Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-11-03
OLD BANJO.
a Faithful Stage Horse That
Couldn't Stand tho Whip.

This Is a story of a horse and a man.
That it possesses in large measure the
demerit OF truthfulncss is not the fault
Of TIE writer.
'Inh couldn't hev him at no price,
pard," said Gilmer s; Salisbusy's SUI
perintendent, only the comp'ny's
goin' to pull OF this route. It sure
seems like selliu' my own father to
sell Ole Banjo, but yuh kin hev him
fer two hundred even plunlss Mor.'n
tibet, the game don't perceed less'n yuh
hire Banjo's Bob fer his hos,ler.'
On the way back from Helena. as we
sat IN the cupola of caboose, looking
out over our trainload of horses, Ban
JOS Bob told me of his namesalse.
He amt much fer purity, Banjo
amt, but he's gosh awful fer good.
Fer twenty year now I've he'd him in
my string, an he amt a day older in
his feclin's than he was in IS down in
Kansas. He's tibet proud-sperrited
reckon he'd die right thar eff he felt the
whip, Twict Ole Banjo an me he'd a
race weth lnjuns. Onct down Oh the
Niobrary they he'd my station held up
fer twelve hours, an me a-peckin'
away weth my Sharp 50-15o an
minglin' lead weth their carcasses
mighty free, an then he'd to make q
break fer it weth Old Banjo l Jest
give him the word, an he went
through them Comauches like a
hunters teeth through buffer hump
got this finger shot off. an Ole Banjo
got bullet through the tip of his ear
tibet makes him look ez though he was
swaller-forked The Injuns chased us
twenty mile, but they couldn't ketch
Ole Banjo. His head an tail was up,
an he jest nachully set the yearth on
ire. sure set heap O. store by tibet
boss. Another time I was hostler at
au eatin' station on the Cheyanue
route to the Black Hills, an the Sioux
got over there on scalpin' tower
Ole Banjo was nigh led-hoss in a six
team of the unbustedest broncos
thet ever was strung out ahead of a
stage. Well, sir one day we heard the
cluclsety-cluck of the stage wheels
about an hour before time, an we
knowed from the way the clucks was
a-comin' SO frequent tibet somethin'
was the matter. In another minute
here she come around little butte,
Ole Banjo jest a-pawin' the air on a
level trot, an all the broncos on dead
run, They want no driver on the box,
but Ole Banjo jest started a-circlin'
round the station an milled 'em tell
they come to a stop right in front of
the door. Thet's on the dead thievin'
square. hain't tryin' to run no Wheel
er on yuh, fer learned him thet trick
way back in the sixties. When the
coach stopped we seen the driver in
the front boot all dobbled weth blood.
He'd ben shot in the head from one O.
them rifles the guvment donates to the
lnjuns fer SIGH amusement. We lest
started 20 git him ont when round the
butte come hull war party of Sioux,
ayellin' an maxim medicine most on
musical. We hustled the team inter
the station dinin'room, an begun turn
n loose on the Injuns. They was me
an the comply blacksmith an the
eatin'-house man an his wife an babby
an Vic Smith, an ole buffler-hunter,
We made it plenty unpleasant fer the
lnjuns, an Vic he got his man every
time but onct, an then he got the In.
jun's cayuse. But the house wan,
much perfection, an ez the Iujuns KEEP
pervadin' 'roun we sorter agreed tibet
one on us must go fer help. Ole Banjo
he'd jest come in fun an eighteen mile
route, an the last six miles keepin
ahead of a gang of Injuns, but knowed
he was good fer forty mile more, an
begun gittin' him ready. His backbone
an ribs didn't stick out so free in them
days, an jest thought would go it
BAREBACK an weth only a hackamore
roun' his nose. Yuh see, the hackamore
was only hair rope weth no buckles
to jingle. Well, it come along dark
purity soon, an tore up pair o. pants
an wropped 'em aroun' Ole Banjo's feet
so his shoes wouldn't clink agin the
gravel. When it come plum dark got
On Ole Banjo in the dinin'-room an
rode out toward Cheyenne. We hadn't
gone fur when see an Injun not five
foot ahead. He hadn't no iidee thev
was any one on the hoss' b. Tx, an he
jest thought things was ,min' too
easy when good stage-hos walked
into him that-a-way. He at up his
hand to letch Ole Banjo by the fore
top, an me all the time layin' along his
neck weth my gun three inches ahead
OF Vie 1ianjo's nose. want two feet
away when let the lnjun hov it right
petwAen the eyes. Well, they amt
nuea more TO tell ! Jest rode Ole