Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-05-22
The Story Teller.
A TIN CUP VERDICT.


The sun was low toward the western
peaks when old Jones and his nephew
halted their teams for the night. OLD
Jones and his relative were freighters
and the crack of their long, shot-flled
mule whips and the creak Of theil
heavy wagons had been heard in hal
of the camps in Colorado.
Tha four wagons tonight were swung
into segment of a circle, and the mules
were cast loose from their straps ir
which through the day they pulled
At this relief, these grateful slaves
stood about and attested their JOY ir
the loud cries peculiar to their kind
but which are 80 unfortunate in tbeil
lack of harmony. To stop this, the
nephew went about giving them thei'
vesper feed. This he placed in MORALS
or nosebags, which he hung to theil
hungry heads. Old Jones built little
fire and began to the compilation oi
an intricite but savory dish known tt
those happy ones who have the recipe
as "freighter's stew"
Supper over, the two freighters sal
about in the lurking shadows made by
the fires blink and glimmer, smoking
their pipes. All at once there was 6
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 il
an alarming way.
"Iniuns /" said old Jones, showing
back into the gloom. "Injuns for 81,
0OOl There amt no animal on earth
bar Injuns, ever makes mules take or
that way"
The nephew thought so too. Old
Jones and the nephew did not fear at
tack. There was no Injuns about that
were not described as friendly.
What they did fear was that the
mules might be stampeded. Stamped
ing stock was great aboriginal in
dustry. The Indian will sneak up
flap q blanket, stampede your mules
and cattle and then claim 81 head
for finding them for you. Thus dc
these wise. sons of nature fill their cof'
fers and extract revenue from those
who cross their lands.
Jones's nephew took a Winchester
from a wagon and began to work hif
silent, cautious 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 nil
pipe bowl so its frery eye could not be
seen and peered into the gloom.
"Bang! Bang! Bangp 1t was the
Winchester speaking. 1t told the In
dian policy of the border, and very
sufficient policy it is too. old Jones al
the sound, heaved a sigh, but never
moved. After a little the nephe"
came into the fire. He seemed alert
hopeful and unrelenting as to the
Winchester Indian policy. :.
"Did you stretch oneT" said olc
Jones.
II think most likely I did," said the
nephew in a sanguine way. 1--WE cal
tell in the morning, shore. :"
The mules were now quiet. FIRE
arms had no terror for them. IheJ
could stand the odor OF gunpowder
hut of Indians-bah ! No mule o
taste could stand it a second. Attel
another half hour old Jones and hl!
nephew kicked out the embers OF thel
fire and went to sleep. .
Old Jones and his nephew had Vlsl
tors in the morn. The whole Ute tribe
and their ageut came to the freighters
camp. The members of the Jone'
family at once seized their Winches
tiers and alacriously prepared for war
The Utes ran about, jumping and yen
ing and demanding vengeance. ole
Jones and his nephew stood silent ant
grim behind their wagons and showed
their iron teeth. The agent insisted
on peace. Would the Jones who hat
killed the Ute the night before Civ
himself up? He would be guaranteed
from harm, but the Utes insisted upol
his arrest. They, the Indians, Wouif
attack the wagon if the criminal dit
not surrender. So spoke the agent,
nervous little incompetent, as many 81
Indian agent is.
"Give up nothing" said old Jone
derisively. "You tell them utes l
they want anything round yere II
waltz in and get it." =,
The Utes howled and danced still
harder and higher at this, and tn
agent talked more earnestly than ever
He threatened the Joneses with th'
power of the government. This wa
too much. They would fight tn
whole Ute tribe, but they were afrait
of Uncle Sam. After brief parley
the nephew stepped out and gave him
self up to the agent. He would have
displayed more sense if he had remain
ed behind his wagon and died in the
smoke of his Winchester.
The agent, the nephew and the Ute'
did not 20 mile toward the agency
hefore the Indians took the nephew