Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06

'1njulsp' said old Jones' showing back
into the gloom. 'Irjuns, for thousand
dollars! There amt no animals on earth
bar Injuns, ever makes mules take on that
away"
The nephew thought SO, too Old Jones
and the nephew did not fear an attack.
There were no Indians about that were not
described as friendly.
But what they did fear was that the
mules might be stampeded. Stampeding
stock is a mighty aboriginal industry. The
'Injun" will stampede yaur cattle or mules
and then claim a dollar "a head for finding
them for you. Thus do these wise sons of
nature fill their Golfers and exact revenue
from those who cross their lands.
Jones nephew took Winchester from
the wagons and began to work his eau
tious. silent way toward the mules. These
last were still snorting and shying as If
prey to wild alarm. The nephew disap-
his hand over his pipe bowl so it's fiery
eye could not be seen and peered after
him into the gloom.
Bang! bang! bang" 1t was the Win
chester speaking. 1t told the Indian policy
of the border and a very sufficient good
policy it Is, too. Old Jones at the sound
heaved g little sigh but never moved.
After a little the nephew came into the
fire. He seemed alert, hopeful and unre-
lenting as to the Winchester Indian policy.
Did you stretch him?" said old Jones.
Il think most likely 1 did," said the
nephew, in a Sanguine way. I'VE can tell
The mules We're now quiet. Firearms had
no terrors for them. They could stand the
odor of gunpowder. but of Indans-bah!
No mule of taste could stand it a second.
After kicking cut the embers of the fire
old Jones and his nephew went to sleep.
Old Jones and his nephew had visitors in
the m morning. The whole Ute tribe and
their agent came down to the freighters'
camp. The members of the Jones family at
once seized their Wirchesters and alac-
riously prepared for war The Utes ran
about, jumping and yelling and demanding
vengeance. Old Jones and his nephew
stood silent and grim behind their wagons
and showed their iron teeth. The agent in
sisted on peace. Would the Jones who
had killed the Ute the night before give
himself up? He would be guarded from
harm, but the Utes insisted on his arrest.
They-the Indians-would attack the wag-
ons if the criminal did lot surrender So
spoke the agent. nervous little incom-
petent, as many an Indian agent is.
Give up nuthin''' said Old Jones, de-
-isively. You'll tell them ties if they
want anything round yere to waltz in and
get it,.
The Utes howled and danced still harder
and higher at this. and the agent talked
more earnestly than ever. He threatened
the Joness with the power of the gov
eminent. This was too much. They would
fight the whole Ute tribe, but they We're
afraid of Uncle Sam. After brief parley
the nephew stepped out and gave himself
up to the agent. He would have displayed
wagon and died in the smoke of his Win
chester.
The agent. the nephew and the Utes did
rot go mile toward the agency before
the Indians took the nephew, and. tying
him TO pine tree, spent several blissful
hours in .torturing him to death. The
agent was powerlcss to interfere.
Jones, the elder, found out the truth the
evening of the same day. He turned a
little paler under the thirty years tan
which Drowned his face, but said nothing.
AS well as he could, he hitched up his
teams and went ahead His course was
slow. Where the going was easy the
lephew's team-eight mules-could follow
the others, and got along all right Where
1T was rough Old Jones halted them, and,
after driving his own team over came
back for them
Two months later the old man unloaded
Els freight at a camp in the Gunnison
country. He told the story of his nephew's
death, and charged it to the agent. The
populace agreed with him to man. Old
Jones insisted the agent should likewise
suffer death. Public sentiment rushed to
the same conclusion. Every man in the
Tin Cup district who heard of the matter
at once advised Jones to go back and kill
the miserable agent, or. if that scheme did
not suit. TO hire some one who would
Never wes public sentiment so uniform in
a matter before 1t was beautiful.
Hire some one to go back. Kill the
agent!' This struck Old Jones, who had
strong commercial instincts, as good
thing. He inquired Cor some one who
would undertake the enterprise He did
not think it should cost much. TT is dead
easy to do he said. Jest ride calmly up to
the agency and beef him, and then ride
away. That oughtn't to cost no fortune,
and he was willin' to give boss and out
fit and $780,
"I'H go you," said n bad-looking gentle
man called Curly Bill.
Curly Bill was certainly a very bad man.
as anyone might see by examining his six
shooter. He had filed away the sights as
,a,.a,, to ny,n co boo,
had taken out the trigger, trusting to eX-
plode his interesting weapon by the simple
process of letting the hammer fall from his
thumb. These charges in the ground plan
Of a Colts Al always bespeak a bad man,
the wide west over, and such was Curly
Bill, the parsonage who wanted to hire out
to kill the agent.
Preliminaries were arranged, and the
horse and outfit were turned over, in COM
pany with 5000 of the $500, and Curly Bill
rode away on his long pull for the Ute
agency.
Six weeks and their happenings were add
ed to history, and so far nothing foated
back from Curly Bill. One afternoon he
rode again into the camp in the Gunnison
country. The public crowded about to learn
of his success. Curly Bill got out of the
saddle and stepped into saloon. The pub
lie followed, and at his request took a
drink with him At last Old Jones put the
question:
did you get him, Curly?"
NO" said Curly Bill.
''Why not?'
We'll" said Curly Bill, with an amiable
crawl, "I'll tell you what's the matter
You see, the cuss offered me $1,000 to come
back ard down YOU
There was a profound silence. Old Jones
seemed thoughtful and cast down, and the
public waited At last Old Jones put
another pertinent inquiry:
well, whatever do you allow you'll do
about it?''
'Whatever'll you do about it," said Curly
Bill, will you raise him?"
"S'pose 1 don't raise him." said Old
Jones, "s'pose I DON even call him?" and
an ugly glare began to shine in his wa
terry gray eyes: albeit his voice was low
and his face calm.
Well" said Curly Bill with vast nom
chalance, "in that event reckon I'll have
to go him..
The public took deep breath at this an
nouncement and Old Jones seemed plunged
In thought again. At last he found voice.
TN think this yere matter over. Bill,
and I reckon on fixing up something SO
you. won't complain none of me. You be
yere and I'll come back in an hour"
Then Old Jones preceded straight to his