The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-14
A TIN-CUP VERDICT.

The sun was low toward the western
peaks when Old Jones and his nephew
halted their teams for the night. Old Jones
and his relatives were freighters and the
crack of their long shot-flled 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 circle, and the mules
were hobbled and cast loose from the straps
in which, through the day, they pulled. At
this relief these grateful slaves stood about
and attested their joys in the loud cries
peculiar to their kind, but which are so I'M
fortunate in their lack of harmony. To
stop this racket the nephew went about
giving them their veSDer food. This he
placed in morrels or nose-bags, which he
hung to their hungry heads. Old Jones
built 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 gimmer, smoking their pipes.
All at once there was a connection in the
band of mules. Those patient folks, who
had scrambled and pulled all day over a
rough mountain trail with wagons loaded
on the principle of 1900 pounds to mule,
and who now, in the proprieties OF mule life,
should be at peace and rest with the world,
were charging about and snortlng In very
alarming way.
"Injunsw said Old Jones, showing back
into the gloom. "IujunS, for thousand
dollars? There amt no animal on earth,
bar lnjuns, 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 moi
described as friendly.
But what they feared was that the mules
might be stampeded. Stampedng stock Is
a great aboriginal industry. The Indians
will stampede your cattle or mules, and then
claim dollar q head for finding them for
you. Thus do these wise sous Of nature I'LL
their Golfers and exact revenue from those
who cross their land.
Jones nephew took o Winchester from
the wagon, and began to work his cautious,
silent way toward the mules. These last
were still SnOrting and shying, as II 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 peeped after him in the
gloom.
Bang! Bang! Bangw II was the Win
chester speaking. 1t told the Indian policy
of the border; and a very sufficient, good
policy it is. too. Old Jones. at the sound,
heaYed a sigh. but never moved. After
llllle Jlc nephew came III To Illb uIe. IIc
seemed alert. hopeful ana unrelentlng as to
the Winchester Indian policy.
did you stretch one?' said old Jones.
q! think most likely [ did," said the
nephew in a .sanguine way. I'VE can tell
in the mornin', shore
The mules were now quiet. Firearms
had no terror for them; they could stand
the odor of gunp0wder, but of Indians
bah No mule of taste could stand it a sec
ond. 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 freghters'
camp. The members of the Jones family at
once seized their WincheSters and alacri-
ously prepared for war. The Utes ran
about jumping and yelling demanding ven
geance. Old Jones and his nephew stood
silent aud grim behind their wagons 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
Indians-wOuld attack the wagons if the
criminal did not surrender" So spoke the
agent; a nervous little incompetent, as
many an Indian agent is.
Give up nuthin'," said old Jones. deri-
siyely. you tell them Utes if they want
anything round yere 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. He threatened the
JOneseS with the power OF the Government.
This was too much. They would fight the
Ute tribe, but they We're afraid of Uncle
Sam. After brief parley the nephew
stepped out and gave himself up to the
agent. He would have displayed more sense
if he had remained behind his wagon and
died in the smoke of his Winchester.
The agent, the nephew and the Utes did
not 20 a mile toward the agency before the
Indians took the nephew and tying him to
pine tree, spent several blissful hours in
tnrturing MIN to death The agent was
powerless 10 interfere.
JONES' the elder, found the truth the even
ing of the same day. He turned little
pale under the thirty years OF tan which
Drowned his face but said nothing. As well
as he could he hitched up his teams and
went ahead. His course was slow. Where
the going was easy the nephew's team
eight mules-could follow the others and get
along all right. Where it was rough Old
Jones halted them aud after driving his own
team over came back for them.
Two months later the old man unloaded
his freight at a camp in the Gunnison coun-
try. He told the story of his nephew's
death and charged it to the agent. The
populace agreed with him to man. Old
Jones insisted the agent should likewise
suffer death. Public sentiment rushed to
Cup district who heard of the matter at
once advised Jones to go back and kill the
miserable agent, or, II that scheme did not
suit, to hire some one who would. Never
was public sentiment so uniform in matter
before. 1t was beautiful.
Hire some one t. go back. Kill the
agentr' This struck Old Jones, who had
strong commercial instincts as good thing.
He inquired for some one who would under
take The enterprise He did not think it
IL 4 a
he said. Just ride calmly up to the agency
and beef him, and then ride away. That
oughtn't to cost no fortune" and he was
willin' to give ''hoss and outfit and $500.
"Pu go you." said a bad-ioOking gentle
man called Curly Bill
Curly Bill was certainly very bad man,
as any one might see by examining his six
shooter. He had filed away the sights as
superfluouS to one so sure and keen, and
had taken out the trigger, trusting to ex-
plode his interesting weapon by the simple
process of letting the hammer fall from his
thumb. These changes in the ground plan
of a Colts A always beSpeaka bad man, the
wide West over, and such was Curly Bill,
the parsonage who wanted to hire out to kill
the agent
Performances were arranged. and the
horse and outfit were turned over, in COM
pany with $500 OF the $500. and Curly Bill
rode away on his long pull for the Ute
agency.
Six weeks and their happenings were
added to history, and so far nothing flOated
ba from Curly Bill. One afternoon he
rode again into the camp in the Gunnison
country. The public crowded back to
learn of his success, Curly Bill got out of
the saddle and stepped into saloon. The
public followed and, at his request, took a
drink with him. At last Old Jones put the
question:
ibid you get him, Curly9"
mo-" said Curly Bill.
why not?"
well" said Curly Bill, with an amiable
drawl, ''Pll tell you what's the matter. You
see that cuss offered me $1,000 to come back
and down YOU"