The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-10
1.-TWO BITS"

Hello, you've got a giant here" 1
said to my blue-coated guide as
wandered through the little military
graveyard at Camp Downing, and
stopped by a big mound all alone in
one corner.
The other fellow touched his cap in
salute before the tall white head
stone, and dropped a, handful of smoke
bush blossoms on the grave
''Tain't no man. sir-it's boss; it's
old Two Bits"
But why is he buried here with the
soldiers?" 1 questioned
Buried here, sir? Why you must
be a stranger sure; I thought every
body knew about old Two Bits an his
sayin' company A
at was two years ago when them
Apaches, that eastern folk thinks so
much of. was raisin' the devil They
raided the ranches below here an kill
ed a lot of women an children, an run
off all the stock: an company A was
sent out after 'en1.
"They ambushed us at Dirty Creek,
more'n twice as many of 'em as we
thought was this side of San Carlos;
but we managed to git into little
CIulllp OIL SCEu.J-OdhS jill Iltlu Gil Oll
till shutdown.
"Then our captain see it was all up
with us if help didn't come from the
post: an he called for a volunteer to
ride old Two Bits past them devils an
carry the word.
Two Bits had been on the track in
his young DAYS, an held the belt for
lons-winded runnin' Many's the time
I've seen Cap clean up hatful of
Mexican dollars racin' him ag'in the
cowboys ponies. He was big chest
nut sorrel with white feet an white
face; an him al Cap loved each other
like twin brothers. I've knowed Cap to
go hungry lots O. times scoutin', sos
old Two Bits could have his hard
tack; an he'd hold UP his head an
drink out of a canteen like a reg'lar-
you be- it was mighty dry times If
that old boss didn't git his share.
well, mere'n a dozen of the boys
offered to go, but Cap picked out
Curly White, the toughest an light
est man in the lot, to do the ridin.
while they were gittin' him ready
Two Bits just stood an rubbed his
that if we didn't hear the old troop
bugles before mornin it wouldn't be
his fault.
Then Curly grabbed his gun an
swung into the saddle; an we all hol-
Tered an yelled an made a break for
the Injun lines on the side away from
the post, like we was bound to go
through. That give Curly a chance,
an he took it, you bet. Old Two Bits
shot up that valley like a streak-but
there was a trail of Apaches behind
him We see Curly drop the reins an
turn in his saddle an go to shootin'
an the Injuns fell back a little.
NThe race was nip an tuck for a
mile, an once we see old Two Bits
stagger like he was hit; but he kept
his feet an passed out of sight in the
hills. Then the dark came down an
we waited. No we wasn't Injun bait
that time-the bugles of the old Third
was a-ringin' in the valley by daylight,
an them Apaches got a lesson they'll
be long time forgettin'.
can Curly an Two Bits?' Well,
Curly was shot clean through, but he
lived an is wearin shoulder-straps to-
day. An Two Bits? Poor old Two
Bits! He carried the word, an he
carried two big balls from an Apache
rifle till he fell dead at the colonefs
door,
1.-THE men he saved put him here; an
l don't reckon none O. them that
sleepin' long-side grudges him his
room. "-Sharlot NJ Hail. in the New
Bohemian