The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-24
HOW WE HUNG
RED SHED.


red beard and brick-dust hair plainly have
to answer for the first part of his name.
He was a big, stupid and heavy man, with
o low, soft voice and kindly manner, with
very little to say. He did not use jack.
knife to whittle dry goods boxes aud hitch
ing posts like most men when loafag
about the door Of the s.1oon. but stood
with his big heavy legs wide apart, his
broad shoulders stopped and his hands
thrust deep liz his pockets, as If on the
deck of ship.
Sid Berry, his partner. had pack train
and big. burly wife with jaw like wolf
trap. She could ride a mule and she
could drive mule as well as Mexican
could. and that meant that she could
swear terribly. No one knew where Berry
and the woman came from. In fact, no
body knew or cared to know where any
body came from. We had all tumbled in
there together when the gold was found-a
long line of US on our way from California,
through the wilderness to idaho. We had
found gold bg chance one day about noon,
and before night we had q "city" staked
of, and every man, the big woman in
eIuded had lot and mining claim.
We did not know where we were; we only
knew that we were several hundred miles
from the nearest white habitation; that
we were lawless mob, and 90 must have
law and order; recorder to record our
claims and town lots. a judge to pass
judgement and sheriff to enforce it.
And SO one night. by the light of great
pine-knot fire in the centre of the "city
square," the men and that woman met
a IL T. -
respected wholesale merchant in San
Francisco, recorder. Tom Hound, the
butcher, was elected sheriff, and the writer
of this judge.
Shed had big, woolly, black dog de-
voted to him, and that woman was de-
voted to him, too. We boys all saw this very
soon. Where there is only about one
woman and half to several hundred men
the Soys are apt to see what is up.
The pack train was off soon for The
Dalles, 200 miles distant, Berry, his big
wife, Shed, the big woolly dog and all to-
gether. In month the caravan came
back all right, and we had the city already
built. And we had graveyard started up
on the hill, too, for we had taken some
whisky with us from California.
After time the pack train started for
The Dalles again, Berry, his big wife, Red
Shed, the woolly dog and all.
One morning four miners met the pack
tram about half way from The Dalles, as
they were coming back to Canyon City
with horses loaded with supplies. The big
woman rode the bell mule at the head of
the pack train aud swore Justify at the
men and their laden horses for not getting
out of her way faster. Behind the pack
train came Red Shed shutting along, lead
ing his horse and with head held down.
The dog was not to be seen and Berry was
not in sight either.
But as they crossed spur of the mount
ain and came to a creek they saw off to the
right, or rather the first bend, old woolly
howing dismally by the edge of a thicket.
The dog did not seem to see them or no.
tice them, but would start on after the
pack train, then stop and howl as if to tell
the big woman and Red Shed that they
had forgotten something.
So when the dog. alter bowling n minute
or so, turned about and ran back into the
thicket, one of the men handed his bride
TO the miner nearest him in the trail, and,
gun in hand. went to see what was up.
There lay Berry in the edge of the bush
dead-shot through the head, his hair all
blood and his torn clothes all dust from
having been dragged there.
The men wrote everything down in a
little notebook with a pencil, SO that there
could be no mistake about the facts, and
then, having nothing to dig grave with,
they found q hollow place not far off on
the hillside and laid the body there, cover
ing il with heap of stones.
They said nothing when they got back
till the pack train came in, Shed, the big
woman, the big wooiiy dog, too.
The next day after the pack train got
back Tom Hound. the sheriff. called at the
big woman's camp. She was washing a
pair of blankets and the water was bloody
She told Hound that Shed had killed an
antelope and tied it while yet warm on top
of his pack.
Where was Berry, Oh. Berry, and she
had divided mp nj The Dalles; he had gone
his way and she had come her way, "and
that IS all there is Of thatvi
Her fingers snapped in the air, she
tossed her big head as she turned on her
big heel aud her jaws snapped like steel
tran.
Hound found Shed. the shadowy old dog
AZ his heel. out on the bill with the mules
HIS feet vide apart, his hands deep in HIS
pockets and his head bent low, he was
watching little colony OF ants reforming
their curious little city. A mule had set
its foot into this ant hill, and the big man,
with head down. was so busy. so sorry, as
he watched them, that he did not see OF
hear Hound till his hand was on his
shoulder.
"AlI right, Tom: only let me lead the
mules down to water and sorter herd 'em
M = Bit
The trial was held in the city square
that night by the light Of big log fire.
And the dog was surely the only friend
that Red Shed had. The hiS woman was
not there. Why she was not there, why
she was not then prisoner and on trial
also does seem strange-passing strange.
But ali, those We're the days when women
bad women's rights TO perfection. For
after the trial and the sentence of death
bad been passed-and all rather hastily,
% .hs.s she boys might not lose any sleep,
but be up in good time 10 see the hang
ing-the court on the way to his cabin saw
her ''placidly" taking down a pair of
blankets from the clothes line.
Hound worked all night and got up a
frst-rate scaffold by the little graveyard.
In fact, any one 10 look AT il would have
Older civilization.
''Bout noon suit Won, ShedP''
"Au right. Tom; bout noon"
Thought I'd kinder like 10 let the BOYS
sIt in from round about They don't have
much 30 muse EN-, you know"
''Alt right, Tom, let EN- git in.
II was warm day 10 be SO late in the
thlA. mere were TOUR OF US On tilS Seal
fold-Shed, Hound. the dog and myself.
Shed had sent Hound 20 ask ME TO say
something. or at least help sing. But il
was awful 70 be therel The dog kept roll
Ing his big woody head up against Shed $
tied legs and whining all the time as If i:
were he and not quiet and passive poor
old Red shed thar was 70 he hanged.
There was an immense crowd, = queeS.
curious crowd. Il came up 50 close tha.
81 jammed against the new scaiiold till il
creaked and Creaked. The men. as / re-
member them now, nearly all had their
mouths open as they looked mp at US.
distinctly recall looking away down in
one mans throat. | counted his teeth