The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-02-22
HETALKED TOO MUCH

III / AlIhLD lVU nj UCn
There was violent ringing of
the telephone bell in the editorial
rooms of the Leadville Democrat
about 9 o'clock one evening in the
fall of 1884, said the old reporter.
II rose from my seat at one of the
reportorial desks, unlocked the
phone and listened to the following
communication:
Send a reporter at once to Orc. Man shot
dead out Of q blackboard.
Before I could inquire further
particulars the conversation was
shut off. I was alone in the office,
and my desk was Uttered with work,
but good murder story was not to,
be Sighted, and the matter must be-
attended to at once. wrote note
to the managing editor of the paper
apprising him of my destination and
sailed forth to get the particulars Of
the blackboard tragedy.
Outside. the snow was falling
and the night was dark and dismal.
Two blocks from the Office was a
livery stable. A small black mare,
half broncho, half thoroughbred,
which I had frequently hired when
events made it necessary for me to
60 into the mountains in quest of
news, was soon. saddled. and I was
off at stretching gallop.
"The mare was travelling at a
steady oanter, the wet snow floating
into my face and covering my eye
lashes so as to obstruct my view,
and had covered about half the dis
tance when I awoke to realizing
sense in the semigloom of the snowy
night of having strayed from the
road and lost my way among the
sluices and pitfalls of California
gulch. I pulled up, wiped the snow
out of my eyes and gazed about.
II knew that two or three large
smelters were in the vicinity and
calculated that soon the workmen
would be dumping mass of molten
slack on the slack pile, which is
performance always attended with
magnificent illumination, and by
this means should soon be enabled
to regain the road.
Presently great red light shot
athwart the sky, hung for mo.
ment like red curtain against the
north and then vanished as abruptly
as it had appeared. It had pointed
out the right way to me, and in less
than ten minutes I was out of the
pitfalls and riding rapidly toward
Orc. -
Somehow this night the snow
was bound to serve me an i'll turn. I
was not an Indifferent rider, but the
steady canter of my horse and the
rapid rate at which I was approach
ing the development of what prom
ised to be sensational murder case
lulled my mind into condition of
security that i'll comported with
mountain horsemanship.
my mare suddenly SHE'D at g
pool of water in the middle of the
road, bolted as only a broncho can,
and before I knew what was up l
was down, pitched straight over her
head at the edge of muddy pud-
die. Luckily I was horseman enough
to land on my feet. As I straight
ened up I saw the black mare vanish
in the darkness. On a sudden i'm
pulse drew my revolver, intending
to bring her down even if / could
not ride her afterward, but second
thought prevailed and with some.
thing like blessing on the black
mares devilish disposition pock-
eted my six shooter and resolved to
tramp it to Orc in highlows, in def
ance Of night, snow and mountain
roads, Q Ia miles from my goal, in
the hills at night and with q snow
storm coming on faster and mora
furious
II did not consider how ! should
get back with my story of the muir,
der in time for press. I relied that
Providence would take care Of Z re-.
porter whose mind and notebook ara
stored with pregnant facts. His only
safeguard is in the military axiom
to march toward the sound Of srtil-
lery.
1.-THE coroner and reporter at
tached to q rival morning paper
passed me on the way in q buggy.
There was no room for me, how.
ever, and they were soon lost In tho
darkness, calling cheerful farewell