Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
ARAce WITH IDAHO ROBBERS.
Joaquin Miller Relates an Experiences OF
His Youth.

their friends or families; merchants,
anticipating the tremendous rush must
get letters through the snow to Walla
Walla. Would go? Could | 20?
The snow was deep. The trails over
open and monotonous mountains were
drifted full. Could any living man
face the drifting snow and iind his way
TO Walla Walla? At first the mer-
chants had tried To hire Indians to
undertake the trip and deliver their
letters. Not one could be found to 20.
When the storm abated a little, the
men who kept the ferry across the
Shoshonee River scraped off the snow,
and cutting down the upheaved blocks
of ice made it possible to cross with
horse.
At first | meant 10 carry only letters.
But having finally consented to take
little gold for only one merchant,
soon found | should lose friends il
did not take gold for others. The re-
suit was that | had 10 take gold worth
nearly ten thousand dollars.
A few muilled-up friends, came down
TO the river bank to see me of. 1t was
great event. For two weeks we had
not had a line from the outer world.
And meantime the civil war was raging
in all its terrible fury. As | set out
that bleak and icy morning, after
had mounted my plugging pony | saw
in the crowd several faces that / did
not like. There was Dave English,
who was hung on shat spot with several
Of his followers, not forty days later;
there was Boone Helm, hung in Mon-
tana; Cherokee Bob. killed in Millers-
burgn; 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 felt that he would
not 90 far. i kept watch of him. how
ever And when / saw that he skulked
around under the hill, as if he were
going home and then finally got back
into the trail, knew there was trouble
ahead.
But the "Rubicon' was now behind.
NV impetuous horse was plunging in
the snow and was soon tearing
through the storm up the hill. Once
fairly on my way ! looked back below.
Dave English and Boon Helm were bid
ding good-by TO two mounted cow
boys at the ferry-house. Ten minutes
later, rs | looked back through the
binding snow. | saw tht 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 rs good a
right to ride ahead of me. But TO be
on horse deep in the binding snow
and loaded down with gold was bad
enough. To have desperate blocking
the narrow trail before you with his
two friends behind you was fearful! 1
! | had two sIX-shooters close at hand
under the bearskin flap of my saddle
bag where the gold was. ! kept my
/ leIt hand in my pocket where lay a
small six shooter warm and ready.
Once as the drifting aud binding snow
broke away up the mountain. l saw
Canada Joe with his head bent down
in the storm still pushing on ahead of
me at safe distance. A few moments
after. as | crossed and climbed the far
! Their bank Of an ugly canon, the two
robbers came close enough to hail me.
One of them held up a bottle. They
evidently intended to overtake me ii
they could. and profess TO be friendly.
]
ambitious horse to his best. But, TO
my dismay, as | fastened up a narrow
pass found that | was not far behind
Canada Joe. This low-browed black
fellow was repOr ted to be the worst
man in all that country. And that was
saving he was bad indeed.
l 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 easier
task to turn and kill the two rear men
aud get back to town. But, no! MOI
All this was abandoned almost as
soon as thought of. In those days
even the most desperate had certain
rights which their surviving friends
would enforce.
was now but few hundred yards
behind Canada Joe. So far as | could
find out. the robbers were closing in
on me. But we had ridden over the
toughest part of the road and were
within Il few miles 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 to the left. gain the
plateau by a new route. and let these
bloodthirsty robbers close their net
without having me inside? / rose in
my saddle with excitement ut the idea,
and striking spurs TO my brave horse.
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 be-
hind me. They shouted! 1 was now
on the high plateau aud the snow was
not so deep. Galiop! gal'op! gallop!
Canada Joe-thank Heaven!-was
away to the right, aud fast falling be-
hind. Gallop! gallop! gallop! i was
gaining on the robbers and they knew
it, Fainter and fainter came their
curses and their shouts.
And then: Whiz! Crack! Thud!
l looked back aud saw that they both
had thrown themselves from their
saddles and were taking deliberate aim.
But To no purnosa NOT ona shot