The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-01-26


ravine and narrow valley that sepa-
rated our ranch from Dalsen's. In
getting out and starting the herds of
mornings and in separating, round
ipg-up and corraling of evening, little
Ben and 1 assisted each other and
were soon friends, Notwithstanding /
was five years his senior. He was
jolly and lively usually, but at times
would detect difference. He
would have nothing to say and SEEM
ed down-hearted, d when 1 would
rally him for it he would say: "Mr.
Dalsen whipped me this morning and
1 don't feel very WE'LL" or some such
answer and then / would ask, "What
did he whip you for?" and he would
give the cause, usually some trifiing,
boyish offense. 1 found these whip
pings were of frequent occurrence,
and disiiked old Dalsen more than
before. Matters continued this way
until late in the summer of 1866, when
1 missed Little Ben. He had said
nothing to me about leaving, so 1 sup
posed he was sick. I saw old Dalsen
driving and tending the herd himself,
80 on the first opportunity 1 hailed
him.
"Hello, 1 see you are tending the
herd, Where is Little Benz" "Oh,
he lit out" "Lit out? What, run
away ?" ayes, he got too lazy to work
and lit out last week. Ha-up, g'long
there" and he left me. thought the
matter over, and did not blame Little
Ben. I shout have done the same to
get away from such brute, but 1
thought it strange that Little Ben had
never said anything to me about run
ming away.
THE REMAINS FOUND.
A few days later two neighbor boys
were out hunting and as they passed
along the bluff they came to the old
we'll which was now filled up and
covered with brush. AS they passed
one said, "Hello Bill here is a good
place for rabbit, look out" as he gave
the brush shake, but instead of a
rabbit. a swarm of greenflies came
out of the brush pile. Something
dead i'm there and old Dalsen has COW
cred it up let's see what it is" and to
work they went, pulling out the
brush. After removing some of the pile
they peered in and saw what looked
like a pile of old clothes, this scared
the boys and they ait out" for help.
Soon the word was out and number
of us quietly gathered at the old well
and everyone thought of Little Ben.
We went to work and removed the
brush and old logs and under it all
we found all that was left of my
friend Little Ben. Scarcely word
was said until we had the body out
and on the grass, then someone said:
"Come let's get old Dalsen." We went,
and when we found him and had him
in our custody and he knew what we
had found, then the cowardly brute
turned white as death, trembled and
whimpered like whipped cur. And
when we told him he must go with us
to the old well, he got down on the
ground numbering and snorting even
tried to pray, declared he did not kill
him. at was an accident, he fell over
the bluff and killed himself, / was
scared, did not know. what else to do,
so put him i'm the WELL" He was in
formed we did not believe word of
his story and must go with us to the
old well. Then he bawled "Spare
me! Spare me! Oh, God spare mel"
but we took him to where the remains
of Little Ben lay on the grass and the
poor abused wife followed wringing
her hands and tears streaming down
her face. When we came to the putrid
mass that once was Little Ben, old
Dalsen fell in a heap groveling and
moaning GU the ground. Not tear
was shed nor word spoken but
every hand was clinched and every
face drawn with determination. Gan
eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth and
a life for lifen was the verdict writ
ten on every face. There was lar
lat on every pOmmel and natural
crooks were handy. There was a
hurried look around, long drawn
breath, a mOve-and then with a
scream the poor wife fell on her knees
her hands raised and clasped. "Oh.
spare him! Spare him! He killed him,
I'll tell you all but spare him as you
would have God spare you" 1 can
not repeat her prayer, 1 would not, it
was too terrible, too awful, it seemed TO
be the very essence of agony, and for
the time her prayer was answered.
No one laid hand on Dalsen, and
then came the story.
THE COWBOYS AT WORK.
On the morning Of the day he disap-
peared, Little Ben had borrowed DIAL
sens pocket knife and while cutting
on board about the size of fence
picket he broke the knife. Dalsen
flew into a rage, grabbed up the pick
ct and began beating him and as Lit
tie Ben jumped and lodged around,
Dalsen grabbed hold of him, threw
him down and put bis spike-nailed