Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-07-06
A Race With Idaho Robbers.
Joaquin Miller Relates an Expert
ence Of His 70 tn.

ence Of His 70 tn.
was y ing ice bound at Lewis
ton, Idaho. Men wanted TO send
money below TO their friends or
ia miles; merchants, anticipating
the tremendous rush, must get
letters through the snow TO WLIla.
Walla. Would I go7 Could go?
The SNOW wa; deep. The trails,
over open and mOnotOnous noun
tains, were drifted full. Could any
living man face the drifting snow
and find his way to Walla Walla2
At first the merchants 1ad tried to
hire Indians To undertake the trip
and deliver their letters. Not one
could be found 10 go. When the
storm abated little, the men who
kept the ferry across the ShOshOnee
river scTaped eff the snow, and cut
ting down the upheaved blocks of
Ice made it possible to cross with a
horse.
At first | meant to carry only
letters. Bat having finally con
sented to take a little gold for one
merchant, | soon found | should
lose friends IT | did not take gold
for otheIs. The result was that l
had to take gold worth nearly ten
thousand dollars.
4 few muffled up friends clme
down to the riyer bank to see me
off. 1t was a great event. For
two weeks we hdd not a line from
the outer world. Aud meantime
the civil war was raging Ia all It's
terrible fury. Is | set out tba
bleak and Icy morning, after mad
mounted my plunging pony saw
IN the crowd several faces that |
did not like, There was Dave
English, who was hung on the
spot with several OF his fellows.
not 10 lays later; there was Boone
Helm, hung IN Montana; Cherokee
Bob, killed'In Milesburg; and also
Canada Joe. ThIs last lived with
some low Indians a little way
down the river. SO when he rode
ahead of NE | was rather glad
than otherwise; for | felt that he
would not 60 far. kept watch of
him. however Aud when saw
that he skuIked around under the
hill, as if he we're going home and
then got back into the trail, /
knew there was trouble ahead.
But the "RubicOh' was now be-
hind. My lmpetuOus horse was
pIunging in the snow and | was
soon tearing through the storm up
the hill. Once fairly on my way
looked back below. Dave English
and Boone Helm were bidding
good by to two mounted COW boys
at the ferIy house. Ten minutes
later as looked back through
the binding snow | saw tnat
these two desperate fellOwswere
following me.
True, there was nothing criminal
in that. The two highwAymen had
right to ride behind me if they
wished. And Canada Jos had
just as good "a right to ride ahead
of me. Bat TO be on a horse deep
in the binding snow, and loaded
down with gold was bad enough
To have a desperate blocking the
narrow trail before you with his
two friends behind you was fearful,
l had two six shooters close al
hand under the bearskin flap of my
saddIe.bag where the gold was. |
kept my left hand in my pocket
where lay small six shooter warm
and ready. OIce, as the drifting
and binding snow broke away ny
the mountain, saw Canada j II
With his head bent down in the
storm still pushing on ahead of me
at safe distance. A few moment:
after, as | crossed and climbed the
farther bank of an ugly canyon
the two robbers came close enough
to bail me. One of them held up
bottle. They evidenly intended tt
overtake me If they could, and pro
fess to be friendly. This [ mus
not allow. | urged my ambitious
horse to his best. But, to my dis
may, as | hastened up marrow
pass | found that | was not ia
behind Canada Joe. This loy
browed black fellow was reported
to be the worst man In all tha
country. And that was saying Ii
was bad indeed.
| was IN tight place nov, ant
had TO think fast. My first plal
was 10 ride forward and face thil
man before the others came up
Bat / was really afraid OF him. L
seemed a much easier task to tarI
and kill the two rear men and gel
back TO town. But, noi nOi AL