Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-03-21
THE SAD FATE or A '4o.gR.
Might Have Been Hich IL He Hadn't Con.
verted His Mule into q Chiliopc.


A party Of sprospectors had located
their dry camp on the headwatcrs of
The Meadow last summer and were
having rather Indifferent luck. 1t is n
broken up country. aud its redeeming
feature is the abundance OF game OF
all kinds. While it may be termed n
hunters paradise; 1t Is certainly
miners sheol. Flour and bacon aud
beans had run low. and the boys had
begun 10 ''cuss" the country.
They were sitting around the fire one
night smoking when visitor. n
stranger. with about as little ceremony
as Poe's Raven. made his way into tho
circle and perched. not on bust of
Pallas, but on busted aparahoc. For
about two minutes the remarks were
about as extended aud interesting rs
were those Of the famous Forty-niner.
Finally he was induced TO chew. and
Lhen lie gave an account of himself.
He was rs near Il nobo as prospectOr
can ever become; that Is. he was max
ing no attempt 10 better his condition.
making his way afoot from one pros
pectors or trapper's camp to another.
ln the course OF the evening one of
the boys happened 10 speak of the old
mans condition. The old fellow
Strengthened up. adjusted one moe
casincd foot under him "Iniun" fashion.
End remarked 1T may seem Il little
tough to you fellers 10 see me knockiu'
round this way when ought ter he u
respectable member of sassiety, holdin'
my own with Mackey. Flood Hearst.
| s..I Nnl. Ralsl l.xsts, II 10. fsna
with them fellers. I'm '49er, am.
and might right now be millynair
If 1t wasn't for piece of hard luck |
struck way back in the sos.
IL struck out one spring mornin' in
California with n mule packed with
plenty Of grub and good prospectin'
outfit. | had two dogs, cross between
bull and shepherd. along for company.
packed with me n tin horn that I
called 'em up with when they got too
Tar away.
Il was maxim for the Mokeleunne
| Hill district. which hadn't been pros
pecied hardly any yet. ! made durned
good time, considerin' all things. till
on the second week that gosh blamed
mule got sick. The son of gun be-
gun to swell. He got down and rolled.
Well. he kept swellin. and rollin' and
groanin', and / thought every minute
| ae'd bust"
The sweat stood out on the old mans
brow as he related this. He paused
while, reflected. and continued.
"The way figgered it out was that
he had collie. / couldn't think OF any
thing to give him but the soda / used
10 cook with. I'd heard il was good fer
stomach. so / fixed up drench of
soda and water, stuck the dinner horn
inter his throat and commenced pour
ing the stuff inter him. 1t skeart him.
He sneeZed and ysnorted all at wunst.
and spit out the drench. And when
he snorted he blowcd that ere horn.
He seemed surprised to find that he
wuz q musician. His ears riz, au' he
pranced round an footed that derncd
horn. The dogs heard the tootin'.
and. true to their trainin', they come
along head au' tail up. That durned
mule KEEP a tootin' that ere horn. all
the time tootin' the wind off'n his
stomach. and al at once, by gum. he
struck out tootin' that horn like hell,
an the dogs follerin'.
"I wuz left thar 500 miles from no.
whar, with no grub, mule, dogs. nor
nothin'. wandered back to the near
est camp and sence then I've been
wauderer, with no aim In life but 10
find my mule an dogs. For forty
years I've been chasin' the cusscd var
mints. I've seen lots OF mules. but
noue uv'm he'd er tin dinner horn in
his mouth, nor two brindle dogs fol-
iowin' him Havo any OF yoi, feilers
seen stray mule around here Fs esa.lalS
The old mans story created pro-
found impression. The boys unani-
mously elected him Grand Patriarch
and assistant cook for as long rs he
cared to lay off from his wild and
thrilling chase. Spokane Falls SpOEes-
man.