The Lamar register., 1897-10-16

oies and so forth. We were fully 400
miles from the living place OF any hu-
man beings. So when all OF a sudden
We saw a man on the hills at a dis
lance In the rear we watched him
pretty sharply He was on horseback.
travelling quietly along in the same
direction we were headed. Gen. Mills
asked me II had any OF my men
out had none. and We made up our
minds that 1t was an Indian.
As we drew nearer. however. / saw
II vas a white man. and in a few
minutes / recognized my old aequaint-
anec. California Joe And a curious
spectacle 20 behold he was. He was
mounted on a tough. battered-up look
ing old bronco with saddle that look
60 as though IL might have seen ser
slee since the days Of the Forty-niners.
MS dirty huekskin lesEings had been
SO shrunkeu b. frequent weitiugs and
erylngs that they were drawn up above
the tops OF his boots and nearly TO his
knees His boot heels we're so worn
down that they were nearly obliterated
and his buekskin shirt was q maze Of
crease and dirt He had a Navajo
blanket and an old blue army overcoat
strapped to his saddle, while on one
side Of the bronco there dangled
piece OF raw elk meat His rife was
an old Hawkins muf,leloader.
Hello. Jos.' / shouted as soon as
he WAS within hearing Where In
the world are you going away on
here1''
'oh, nowheres IN perticklsr." he re-
piled: -jest out fer mGrnin' ride"
Gen, Mills and the ofhsers had heard
OF Joe. and when introduced him All
around they greeted him very warmly
They pressed him with questions and
did the same. But Il was no Us.
We could get nothing out Of him save
that he was lest out fer a mornlp.
ride. As he had said when I hrz, han-
ed him.
We'll. Joe said at last. don,
you want to go along with usg''
~waai. no. he said slowly; least
wise unless you've go, some terbaocer.
l dany travel with no Government out
at unless they've got terbaecer.T
Tobacco was rather scarce in the
command. but such Of the officers as had
any contributed their mite. and Joe
was supplied temporarily and agreed
to 20 with Us HIS knowledge OF the
country made him Invaluable as
guide. although he was generally trail
ing along behind with the soldiers,
swapping his lies for tobaeco-for Joe
WAS 4. notorious expert at drawing the
long bow.
He kept along with US without event
for several days. until rather late one
afternoon, when we were nearing
Cloud Peak. In the Big Horn Mount
aims. had dropped back to ask Gen.
Mills about how many miles further
on we would go before camping. and
found Joe. as usual. retailing a yarn
for a chew OF tobacco, While talking
with Gen Mills we noticed that the
advance guard had come 20 a halt and
we're examining something on the
ground with every appearance OF great
interest II was an unusual thing for
the advance guard to stop for anything.
40 that our curiosity was greatly
aroused to know what II was which
they were looking at It proved to be
only a grave but grave made with
such care, so beautifully and heavily
covered with stones to keep out the
prowling wolves, that II told a very
touching little story OF its own OF de-
voted friendship.
A. We stood grouped about II Joe
came up. He looked at the grave for
a moment. and then suddenly dashed
his greasy coyote-skin cap on the
,-ouza. and in a voice that thrilled