Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-06-11
A TIN CUP VERDICT.

peaks when Old Jones and his nephew
halted their teams for the night. Old
Jones and his relative were freighters,
and the crack of their long, shot filed
mule whips and the creak of their heavy
wagons had been heard in half of the
camps of Colorado.
The four wagons tonight were swung
into the segment of a circle, and the
mules were hobbled and cast loose from
the straps in which, through the day,
they pulled. At this relief these CRATE
full slaves stood about and attested their
Joy in the loud cries peculiar to their
kind, but which are so unfortunate IN
their lack of harmony. To stop this
racket the nephew went about giving
them their vesper feed. This he placed
in morrels, or nose bags, which he hung
to their hungry heads. Old Jones built
a fire and began the compilation of an
intricate but savory dish known to those
happy ones who have the recipe as
"freighter's stew"
Supper over, the two freighters sat
about in the lurking shadows made by
the fires blink and glimmer, smoking
their pipes. All at once there was a
commotion in the band of mules. Those
patient folk who had scrambled and
pulled all day over a rough mountain
trail with wagons loaded on the princi-
pie of ! 200 pounds to a mule, and who
now, in the proprieties of mule life,
should be at peace and rest with the
world, were charging about and snort
ing in very alarming way.
L"Injuns" said Old Jones, showing
back into the gloom. "Injuns, for
thousand dollars! There ant no animal
on earth, bar Injuns, ever makes mules
take on that away"
The nephew thought SO too. Old
Jones and the nephew did not fear an
attack. There were no Indians about
that were not described as friendly.
But what they did fear was that the
mules might be stampeded. Stamped
ing stock is a great aboriginal industry.
The Indian will stampede your cattle or
mules and then claim one dollar head
for finding them for you. Thus do these
wise sons of nature fill their Golfers and
exact a revenue from those who cross
their lands.
Jones nephew took Winchester from
the wagon and began to work his eau
tious, silent way toward the mules
Those last were still snorting and shy
ing as if prey to wild alarm. The
nephew disappeared in the darkness.
Old Jones placed his hand over his pipe
bowl so its fiery eye could not be seen
and peered after him into the gloom.
"Bang! Bang! BangF 1t was the
Winchester speaking it told the Indian
policy of the border-and very sufi-
cient good policy it is too. Old Jones,
at the sound, heaYed a sigh, but never
moved. After little the nephew came
in to tbe fire. He seemed alert, hopeful
and rlnrelenting as to the Winchester
Indian policy.
"Did you stretch oneT' said Old Jones
81 think most likely did," said the
nephew in a sanguine way. 1--WE can
/ tell in the mornin', shore"
The mules were now quiet. Firearms
had no terrors for them They could
stand the odOr of gunpowder, but of In
dians-bahl No mule of taste could
stand it for a second. After another
half hour Old Jones and his nephew
kicked out the embers of their fire and
went to sleep
Old Jones and his nephew had visitors
in the morning. The whole Ute tribe
and their agent came down to the freight
ers' camp. The members of the Jones
/ family at once seized their Winchesters
and alacriously prepared for war. The
Utes ran about, jumping and yelling and
demanding vengeance. Old Jones and
his nephew stood silent and grim behind
their wagon and showed their iron teeth.
The agent insisted on peace. "Would
the Jones who had killed the Ute the
night before give himself up? He would
be guaranteed from harm, but the Utes
insisted on his arrest. They-the In
dians-wouEd attack the wagons if the
criminals did not surrender" So spoke
the agent-a nervous little Incompetent,
as many an Indian agent is.
"Give up nothin'," said Old Jones de-
risively. "You tell them Utes if they
want anything round here to waltz IN
and get it."
The Utes howled and danced still
harder and higher at this, and the agent
talked more earnestly than ever. de
threatened the JoneSes with the powe
of the government. This was too much.
They would fight the whole Ute tribe,
but they were afraid of Uncle Sam
After brief parley the nephew stepped
out and gave himself up to the agent.
He would have displayed more sense II
he had remained behind his wagon and
died in the smoke of his Winchester.
The agent, the nephew and the Utes
did not go mil toward the agency be
fore the Indian took the nephew, and
tying him to a. pine tree spent several
bhssful hours ira torturing him tosdeath
The agent was powerless to interfere.
Jones, the e. der, found the truth the
evening of thes same day. He turned {
little pale UNI Ter the thirty years of tar
which BROW 1ed his face, but said moth
ing. AS We II as he could he hitched III
hts teams a nd went ahead. His cours'
was slow. Where the going was cas-!
the nephe' 4's teau-eight mules-coul'
follow the. others ard got along all right
Where it was rough Old Jones haltet
them, and. after driving his own team
over, caR,E back for them.
Two mo nths later tie old man unload
ed his fri ght at camp in the Gunnlsol
eountrF. He told the story OF n