The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-11-05
OLD BANJO.
"A Faithful Stage Horse That
Couldn't Stand the Whip.

This is a story of Il horse and man.
That it possesses in large measure the
'demerit of truthfulness is not the fault
of Tire writer.
''Yuh couldn't hev him at no price,
pard," said Gilmer & Salisbury's su-
perintcndent, "only the comp'ny's
goin' TO pull off this route. 1t sure
seems like sellin' my own father to
sell Ole Banjo but yuh kin hev him
fer two hundred even plunks. More'n
tibet, the game don't pcrceed less'n yuh
hire Banjo's Bob fer his hostler."
On the way back from Helena, as we
sas in the cupola of caboose, looking
out over our trainload of horses, BAN
JOS Bob told me of his namesake.
''ne amt much fer purity, Banjo
amt, but he's gosh awful fer good.
Fer twenty year now I've he'd him in
any string, an he amt a day older in
his feelin's than he was in 63 down in
Kansas. He's thet proud-sperrited !
reckon he'd die right thar eff he felt the
whip. Twict Ole Banjo an me he'd
race weth Injuns. Onct down on 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
break fer it weth Old Banjo / Jest
give him the word, an be went
through them Comanches like a
hunters teeth through 4 butler hump.
II got this finger shot off, an Ole Banjo
got outlet through the tip of his ear
tibet makes him look ez though he was
ssailerforled. The Injuns chased us
&wenty mile, but they couldn't ketch
Ole Banjo. His head an tail was up,
an he jest nachully set the yearth on
FIRE sure set heap o store by thet
hnss. Another time | was hostler at
s11 eatin' station on the Cheyanne
route 10 the Black Hills, an the Sioux
got over there on a scalpin' tower.
Ole Banjo was nigh led-hoss in a six
team of the unbustedest broncos
Jthet ever was strung out ahead of
stage. Well, sir, one day we heard the
clnrhety-cluck of the stage wheels
about an hour before time, an we
4nowed from the way the clucks was
,a~Comin' so frequent thet somethin'
was the matter. In another minute
here she coH.e around little butte,
ole Banjo jest a-pawin' the air on a
asTel trot an all the broncos on dead
run. They want no driver on the box,
rbut Ole Banjo jest started a-circlin'
round the station an milled 'em rell
they come to stop right in front OF
the door. Thet's on the dead thievin'
square. hain't tryin' to run no wheez-
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
Injuns fer sich amoosement We Jest
20 git him out when round the
butte come hull war party of Sioux,
a yellin' an maxim medicine most on
musical. We hustled the team inter
the station dinin'-room, an begun turn
in loose on the Injuns. They was me
an the comp'ny blacksmith an the
entin'-house man an his wife an babby
an Vic Smith, an ole buffler-hunter.
'AVe made it plenty unpleasant fer the
'tnjuns, an Vic he got his man every
1iAI Du1 "Hct az InSH ne got Jhe IN
-Sun's cayuse. But the house want
much perfection, an ez the Iujuns KEEP
lpervadin' 'roun we sorter agreed thet
one on us must go fer help. Ole Banjo
he'd jest come in FUN an eighteen mile
route, an the last six miles a ieepin'
ahead OF gango of Injuns, but knowed
he was good fer forty mile more, an
begun gittin' him ready. His backbone
an ribs didn't stick ont so free in them
days, an | Jest thought | would go it
bar back an weth on'y haclsamore
sEopu' his nose. Yuh see, the hackamore
was only a hair rope weth no buckles
90 Jungle. Well IL come along dark
pnrty soon, an tore up pair o. pants