The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-15
JOHNSON'S DEBTOR.
1t Was an Extraordinary Job to
Collect from Him.

of the American Loan ~ Trust com
pany of Omaha. sold his post traders
Outht nj the Rose bud Indian agency in
South Dakota To Charles Stemwinder
Johnson, as Ed Han used To call him.
there were some accounts on the books
which he threw in as uncollectable.
II was Col George Barry starting an
other story of his frontier life in the
cafe at the Lotus club the other even
ing after the coffee, says the New York
sun.
well, one time, after he'd got pretty
fairly well used to the redskins and
some OF the surrounding territory, it
struck johnson one day that it would
be good thing to collect some of
those uucollectabie bills. Every cent
ne got out of them was clean
profit. The worst man on the whole
list was a Frcnchman named Buche,
who was ranging some cattle over
toward the head waters of the south
fork of the White river. Carter had let
Buche run up bill of one hundred and
sixty dollars, and he couldn't get
cent Of it.
Courts. the head clerk. who had
been at 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. Wei, one
day Johnson got Buche at the agency,
and jollicd him along until Buche actu-
ally agreed to pay.
IL tell you vat, ZhOnson,' the
Frenchman said, I got some cattles
opon rccvaire. l gif you some of zem
cattlcS'
All right, Buche, johnson said
Jack Arkwright an I'll go up an get
EN- 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. lie bounced back
into Johnson's store and eXcitedly eX-
claimed:
- Thomson, / lleepozose cattles my
self ! don't tsinI1 l gifts you zose cat
ties. Zose is my cattles.
"'AH right, Buche. You can keep
your cattle said Johnson. But the
cattle you gave me are niue, an Jack
Arllyvright an I'll go up an get 'em
next sunday
81 Diet you ain goin' get zose cattles.
Ncvaire. Zosc is my cattles- Eli? |
keep zcm. know. Eth? You see me?
am Buche. Zose is my catties. So. |
keep zem. Vat you can do? Nozzing!
I know. Zat is good cad. Zcre is
worse 'cads as zat in con-n-gress. Eh|
And out OF the store he strode.
johnson saw him once or twice after
that before the next Sunday and each
time said:
.Iu 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 u
get the cattle. So on Saturday John
son went to the agency building and had
Jack Arllwright sworn in aS a deputy
United States marshal There isn't
very much law on an Indian rescrva-
tion, and in most cases might Is right;
but ArIswrights long official title had a
terrifying sort of sound 10 the half
breeds. and Jack thought himself only
second in Importance 10 the president.
lie had Mexican. Indian and negro
blood in his veins. and was as fine a
specimen as you'll see in many days
I travel in that country of stalwart men,
! Besides that ne didn't understand how
! To- be- afraid of anything, and he be
lieved that siX-shOotcr was made for
use rather than ornament
well. on Sunday morning Johnson
and Arllwright, with his commission as
deputy marshal and a herdcr, started
for Buche's headquarters scventy-five
miles away on the river, leaving Iiuche
! boiling around the agency and swear
| ing all sorts of things. They rode
pretty hard. and made about siXty-five
miles before sundown. They hadn't
much more than gone into camp before
| Buche came by riding like whirlwind
| with 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 i'll
| about an hour, and couldn't find sign
! of life.
''.Wen. I'm gormed,' said Jack Ark
wright, If the d Frenchy hain't hid
his cattle in the buttes-'
They separated and began TO hunt
for the cattle. While they were at
work Buche came riding up at furious
/ pr:ut from the Nebraska line. It turned
out afterward that he'd been over after
the Cherry county regulators To help
him fight the cattle thieves. But the
first person he met after.he got across
the line was man whom he owed for
Z. wagon. The man spotted him for the
/ money, and Buche fled for the reserya-
ton again.
well, when Jack Arl1wright saw
Ruche coming he pulled out his com
mission as deputy marshal and rode
down to- meet the excited Frenchman-
Look here, Buche,' he shouted, as
ne got within hailing distance, heres
my commission as marshal
The Frcnchman turned and ran as
hard as his pony could GO
"'f won't hear no papers. he shouted