Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-03-02
A TIN CUP VERDICT.

| PEAKS Wnen Old Jones ana his nephew
halted their teams for the night. Old
Jones and his relative were freight
ers, 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 a circle,
and the mules were cast loose from
the straps in which through the day
they pulled. At this relief these CRATE
full slaves stood about and attested
their JOY in the cries peculiar to their
kind, but which are SO unfortunate in
their lack of harmony. 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 COM
pilation of an intricate but savory
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
commotion in the band of mules The
patient folk, who had scrambled all
day over a rough mountain trail with
wagons loaded on the principle of
1000 pounds to a mule, and who now
in the proprieties of mule life should
be at peace with the world, were
charging about and snorting in a very
alarming way.
"Injuns!' said old Jones, showing
back into the gloom. sInjuns for
81 900! There amt no animal on
earth, bar mi uns, 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 a great aboriginal indus
try. 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 a revenue from those who
cross their lands.
Jones' nephew took a winchester
from wagon and began to work his
cautious, silent way toward the mules.
These last were still snorting and shy
ing as if prey to wild alarm. The
nephew disappeared in the darkness.
Old Jones placed 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
winchester speaking. It told the In
dian policy of the border, and very
sufficient policy it is too. Old Jones
at the sound heaved sigh, but never
moved. After little the nephew came
in to the fire. He seemed alert, and
hopeful as to the winchester Indian
policy.
''Did you stretch one?" said Jones.
81 think most likely did," said the
nephew in a sanguine way. eve can
tell in the morning, Shore"
The mules were now quiet. Fire
arms had no terror for them. They
could stand the odor of gunpowder,
but the Indians-bah! No mule Of
taste could stand it d second. After
another half hour old Jones and his
nephew kicked out the embers of
their fire and went to sleep.
Old Jones and his nephew had visit
ors in the morning. The whole Ute
tribe and their agent came to the
freighter's camp. The members of
the Jones family at once seized their
winchesters and alacriously prepared
for war. The Utes ran about, jump
ing and yelling and demanding ven
geance. 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
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. So
spoke the agent, a nervous little man
incompetent, as many an Indian
agent is.
"Give up nothing" said old Jones
derisively. 'You tell them Utes if
they want anything round yere to
waltz in and get it."
The Utes howled and danced still
higher and harder at this, and the
agent talked more earnestly than