The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-12-02
JOHNsON's DEBTOR.

1JOHNSON'S DEBTOR.
II Was an Extraordinary Job to
Collect from Him.
when O. NJ. Carter. now president
of tho American Loan & Trust COM
outfat at the Rosebud Indian agency in
South Dakota to Charles Stemwinder
johnson. az Ed Hall used to call him,
there were some accounts on the books
which he threw in as uncollectable."
It was Col George Barry starting an
cafe at the Lotus club the other even
Ing after the coffee. says the New York
Snaa.
''Well. one time, after he'd got pretty
fairly we'll used to the redskins and
some of the surrounding territory, it
be q good thing to collect some of
those uncollectable bills. Every cent
he got out OF them was clean
profit The worst man on the whole
aiI't was q Frenchman named Buche,
who was ranging some cattle over
fork of the White river. Carter had let
Buche run up a bill of one hundred and
sixty. dollars, and he couldn't get a
cent of it.
''Courtis, the head clerk. who had
been ut the post for years, told johnson
that If he could collect Buche's bill he
could get every dollar every other man
on the Rosebud owed him. Well, one
day johnson got Buche at the agency.
and jollied him along until Buche actu-
ally agreed to pay.
~ tell you vat. Zhonson,' the
Frenchman said, 4 got some cattles
opon ze reevaire. II gif you some of zem
cattles.'
IAN right, Buche,' Johnson said.
Jack Arl<wright an I'll 90 up an get
'em some day before long
$50 they had a drink and Buche went
away. In ten minutes he'd changed his
mind about the cattle and concluded
not to pay the bill. He bounced back
into Johnson's store and excitedly ex-
claimed:
Thomson, 1 lxeepozose cattles N.Y.
self don't tsink gifts you zose cat
ties. zose is my cattles-'
"'Al right. Buche. You can keep
your cattle said johnson. But the
cattle you gave me are niue. an Jack
Arkwright an I'll go up an get 'en
next Sunday
81 Diet you ain goin' get zose cattles.
Nevaire! Zose is my cattles. Eh?. I
keep zem. know. Eth? You see me?
i am Buche. Zose is my cattles. So.
keep zem. Vat you can do? Nozzing!
I know. Eat is a good cad. Zere is
worse 'eads as Eat in con-n-gress- Eh?'
And out of the store he strobe.
johnson saw him once or twice after
that before the next Sunday and each
time said:
''I'n be down on Sunday for my
cattle
''Buche raved around the agency and
swore by all his vigorous oaths that
he'd fill johnson full of Winchester
holes if the trader made an effort to
frA he Sa TN
son went to the agency building and had
Jack Arl<wright sworn in deputy
United States marshal There isn't
very much law on an Indian reserva-
ton, and in most cases might is right;
but Arkwright's long offacial title had a
breeds, and Jack thought himself only
second in Importance to the president
He had Mexican, Indian and negro
blood in his veins, and was as fine a
specimen as you'll see in many q days
travel in that country of stalwart men.
to be afraid of anything, and he be-
lieved that a six-shooter was made for
use rather than ornament
''Well, on Sunday morning johnson
and -Arlkwright, with his commission as
deputy marshal and a herder, started
miles away on the river, leaving Ruche
boiling around the agency and swear
ing all sorts of things They rode
pretty hard, and made about sixty-fve
miles before shutdown. They hadn't
much more than gone into camp before
Buche came by riding like whirlwind
with q Winchester balanced on the sad
die in front of him.
BE down In the morning, Buche, ,
shouted johnson, AN get my cattle
with an angry shout. Buche rode on
toward his camp. Very early the next
morning Johnson's party started. They
made the ten miles to Buche's camp in
shout an hour, and couldn't find sign
Of life.
Well, I'm gormed,' said Jack Ark
wright, If the d. Frenchy hain't hid
his cattle in the buttes.'
sThey separated ndibegan to hunt
for the cattle. While they were at
work Buche came riding up at = furious
gait from the NebraslkA line. It turned
out afterward that he'd been over after
the Cherry county regulators 10 help
him fight the cattle thieves. But the
6rst person he met after he got across
the line was q man whom he owed for
= wagon. The man spotted him for the
money. and Ruche lied tor the seseFvs-
ten egoiR