The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-02-20
A TIN CUP VERDICT.

and the crack Of their long. shot filled
mule whips and the creak of their heavy
wagons had been heard in half OF the
camps of Colorado.
The four wagons tonight were swung
into the segment OF q circle, and the
mules were cast loose from the straps in
which through the day they pulled. At
this relief these grateful slaves stood
about and attested their JOY in the loud
cries peculiar to their kind, but which
are so unfortunate in their lack Of har-
mony. To stop this the nephew went
about giving them their vesper feed.
This he placed in MORALS or nosebags,
which he hung to their hungry heads.
Old Jones built little fire and began
the compilation of an intricate but sa-
worry dish known to those happy ones who
have the recipe as "freighter's stew"
Supper over, the two freighters sat
about in the lurking shadows made by
the fires blink and glimmer, smoking
their pipes. All at once there was q
commotion in the band Of mules. Those
patient folk, who had scrambled and
pulled all day over a rough mountain
trail with wagons loaded on the princi-
pie of /, 200 pounds to mule, and who
now in the proprieties of mule life
should be at peace with the world, were
charging about and snorting in very
alarming way.
"Injunsr' said old Jones, showing
back into the gloom. "lnjuns for
1,000l There amt no animal ON earth.
bar Injuns, ever makes mules take on
that away"
The nephew thought so too. Old
Jones and the nephew did not fear at
tack. There were no Injuns about that
were not described as friendly.
What they did fear was that the
mules might be stampeded. Stamped
ing stock Is great aboriginal industry.
The Indian will sneak up, flap blanket,
stampede your cattle or mules and then
claim 81 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
a wagon and began to work his eau
tious, silent way toward the mules.
These last were still snorting and shy
ing as il prey to wild alarm. The
nephew disappeared in the darkness.
Old Jones placed his hand over his pipe
bowl 80 its fiery eye could not be seer
and peered after him into the gloom.
"Bangl Bangi Bangr' 1t was the
winchester speaking. 1t told the Indian
policy of the border, and a very suffi.
cicnt policy it is too. Old Jones at the
sound heaved sigh, but never moved.
After a little the nephew came in to the
fire. He seemed alert, hopeful and unre-
lenting as to the winchester Indian pol.
icy.
"Did you stretch onei" said old Jones.
at think most likely I did," said the
nephew in sanguine way. 1--WE can
tell in the morning. shore"
The mules were now quiet. Firearms
had no terror for them. They could
stand the odor of gunpowder. but of In
dians-bahI No mule Of taste could
stand it q second. After another half
hour old Jones and his nephew kicked
out the embers of their fire and went tc
sleep.
Old Jones and his nephew had visit
ors in themorning The whole Ute tribe
and their agent came to the freighters
camp. The members Of the Jones family
at once seized their winchesters and
alacriously prepared for war. The Utes
ran about, jumping and yelling and de-
manding vengeance. Old Jones and his
nephew stood silent and grim behind
their wagons and showed their iron
teeth. The agent insisted ON peace.
Would the Jones who had killed the
Ute the night before give himself up
He would be guaranteed from harm, but
the Utes insisted on his arrest. They,
the Indians, would attack the wagons
If the criminal did not surrender. Sc
spoke the agent, nervous little incom
petent, as many an Indian agent is.
"Give up nothing" said old Jone:
derisively. "You tell them Utes il
they want anything round yere to waltz
in and get ii"
The Utes howled and danced still
harder and higher at this, and the agent
talked more earnestly than ever II,
threatened the Joneses with the power
Of the government This was too much
They would fight the whole Ute tribe
but they we're afraid of Uncle Sam. Aft
or brief parley the nephew stepped ont
and gave himself mp to the agent HI
would have displayed more sense if ht
had remained behind his wagon an6
died in the smoke of his winchester.
The agent, the nephew and the Ute'
did not go mile toward the agency be
| fore the Indians took the nephew. and
tying him to o pine tree spent severa
blissful hours in torturing him to death
The agent was powerless to interfere.
Jones, the elder. knew the truth tho
evening Of the same day. He turned
little pale under the 30 years Of tar
which Drowned his face. but said moth
ing. As we'll as he could he managed Il
hitch up his teams and went ahead
| His course was slow. Where the so,nl
was easy the nephew's team-eigh
mules-could follow the others and go
along all right. Where it was rough oil
Jones halted them and after driving hi
own team over came back for them.
Two months later the old man nm
loaded his freight at camp in the Gun
nison country. He told the story of hi
nephew's death and charged IL to tn
agent. The populace agreed with him 4
q man. Old Jones insisted that tn
agent should likewise suffer death. Pub
lilo sentiment rushed to the same con
clusion. Every man in the Tin Cup dis
triot who heard Of the matter at ono