Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-05-31

SOUVENIR OF A CHANCE MEETING
IN THE YELLOWSTONE.

mish with Lots of Bullets In It-Impor.
tant Part Taken by Roaring Harry.
Colonel Jim Struthers, alias Montana
jim, yawned few times, and in the proc
ess OF pulling himself together, cont bed
his mar with his fingers, thus lifting it
from his brow and exposing long and
lurid scar which started on the right tenn
pie and Travelled backward till it got lost
in hair
"Hello, COLONEL Come out of this, and
tell me how you got this scar" said the
prospector for facts
"This scar? Oh, yes, recollect Well.
got that mark from being too game.
was living on n ranch near Pease Bottom.
Mon, and after the regular fall windup
three of the boys, Catfish Johnnie, Roar
ing Harry and Yellowstone Joe, proposed
that we take a trip through the Yellow
stone park
after long and delightful trip we came
within the shadow of the Yellowstone
mountains and camped. 1t was delight
full spot. On one side ran the tracks of
the Northern Pacific, and every few hours
rains rushed by. On the other side a lit
tie stream babbled and sparkled 1t was
about noon when we halted.
waiting to see the overland express dash
by, when from the brush down the track
three men came out, They strolled along
in the direction of our camp. We were a
good many miles from q station, and it
was an unusually suspicious circumstance
to see these fellows tramping along the
ties They were bad visaged, and ther
general appearance did not impress us very
favorably. As they got within about 100
yards of us they hallooed in familiar wild
west style and approached us civilly
enough. The spokesman said that one of
their horses had either strayed or had been
stolen, and he wanted to know If we had
seen any horse answering the description
which he gave. OF course we had not and
invited the strangers to eat dinner with
us.
"They told US that their camp was down
the track in ravine about mile distant
and said that they would be glad to have
us take dinner with them on the morrow.
We promised to do so. However. there was
some sneaking suspicion down in the sub
cellar of our minds that something was
crooked about the whole business This
suspicion was not Gained in any way by
the calculating glances which the party
bestowed on our armament and stock.
That afternoon it was decided that we
should picket our horses and stand watch
by turns throughout the night. 1t is a
very common practice with expert horse
thieves to simply swoop down and STAN
pede the stock of an outfit in true Indian
fashion, but this programme will never
work where the stock is picketed In
case of this kind the depredators simply
sneak around the camp like coyotes and
cut the ropes.
''In our outfit we had one very wild
horse. He was as wild as mountain goat.
He would run if you point your finger
at him. The only restraining influence
which he acknowledged was that exercis-
ed by another horse. The wild horse was
so absolutely stuck on his four footed
friend that he would eat and drink with
him and never seem satisfied without be-
lug in his company. True, he would fly
oil at tangent, but he would come to his
mate, wagging his tail behind him. We
picketed all the horses excepting this one.
1t was between - and 2 o'clock when
Roaring Harry, whose turn it was to stand
guard, entered the prairie schooner and
turned us all out quietly with the remark
that something was up. The wild horse
had run up alongside his gentle friend
and was putting and snorting in perfect
fever of fright
eve reasoned that the thieves had ap-
preached the camp and run on the untam-
ed animal, They would conclude from
this that the stock was at large and would
most likely attempt to stampede it. With
this theory in mind, we took positions
along the trail which the thieves would
follow should they swoop down. My perch
was under an overhanging bowlder, where
| could not be seen for the gloom, and
from where by the faint light of the stars
| could see pretty clearly all that went on
on one side of the wagon. II was snow
ing and blowing and otherwise unpleas-
ant. We had been on guard this way for
perhaps an hour. Everything was dead
still but for the howl or cry of some wild
beast in the timber We thought that we
heard something which sounded like hoofs
away up the trail. Nearer they came, and
more distinctly they sounded as they
struck the frozen ground, from which the
snow had been blown away. Then the
sound ceased. The party of horsemen had
halted. We knew what was about to come,
and every man took f1rmer hold on his
winchester and took good care that the
hammer was up. Then there was a sharp
CHATTER and a rush. Down the trail the
thieves we're dashing full tilt
LAS the squadron emerged from the
shadow Of the pines their outlines could
be seen. Bang, bangl Whizz! Click, click
Bang, bang! Two horses dropped and one
rider bit the dust, as they say in the novel,
and his steed pressed by. Others of the
party rode by in hurry. One of the horses
dropped directly opposite my station. Ev-
identity his rider was full of life and hope,
for he arose on his knees, and | knew in
stinctively that his gun was going to his
shoulder, when my trusty rifle flashed out.
The blaze of my gun was the signal which
located me to him. He replied as quick
as thought. There was binding fash in
my face; ] felt Whit of cold wind; some
thing warm streamed over me; | knew
that | was falling, and then all was blank.
The next day l opened my eyes and
saw strange people about me. tried TO
think, hut couldn't. Things gradually
grew less strange. AS soon as had thor
oughly regained consciousness the boys
explained what was wrong and told me
that | had had II close call, Then they
pointed to three grewsome objects ranged
tide by side on the edge of the trail, with
their UhnatIV fpatIIras laH Inv h1nu