The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-02
HE FIDDLED ALL NIGHT.
TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE OF
TEXAS STATION AGENT.
Music ut a RevoIver's MuzzIe-Why
s.FfddIinE Jimmie" Gave Up His
Fiddle and Row.

From the New York Mercury.
He was long. Iank and lean. lght-haired.
with pale blue eyes, che product OF the
Missouri bottoms, where things sprout up
with such amazing quickness and then
mature with so much deliberation
When he dropped from train at Dodge
CITY he had an old-fashioned carpet-sack
in one hand. and under his other arm was
a fiddle I'm a faded brown bag. He looked
about him somewhat in wonderment al
the river and the rolling. trceless coun-
try merging into the sky lar away to the
south. and then again at the long crowd
ed street on the other side. lie looked but
for a moment however. and then pro-
ceeled straight to the Office of the South
western Stage Company. His Hquiry
there was short and to the point
Have We got airy job a Teller kin do?''
This was years ago. when Dodge City
was the end Of the overland cattle drive
and fully entitled to its reputation Of a
wild and woolly town. To the south, for
few miles, was a sprinkle Of settlers, and
beyond that all was lonesome and inhos-
pitable.
The Southwestern Company always had
vacancies, says the Philadelphia Times
Along the many routes were certain relay
stations some of which were sure 20 he
in need of keepers There was one line IN
particular, running down to Tascosa, on
the South Canadian. in Texas, stretch
OF two hundred and fifty miles, and Just a
little over half way was station, no. 10
where a man was needed at once. Inc
nav was forty dOlers a month; the duties
were simply TO watch a half dozen mules
and have team ready Tor the weekly
blackboard that performed all the trans
pOrtation, the freight being usually Two
OF Uncle Sans mail sacks. the compa-
ny supplied a gun and ammunition, -four
coffee. salt and groceries. truly, II seem
ed a bonanza 10 our knight of the violin:
There was no haggling over terms ana
Jim Cusenberry. fiddle and carpet bag,
were duly dispatched the very next morn
mig to the field OF his new labors. ANA
Jim was duly dubbed Fiddling Jimmie by
clerk, driver and all who came in con-
tact with him.
Jimmie had been duly informed that he
would find things sorter lonesome OUT az
No 49, but had responded that he didn't
keer a durn for being by HIMSELF the no
die was plenty Of company, so his grub
came regular.
Now. there were certain things about
No. Is that had been discreetly overlooked
in the telling. 1t was thirty-1ve miles
from the stations on either side ana con-
sisted of a square hole dug at the top OF
a steep bank overlooking water mole
sn one of those plains creeks, where such
holes occur at long intervals, the remain
der being simply grass-grown depres-
sion. The hole was rooted with cot
1onwood poles upon which dirt hau Deen
fhrown-a dugout pure and simple Ihege
was a rude fireplace and a hole Tor a
chimney. This was Jimmes residence.
There was a stockade up on the nat Ior
the mules, and with TINS you nave the
No man Who knew the country could
be induced to take No. u Tot love OF
money, so the company had 10 depend
upon the ignorant and the transient. Inc
country was full of rustlers ana COW
thieves. Occasional gangs of Indians from
the nations used to slip along there, Dent
on any deviltry that came handy. When
No. Is was occupied II was a shining
mark for such gentry. The last occn.
pant had been found, not fortnight
before. living out on the fiat with bullet
in the back of his head. The man before
him had had thirty-mie ride Tor ne
and a month in bed from broken leg
nv a Winchester bullet. On such occa-
sions No 10 had been Quilted ana the
mules run off.
possession of his new home. The DUCK
board ratified away, the driver looking
back, sympathetic, but non-commlttal.
For some weeks all was quiet ana peace
full IL was the pleasant season OF the early
autumn Jimmie put a line IN the water
hole and had fish whenever ne wanted.
Twice he shot antelope coming down 70
drink and reveled in fresh meat. lie shot
everything of any size that had wings
and feathers, and being unveIse,d as 70
what was good or bad to eat, cooked ana
tasted all Some he ate and some ne
threw away. The buckboards came by
with prompt regularity, dumping OIL a
sack of -four or meal, and the report
came weekly to headquarters that the fell
Ter with the fiddle out on Lost creek hadn't
The Teller put in his days watching his
stock, fishing, hunting, cooking and eat
fng, and when the chill of the evening
came, after supper he would throw lit
tie wood on his fire, draw up soap box
seat and play on the fiddle until he was
sleepy enough TO roll un IN MS blankets
the man perfect in health and conscience.
But one evening when the shadows had
fallen on all the valleys and the upland,
49, hint Hnh
the west to show where the sun had bid
den it's daily farewell, there came sinking
up Lost creek Crawling Wolf and seven
of his dirty, ill-smelling brethren, foul
birds of the night, ready for anything,
from petty larceny up to murder, provided
the situation allowed crime without dan
They had a herd of stolen ponies cor
rallied some miles below and were coming
UP to see what No. Is might afford in the
way of diversion. In single file they fit
ted along. noiselessly as shadows, now
and then stopping, heads up, to listen, as
is the wont of beasts of prey. Suddenly
Wolf stopped shorter and more suddenly
than usual, giving vent to startled
grunt. All stopped, rigid as statues to
listen. A faint wind rustled for a mo-
ment, died down, and then, from afar,
came an unwonted sound in the wilder
ness. It was the sound of Jimmie's fiddle.
Cautiously the Indians crept closer and
closer until they reached the foot of the
bank at the water hole. Just above them
ehone the light from the dug-out en-
was loud and clear. and at times jim
mics voice was uplifted in old hymns and
camp-meeting songs, reminiscent of other
days back in Missouri. Quiet but swift as
crawling snakes the intruders swept up
the inclines of the clay bank. moment
later they swaTmed in on the musician.
Jimmie was sitting at the side of his fire.
place and his Winchester was near the
door. Thus he was cut off from his only
weapon.
When those Indians came in filing up
the little dug-out, 1 doubt if in all the
world there was more surprised and
frightened being than the keeper of No.
13. The music stopped The hand that
welded the bow dropped as if paralyzed.
Jimmie stared at the apparition, while old
Wolf smiled hypocritically and grunted
How Somewhat treasured by this APP
parent sociability, Jimmie managed TO
gasp out: "Howdy do?"
The sons of the desert deliberately sat
down on the bare floor and old Wolf once
more grunted out:
''Play fiddle more. We like"
Jimmie played something at once, and,
of course, after while wound up with
flourish, as performers do, and stopped.
The sombre audience gave no sign of
approval or dislike. They sat perfectly
still, except that their little eyes glttered
and shOne in the freight like diamonds