Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26

II
President Grant himself could not have evoked
| a more spontaneous ovation. Sheridan was the
| idol OF those irrepressible frontiersmen and
| mountaineers, many of whom had followed his
| fortunes from 81 to '65 and had fought under
| his banner in all his campaigns until peace
came with Appomatox.
| There was a blare Of bugles q cavalcade
\ Of mounted policemen, brass band and then
| the carriage, containing the little military
| chieftain, turned the corner and came down the
| stree. toward the spot where / was standing.
Then fierce. wild outburst from 10, 900 throats
! tore the atmosphere into tatters. Once more
and once again the ear-splitting yell drowned
| the braZen notes of the band and then died
! away. The crowd was too anxious to see Sheri-
| dan to waste any more time in splitting its
lungs into fibers.
The carriage was within twenty-five feet Of
me when was startled by hearing o strangely
familiar voice on my right cry out:
''Phil, oh. Phill"
turned and recognized "Old Blink" A little
more haggard ard bent. little longer and
| grayer locked, with his great cleaning eyes
shining like twin stars, the mascot of Del Norte
stood leaning forward in the crowd, among
which he lowered like an aged giant, waving
his long gaunt arms wildly at the passing car
rlaSe. There was hungry appeal In the voice
that bordered upon supplication and caused
hundreds of eyes to turn from the carriage and
its distinguished occupant to the strange look
ing speaker.
phil oh, Philr'
Gen. Sheridan heard the cry this time, and
looking quickly around began to scan the
massed faces as if searching for some one.
Phil. Phil it's me, it's Blnk" and again the
arms OF the old tramp went up into the air like the
sails Of a wind mill. He had caught Sheridan's
eye.
And then the Denver populace witnessed
something 1t did not understand, and about
which 1t talked for weeks. 1t saw Gen. Sheri-
dan stop the carriage reap quickly to the street,
force his way through the crowd, place his arms
around the neck of our unkempt old tramp and
kiss him fair in the face. Then he led that
miserable looking tramp to the carriage, placed
him besides himself and the parade was re-
sumed. Everybody who witnessed the scene
accepted as an explanation the statement that
1t was one of Sheridan old soldiers. But l.
wEo had listened to and laughed to scorn "Old
Bink S story at the camp fire in the Sierras San
Juan, knew better. L knew that Buckley was
the man who had given Sheridan to history.
George and Phil had met again. What passed
between them must be written by other pens
than mine. know only what know
Several days afterward L again met "Old
Blink" Sheridan and his staff had returned to
Chicago. Link wore new suit of clothes, but
looked as If he was just recovering from pro-
tracted debauch. In answer to my look of sur
prise and inquiry he explained:
mo, wouldn't go back east with him. He
gave me a stake and I've blowed most of it in
already. l amt fit to associate with Phil any
more no how, and l amt going to disgrace
him. He wanted NE to go home with him, but
couldn't live there. I'm off for the mines to-
morrow. Pills all right and old Bink's' all
right, and SO what's the difference?''
He turned his eye in q wistful way toward
purple bank of clouds resting on the far-off
peaks of the Rockies, and noticed that he had
aged rapidly since had known him In the San
Juan region. To further questions he gave
evasiye answers and we parted / never saw
''Old Blink again.
GRAVE IN THE MOUNTAINS
A year and a half ago was again in Colorado,
after an absence of fourteen years. had been
engaged in investigating the stability of large
dam being erected on the headwaters of Cherry
creek. about thirty miles south of Denver, near
the summit OF the divide, and was returning to
Castle Rock station late in the evening accom-
panied by citizen of the latter place. Our
route lay over d high ''hog back or divide
between Cherry and Willow creeks, and our
ponies made slow progress. We had reached
the top of the descent leading down a mile or
more to the little mountain village. The sun
was just setting behind Gray's Peak
to the south and forty miles distant Pixies Peak
stood lonely In its grandeur, thrusting an icy
finger far upward into the regions of eternal
frost. Directly opposite the outer slopes of
the Musquito range lay concealed In mist and
shadow, while u thousand feet below ran the
waters Of Willow creek. To the right of our
trail and directly overhanging the narrow val
giant anvil 500 feet in the air. 1t overlooked
the foot hills Tor miles around and had given
its name to the railroad hamlet nestled at its
base. The grandeur of the scene had made us
both silent for a time. but just we rounded
an escarpment Of the huge rock my guide and
companion broke the spell:
do you see that grave over there just under
the rock?'
YES; what of it?' was in no mood for
talking.
Queer duck planted over there. Buried by
the town as a pauper. Tramped into Castle
Rock one day last summer and Just took down
and died. Queer old duck. Whisky and NOR
phine did him up"
Lots of fellows go that way. Nothing queer
about that" replied.
Yes, but he was no fool, and sometimes
he d talk like a scholar. And then he'd keep
lnsistln that he had rich chummies. Guess he
was weak In his upper story. Morphine had
clean ct his brains up / set up with him one
night jist before he passed in his chips, and he
all at onct set up In bed and hollers out: Phil,
oh. Phil SO pitiful like that felt sorry for the
old tramp. 'Spect it was some brother or pard
OF something. He died next day and we found
fotygraph Of a military-lookin' cuss in his
tell who it was"
Did the tramp give his name2" excited.y
inquired.
He said it was Old Blink and that's all.
Did you know him?'
YES" 1 replied, as dismounted from my
pony and stood beside the unmarked grave
The man whose body lies here made Gen.
Sheridan"
Tom II. CANNON.