The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-05-06

going TO start II HOur-mlll TO TAKE III
the wheat around Fort Ross. Ford
was pleasant and said he'd like to 90
in with me. said Dick Temple was
putting up with me and he could have
a share. He poured out more OF his
raw alcohol from bottle and said he
would share with us.
80, when the two millstones came to
Timber Cove, and we pulled them up
over the shoot, he stood in and
brought two mules down that he had
to help the horses drag the millstones
up the mountain.
"Dick Templeton end him and me
started to drag up one of the stones
at 10 o'clock in the morning, and
big October rain came on by 3 in the
afternoon. The trails weren't any
better than they are now and things
were pretty slippery going up the side.
hill with the big stone. said ]
guessed we hid better stop all nightin
q shake cabin that lay over in Wall
halla gulch that some old man had
abandoned because he couldn't hold
his claim. Jim Ford and Temple
said that was all right, but that I'd
better go two miles to my place and
get some hog meat and coffee, so we
wouldn't go hungry.
81 set off in the rain and left Ford
and Temple with the mules and the
two horses dragging up the milestone
over the trail.
"When ! tried to cross the Walhal-
la found the rain had risen it in two
hours 50 that | had to wade through
waist deep. climbed up to my
cabin through the woods as quick rs /
could and got o lantern so / could 90
back in the dark 1t was wet
down the mountain, and as |
was trying to grope through the dead
logs and dripping brush | had two or
three falls, but at last got
to the. roaring creek an Il
saw I'd have to swim, and,
with bad chances to cross, | decided
I'd better wait till daylight, because
whatever you can say it ant safe to
cross mountain creek in the dark.
! crawled back to my cabin and wait
ed till tho morning was gray. The
rain was still pouring down but the
light was all wanted. got down to
the creek and swan across after being
rolled for forty rods. | climbed up
the side hill over the dead trees and
through the brush till | reached the
shake cabin, where I'd left the two
with the milestone. On the way | met
one OF Ford's mules wandering about
in the redwoods, wet us u soaked log.
| caught her and in n moment or two
found the mate a little ways on. Then
| saw my two horses standing outside
the shake cabin just perishing from
the cold rain. Their tackle had got
caught in n stump and they couldn't
get away.
81 was hot and pushed open the rot
ten door OF the cabin. The fire in the
little chimney was most out and there
on the ground lay jim Ford asleep. |
woke him up and he said, just as cool
as il he was frozen;
" Dick Temples dead
" What do you mean?' says I.
Just what said-he's dead
" 'Whereabouts2'
oh, somewhere, down thegulch.'
who done it?"
"'rhat there milestone broke loose
and Tell on him.
" You mean it?'
"You bet your life and it got
busted, too
"At that went down the mountain
looking for Dick Temple and found
him alongside the milestone on u ledge
of roots that stood out at the bottom
of the hillside. He was smashed to
pieces and the milestone was broken
in halves.
"Jim Ford came down after me and
watched me while | dragged Temple
up hill. He laughed a good deal and
said all the time:
80 guess he won't come fooling
round my woman any more'
At last got hot and said he'd bet
ter carry Temple up the side hill him
self But he said back that he didn't
see the use in fooling over u corpse
and that I'd have laughed myself il |
could have seen Dick Temple and the
big milestone 90 over the precipice to.
gether
"Tm going to take up half of that
stone to my cabin, he remarked,
when wereached the top with Temples
body,
"'For what? asked.
" For hearthstone,' he answered;
it will make my woman up there feel
good and she'll think OF Temple every
time she sees it, Temple used to fool
round my place all the time, you know.
Sometimes I'd get tired and tell him
he'd better not stop to supper so often,
but my woman, she'd then turn round
and laugh at me, just like the devil
laughs when he's got a new soul down
in hell
"'See here, says I, 'ain't you going
to help me bury Temple2'
ono he says, just leave him in
that cabin to rot, Pm hungry and
I'm going over the mountain with the
rest of that milestone
"Well, l was pretty sick Of the way
he acted, and getting the two horses |
Just left him alone with his mules and
took my animals, with Dick Temples
remains, clear down to Hauser' s
bridge, where l could cross the river.
1--WE buried Temple in the grave
yard on the coast and that's all we
thought OF it for three or four years
till one day a chair peddler happened
by. He's one of those that 60 round
the country in the fall selling rawhide-
bottomed chairs. They make them