Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-02-01
A TIN CUP VERDICT.


male whips and the creak u their heavy
wagons had been heard Ia half Of the
camps q Colorado.
Tho four wagons tonight were swung
+ into the segment e circle, and the
mnles we're cast looee froln the straps IA
which through the day they pnlied. At
this relief these grateful slaves stood
about ard attestea their Joy in the loud
cries peculiar 10 their kind. bus which
are 50 unfortunate IN their lack u har-
mony To stop this tho nephew went
about giving them their vesper feed.
( This he placed in morals or posebags,
which he huag to their hungry heads.
Old Jones built little FIRE and began
the compilation Of an intricate but sa-
worry dish known 60 those happy ones who
have the recipe as 'freighter's stew "
Supper over. tho two freiehters sat
about in the lurking shadows made by
the fires blink anS e@immer. sssokins
their pipes All at once these was
connection in the band of mules. These
patient folk, who had scrambled and
pulled ell day over a rough mountain
trail with wagons loaded on the princi-
pie of 200 pounds TO q mule, and who
now in the proprieties Of mule life
should be at peace with the world, We're
charging about and snorting in o very
alarming way.
"Injunsif' said old Jones, showing
back into the gloom. ''lnjuns for
81 ,000 There amt no animal on earth,
bar Injuns, ever makes mules take on
that away. I"
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 DO stampeded. Stamped
ing stock is d great aboriginal industry.
The Indian will sneak up. flap blanket,
stampede your cattle or mules and then
claim 81 head for finding them for
you. Thus do these wise sons of nature
fill their Golfers aud exact a revenue
from those who cross their lands.
Jones nephew took winchester from
a wagon and began to work his eau
tious, 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 ripe
bowl so its fiery eye could not be seen
and peered after him into the gloom.
Bang Bang Bangi' 1t waa the
winchester speaking. Il told The Indian
policy Of the border. ana a yesy suffl
eient policy it is too Old Jones At the
sound heayed sigh, bat never moved.
After little the nephew came in to tho
fire. He soefaed alert. hopeful and uure-
lenting as TO the winchester Indian pol.
icy.
Ibid you stretch ones' said old Jones.
Il think most likely did. said the
nephew in sanguine way. We can
tell ia tho morning. shore.
Tho mules We're now quiet Firearms
had DO terror fer them. They could
stand the odor Of gunpowder, but Of In
diaEs-bahl No mulo Of taste could
stand it q second. After another half
hour old Jones and his nephew kicked
cut tho embers Of their fire and went 10
sleep
Old Jones and his nephew had visit
ors in the morning. The whole Ute tribe
and their agent camo to the freighters
camp. The nemberso Of the jones family
at once seized their winchesters and
alacriously prepared for war The Uses
ran about, jumping aud yelling and de-
manding vengeance. 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 night before give himself upY
He would be guaranteed from harm, but
the Utes insisted on his arrest. They,
the Indians, would atfnck the wagons
if the criminal did not surrender. So
spoke the agent, nervous little incom-
petent, as many an Indian agent IL.
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 aud danced sill
harder and higher at this, and the agent
talked more earnestly than ever. He
threatened the Joneses with the power
Of the government. This was too much.
They would fight the whole Ute tribe,
but they were afraid Of Uncle SAM Aft
CT brief parley the nephew stepped ont
and gave himself up to the agent. He
would have displayed more sense II he
had remained behind his wagon and
died in the smoke Of his winchester.
The agent, the nephew and the Utes
did not go a mile toward the agency be-
g. - F..ls....a k~rf1 fta ,,<.x.f.<.ssy s,4
/ tying him to pine tree spent several
blissful hours in torturing him 20 death
Tho agent was powerIess to interfere.
Jones, The elder. knew the truth tbs
evening of the same day. He turned 8
little pale under the 30 years Of tan
which Drowned bis face, but said moth
ing. As well as he could he managed To
hitch up his teams and went ahead
/ fIis course was slow. Where the ,0fps
was easy the nephew's tearn--eight
mules--could follow tbs others and got
along all right. Where IL was rough old
Jones halted them and after driving bis
own team over cane back for them
Two months later the old psar nm
loaded his freight at camp IN the t5un
nison country He told the story q his
nephew's death and charged il to the
agent. The popuIace agreed with him to
man. Old Jones insisted that the
agent should likewise suffer death. Pub
! lie sentiment rushed 10 the Same con
clnsioD. Every man IN the Tin CUP dis
trict who heard Of the matter at once
advised Jones to go back and kill the
miserable agent or to hire come one who
would Never was public sentiment 80
uniform IN matter before. L was
beautiful
HIRE some one to 10 back and Kill
4 the agent
This struck old Jones', who bad strong
commercial Instincts. a. good thing.
He inquired for soma one who would
undertake. tbs enterprise Hs did not
think IL slionIa coss reuch.
Is i DECD easy fo 10. ho said.
Juss xi4s - lnly ID q tie axancx and