The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-11-05

an wropped 'em aroun' Ole Ban1o'S feet
80 his shoes wouldn't clinlx agin the
gravel. When it come plum dark got
on Ole Banjo in the dinin'-room an
rode out toward Cheyanne. We hadn't
gone fur when see an Injun not five
foot ahead. He hadn't no idee they
was any one on the hoss' back, an he
jest thought things was a comm too
easy when good stage-hosses walked
into him that-a-way. He put up his
hand to ketch Ole Banjo by the fore
top, an me all the time layin' along his
neck weth my gun three inches ahead
of Ole Banjo's nose. want two feet
away when let the lnjun hev it right
between the eyes. Well, they amt
much more to tell jest rode Ole
Banjo like the devil a-beatin' tan bark
fer the forty mile into Cheyanne. 1
started fun tho station at Jest nine
o'clock, an rode into Cheyanue at
twelve. In half an hour we was on
our way back weth squad of cavalry,
an little arter four we rode up to the
station. All the Injuns had gone
'ceptin' the one ! he'd located perman-
ent an three others which Vic he'd
made good, an which the other Injuns
hadn't kerried off. But want yuh to
notice thet Ole Banjo went thet eighty
mile in seven hours, nm never missed
his regular trip over the route neither.
"Banjo's got heap more sense than
| some folks has got hay. Lots o. times
he has saved coachful o. passengers
| fun goin' into washout when the
| night was so dark the driver couldn't
see the leaders. One night up in Mon
fanny it was jest nachully stormin'
pizen, an Ole Banjo was on the Deer
Lodge trail. OF course he was in the
lead but the driver was a new one an
hadn't been told thet Ole Banjo savvied
his business better than any driver
thet ever pulled q rein over
him. The road want but eight foot
wide in places, weth q mounting
straight up on one side an precipice
| miles down on the other. The driver
| hadn't been over the road but once, an
then in the dark, and he felt mighty
prayerful when flash o. lightnin'
would come an let him look down in
the yearth about seven mile. He sure
| didn't feel none gay at the vistas. But
all at once Ole Banjo stopped an the
| resbo' the team knew enough not to
make no bluff when Banjo asked fer a
show down. The driver done his best
tub git the team tub move, but they all
waited to see Banjo's hand. Finally
| the driver walked up passenger who
was sleepin' in the front boot on the
mail sack an give him the ribbons to
hold while he went ahead to spy out
ha f,.n1 IL E.,
he was almos st touchin' big grizzly
bar when a fash O. lightnin' showed
him his mistake. Well, yuh see,
the driver hadn't lost no bar, an the
man a-holt o the lines swore he never
touched but one high place tell he
jumped on the box, The driver tole
me he all to once weighed three
ounces lighter'n a straw hat, an Jest
flew over the team. They WANT no
chance tub turn the team er the coach,
an the hull outfit he'd tub stay thur an
shiver till it was light enough to see.
Then they shot the bar an found it
had busted an inside surcingle err some
thin a-tumblin' down the mounting.
But all the same, l want yuh to notice
thet ary other hoss in the lead would
a-jack-l1nifed the team, an carried
the hull outfit to kingdom come down
the precipice. He's sure good hoss,
an the man thet ever throws silk inter
him er treats him bad hez got tub make
some medicine weth me, Joe Bush. He
amt never been outclassed in ary team
he was airy into. He's worked in teams
where yuh had to go up one side weth
a broadax an down the other weth
shovel a-llnockin' 'em intuh the collar,
but you bet yuh, Ole Banjo want
never hit a clip His tugs was allus a.
drawin'." "
One bitter cold day in January word
came up the line that Old Banjo was
dead. 1 jumped on the down coach,
and as l dlsmounted at Cave Hills sta
tion it was with feeling of surprise
rather than anger that Banjo's Bob
was not at hand to grasp the bits of
the led team. But this feeling changed
wholly to one of grief as 1 saw on the
sunny side of the station a rude mound
surmounted by headstone of rough
boards. With harness dressing for
paint, and his fingers for brush,
Banjo's Bob had subscribed the follow
ing epitaph:
HERE LIES OLE BANJO
~ hos S1pun hnuc nl,nT