The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-11-03
OLD BANJO !;Al1
z,
A Faithful STATE Horse :: That
Couldn't stAhd the Whip.

This is story oEa horse and man.
That il possesses iq:1&rge measure the
aemerit Of truthfulness is not the fault
stt%e writer.
'Ynh couldn't hcv him at NO price,
pard," said Gilmer & Salisbury's su.
perintendent, ''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 plunl<s. More'n
tibet, the game don't perceed less'n yuh
hire Banjo's Bob fer his hostler.''
On the'way back from Helena. as we
sat in the cupola of a caboose, looking
out over our trainload of horses, BAN
JOS Bob told me of his namesalse..
"ne 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 aint a day older in
his feelin's than he was in '63 down in
Kansas. He's tibet proud-sperrited l
reckon he'd die right thar eff he felt the
whip Twict Ole Banjo an me he'd q
saes Weth Injuns. Onct down on the
Niobrary they he'd my station held up
fer twelve hours, an me >a-peckin'
away wethD my Sharp 50-l53, an
minglin' lead weth their carcasses
mighty free, an then. he'd to make a
break fer it we<h Old Banjo. Jest
give him the word, an he went
through them Comanches like a
hunters teeth through a buffer hump.
got this finger shot off, an Ole Banjo
got u 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
fire. sure set a heap O. store by thet
boss Another time l was hostler at
an eatin' station on the Chevanne
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
tibet ever was strung out ahead of q
stage. Well, sir, one day we heard the
cluckety-c'uck 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 g.
level trot, an all the broncos on a 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 stop right in front of
the door. Thet's on the dead thievin'
square. hain't tryin' to run no wheez-
scr on .yuh. fer learned him tibet 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 freul one. o.
them rifles the guvment donates to the
Injuns fer SIGH amoosement We Jest
started 20 git him out when round the
butte come a hun.waf party Of Sioux,
yellin' an makif medicine most on
musical. We hustled the team inter
the station dinin' room, an begun turn
n loose on the Injuns. They was NE
an the comply blacksmith an the
an Vic Smith. an ole :bufher-hunter.
We Sade itplenty 'Ioapleasant> fer the
1njus,ap' Vic he got his man every
tfme&sut oisct,'A a n then he got the In
jun's cayuse. But the house want
much perfection, an ez the Iuiuns KEEP
pervadin' 'roun we sorter agreed tibet
one on us must SO fer help. Ole Banjo
he'd jest come in fun an eighteen mile
route. an the last six miles a keepin'
ahead II 6 Of gang Ct 1pjuns, but 1knowed
he was good fer forty mile more, an
begun gittin, him ready His back bone
an,,KihSdidAt stick s0utsso free in them
days, sahxt 'isSt: .thosght would go it
baE p6ek IN Sweth en'y d. hacl<amore
rouk' his noss Ynh see, The ,hackamore
was only hair rope weth no buckles
to sjsnSlf. K1It came along dark
pur%y soonss an l-tee3aee6p & pair O. pants
an wropped 'emprausf. zK;snjo's feet
SO Pis Shoes wouldn't sclinkz agin the
grayl. gsNhdn # come plum dark got
onOk tBadio> ia ftheN bnhsroom. an
rode out toward :Cheyanre. We hadn't
gonc fur when ! see an Injun not~five
foot ahead. He hadn't no idee they
was any one boss back, an he
jest thought things Was !. comm too
easy when skodd stage HOSES walked
into him hathaway. He; put up his
hand to lxetch Ole Banjo by the fore
top, an me all the time layin' along his
neck weth my gun three inches ahead
of OLE Daz5to,ssnosS.1 Il want two feet
away when let the lnjun hev, it right
between the eyes. Well, they amt