the billiard
!apies, and IT won't cost You a cent" Bill
a iaio tables 81 game and all that sort Of
thing, You know.
Well, then, he made an appointment for
me 70 come in and take dinner with them
SAID his wife would get up real nice A No.
dinner. Mind you, an A No. dinner
meant all sorts of canned goods at 81 q
can, bacon at 81 pound, and everything Of
SO went around, you know, and it was
nrst rate dinner, and all served nicely, and
both of them as friendly and nice as ever
you saw in your life. never let on, you
Know. that I'd known her in the Dalles,
though she lived right across the street
from US there. OF course, ! didn't know
her only as Mrs. Cherokee Bob.-No, Bob
was never what YOU could call sentimental
never seemed to care much for women.
de was self-contained, You know; seemed
TO be made of steel-didn't vibrate. But
he seemed fond Of her, and she was very
much in love with him.
II nt,v hnO 1r = A..
l came very near being taken in BY road
agents myself. and lost my horse. left
with Gus Woodland. a packer-you might
put the name down, because everybody
knows Gus Wood'ard-to come down the
mountain: He had big pack-train at the
Camas Prairie. I bid all the fellows good
BY and wo started early. SO as to get to the
foot of the mountain that day.
dldn'hdO it, though. only got down
TO Bennett's, at what was called State
Greek. This man Bennett was friend Of
Well, the Slate Greek House was log
cabin; it was regular log cabin. built OF
heavy logs and with heavy log roof. The
openings for doors and windows were pref
~ small and had tight shutters; the shut.
ters were made on purpose. You know, to
barricade inside against the Indians. There
were no bed-rooms-the whole crowd lay
right down in front Of the fire; every man
furnished his own blanket. There was a
big open IRE place where they burned
whole logs. One end was portioned off for
BENEFITS own room, and the other for q
granary.
When we went in We saw several men
up to drink with us. didn't know 'em-in
fact, Gus didn't know only few Of 'em.
After two or three drinks We sat down and
went to smokinR our pipes. Pretty soon
Bennett got up and went outside. Az he
passed he pinched my arm-gave me the
lowed him. He says: GOOD God, man! do
you know that the house is full Of road
agents2"
Now, mind you, this Bennett was an old
friend of mine. I'd done him several fla
vors, you know-fitted him out, as people
do up there.
Now" says he, ''Im going to have You
and Gus sleep with your traps in the gran
ary. These fellows know that you've got
dust with you, and they mean to take Won
in. But I've got it planned out how to fix
you. I'll come and rOut you out when
they're asleep, and you get ont Of the win
good feed and take them right across the
creek and have them saddled ready for
you"
He was to put mo ON the trail-put US
both on the trail.
Well, Of course, we couldn't sleep much.
We listened Tor the road agents to get quiet
over and made up our minds what to do,
and got ready for rush. Gus thought il we
ride hard We could make his camp at the
foot Of the mountains by two or three
O'Clock. or perhaps by daylight.
ekfter while the signal came ON the
dust and stuff-and crawled through the
window. It was hardly big enough to
squeeze through, but We didn't make much
noise. There was a 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 of as quickly as we cot,ld. The
other horses were in the corral, and the
road agents were lying down asleep on the
floor.
Apparently it wasn't great while before
they discovered We were gone. At any rate
they routed out and started on our trail.
They never overlook us, though.
Gus was we'll acquainted with the trail
and wasn't, 40 he led the way, and fol-
lowed close after him. The trail wound
along high bluff. you knowson the edge of
the Salmon river, and was covered with
light snow two or three inches thick. We
got on all right for several miles, and then,
trail had been cut by another gang of road
agents, who were laying for the express
Gus saw it as he came to it,
and his horse, you know, sprang over it.
But in jumping he loosened the ground on
tho edge, and it went down and made the
break worse than it was before.
He sung out to me but was too close be-
hind. and the first thing knew, my horse
went over. threw my feet out Of the stir
rups and tried to jump with my knees, but
there wasn't time, and we both went down.
The horse screamed just like human be-
no idea. You never heard it,
did your Well. you don't want to; it's an
awful thing to hear, the horse screamed
just like a-person. And that was the last
| knew until found myself lying on the
bank of the Salmon river. and Gus rubbing
me with snow to bring me to.
was pretty we'll used MP. ] had on leg
gins, you know, and it cut right down
through those legginS, You know, and tore
my shin from the knee to the ipstep, and in
some places to the bone. My jaw was
broken, too, and piece, front teeth and
gums, held only BY one little piece of flesh,
and the sharp, broken edge cutting like q
knife at every move.
Gus had taken his horse off the trail, SO
he led him back, and helped me up, and
put me on his horse-mine was killed.
We couldn't take off any Of the traps.
only tho gold dust, you know. We held
council of war and decided to leave every-
thing else. and take the dust from both
horses. Gus led the horse, with me on, and
that and the gold dust was about all that
kha vur1la roulO stn pOar unflar.