The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-11-21

hard as section of steam boiler.
! didn't want to dull the edge oi
my knife trying to cut it open, and
then I was afraid I might cut
Perkins.
Say, Perkins, l said at last, 4
can't do anything for you tonight
you just lie there until morning,
and maybe the sun will thaw you
out; this norther cant last more
than three days, anyhow
perkins began to yell louder
than ever when / said this, and !
sat down on him to warm my hands
at the fire and study over the mat
ter. An idea struck nae pretty soon,
and l said:
"'I tell you what can do, Perk
old man, / said: I can roll you
up close to the fire and thaw you
out that way, maybe, but it may be
pretty warm for YOU
"'I don't give damn if you burn
half my side off, shouted Perkins,
if you only get me out of this bull
hide
"Well, l had him thawed out in
about an hour, and he sat up the
rest of the night and shivered. /
told the rest of the boys about it,
and they never let up on Perkins.
I reckon his experience with that
green bullhide cost him, first and
last, over $1,000 in drinks"
Chriss has passed much of his
time around the army posts in this
country, and he tells some pretty
racy stories about garrison life.
Here is one that is worth repeating
"In the early part of IA I was up
at Fort Griffin. General Buell. was
commanding the post, and among
the young officers there was Lieu
tenant Ed Turner of the Tenth Cav
airy, a son of Admiral Turner.
Turner was daredevil and a ter
ror to the Indians. He had the
well-deserved reputation of being
one of the bravest officers ever on
the frontier, and he knew it. One
day General Buell. called me into
his quarters and said:
"'Chriss, I'll give you $50 if you
will manage to hold Turner up and
rob him of everything he has. Be
careful how you go about it as he
is quick at drawing his gun and will
shoot you in a second if he gets a
chance. You had better get man
to help you. Bring me the plundel
and l will see that Turner gets il
again.
81 knew Turner was a bad man
to tackle, but as there was $50 in
sight / agreed to undertake the job
and that night friend Of mine and
myself held him up on the parade
ground. We took him unawares and
before he knew it he had two pistols
pointing at his head and not six
inches from it. We went through
his pockets and got 81 rs and a
pocket knife. We took the cart
ridges out of his pistol and gave it
back to him and let him go.
Turner was terribly cut up about
the way in which he had been held
up and the officers guyed him un-
mercifully. General Buell. was par
ticularly hard upon him. In few
davs the General told me he wanted
me to act as detective to recover
the property. He said he wanted
to make it appear as if two negroes
had held up Turner. / got an old
Mexican woman to return the prop
erty and to swear that it had been
left with her by two negroes. This
made Turner hopping mad and he
said that he knew that the men
who held him up were white, al
though they were disguised with
handkerchiefs tied over their faces
He swore that no negroes could
ever hold him up.
"About a month after that l was
out on a scout with Turner, and
upon his promise that he would
never reveal who told him, let him
know all the circumstances con
nected with the highway robbery
He thanked me for the information
and dropped the subject. The first
night we got back to Fort Griffin
Turner disguised himself, and with
out any assistance whatever helc
up General Buell. not far from the
settlers store. He not only took
all the Generals money, but he
made him take off his boots anc
sent him back in his stocking fee
to his quarters. The next day Lieu
tenant Turner sent the Generals
property back to him by his negro
servant, with his compliments, ane
a message that under some circum
stances it was possible to hold VI
even the bravest of men. Afte
that performance, which Turne
was careful should be quietly spreat
around the post, he was not teaset
so much as formerly.
An Effort to Speak.