The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-12

whetted steel that the Indians fingers
closed
Inc cherokee staggered back. cover
ing his wounded hand with the palm
of his other. He must have been in
considerable pain, but he bore it stoicaI-
~. He stood a moment gazing at the
ugly cash; then glaripg at the team
ster, he gave vent to a fiendish grunt
and skunk out Of the door.
MI. Bill Dangler stepped to where
MS knife was still sticking In the table
top, and lifted it as drop Of crimson
fell from his edge to the table. He
wiped the blade upon his knee and re.
turned 1t to the sheath. II had thought
fore now" he remarked, coolIy, chat
II this here Injun Teller didn't quit
foolin' with things SO permiscuous like.
ne would shore hurt hisself"
The late proprietor of the White
FaWn bar at Dutch diggings delivered
himself thus: "Concernin' this Iniun
deal l has this to say: Since this gent
had won the money in a fair and hon
est gamble, Injun had no right to set set
up a claim for it. But since he did.
and since he hurt hisself asserting of
mat claim. he blames Bill here, and
shore lays to make him trouble"
guess l amt none afraid, but I
don't look for Injun to cross my trail"
CA'' OA 1lls ILL DdnSleT.
Indians is the kind Of people that
stabs in the back; Injun will drop into
your trail all right, but most likely
where you can't see him.
Nope, not at all, 1 guess"
Mr.. Bragg slid his hands into his
trousers pockets, and a faraway look
came into his eyes. "I allows as how
every man has a right to his own opin-
ion. but 1 holds as how the best of us
m1ScalkilateS sometimes
The timepiece, which hung high I'D
on the wall above the range of stray
pistol balls, struck o'clock, and pres
entity darkness reigned in Bragg's
place.
An hour and a half later, Mr.. Bill
Dangler, uttering many reproaches for
a fate that demanded such early rising.
began throwing the harness on the ami
mails Of his team. When he turned the
rays OF his lantern upon the two large
bundles Of wooden stuff strapped in
their place on his wagon he bethought
MN OF what was contained in the little
cases In the centre Of those bundles,
and kept the flame at thoroughly re-
Spectful distance
Inc lantern was extinguished the
teamster climbed to his tall seat. the
brakes were thrown off, and, aided by
ICrclble words Of encouragement, the
team got under way. The horses plod-
49, oPiiiiA Luz quarter a nile. sud-
oenly the grinding Of rock beneath the
wheels informed the teamster that ha
had reached the Little Summit.
stretching away in front of him for
nearly three miles lay Jack Rabbit Run,
narrow, shelf-like grade DESCENDING
Sharply into the canon below. Mr.. Bill
Dangler stopped and critically ex-
amined his brakes. 1t was customary to
let teams go at a swinging gait down
Jack Rabbit Run, but for good and
sufficient reasons custom was not to be
conformed with this time.
Mr.. Bill Dangler knew that just
ahead of him lay narrow little bridge,
or rather culvert. Upon the mountain
somewhere was spring. and a tiny
stream of water trickled down the face
of the bluff and ran across the road,
thence falling sheer more than a
hundred feet on to the rocks. The
water had worn a narrow rift, several
feet In depth, across the road.
This was spanned by three broad,
heavy boards resting on the stout
cross-pieces. AS his leaders reached the
culvert Mr.. Bill Dangler felt, rather
than saw, his horses swerve in toward
the wall. A moment later the outer
front wheel plunged down, and the
great wagon turned outward and over
The deniZens of Bragg's place and
vicinity We're aroused from slanoer by
Some fancied it was accompanied by
faint trembling of the ground, but
the fancy may have been alcoholic
A few minutes later just as the first
signs of coming day We're approaching,
Mr.. James Bragg and Mr.. Hi Simpson,
in scant attire, met in front of the for
mer's place of busin ass
Did you hear some noise?" asked
Mr.. Bragg.
Il reckon yes,'' replied Mr.. Hi sstrnp-
son.
When all the men had assembled,
they were unanimously of the opinion
that they had heard something, ard
this something. in a vague way, they
seemed to associate with Mr.. Bill
Dangler. Mr.. Bragg and Mr.. Hi Simp-
son were deDuted as a committee of
investigation. Without the interview
ton of saddles between themselves and
the animals they bestrode, these gen.
tlemen Hoped off UP the road. Once
over the Little Summit. they found it
necessary to proceed at slower pace.
The day was rapidly growing light
The men kept a sharp lookout, but were
unable to discover anything unusual
until they approached a certain narrow
little bridge, or rather culvert. Here
some loose earth and stones lay in the
road, and gazing over the edge of the
grade at the rocks hundred feet be-
low, the teanSler ana tne> OJnef saw
that something certainly had happen
ed. A great hole was rent in the earth,
the pieces of newly split powders lay
scattered about, and here and there
were fragments of something which
seemed to bear no distinct relation to
either earth or rocks.
Mr.. Hi Simpson came up and closely
scrutinized the place.
'Injun!' he exclaimed.
Tho pr0nriatnr of Rra onI
late proprietor of the White Fawn bar
at Dutch Diggings thrust his hands
into his trousers-pockets and a far
away look came into his eyes. He adj
dressed his words more to himself than
to Mr.. Hi Simpson.
81 allows as how every man has Il
right to his own opinion. but 1 holds
as how the best of us miscalkilates
sometimes" he said.
Rufus NJ. Steele.
San Francisco. May, 1885,