New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-12

wagon boss afore he left to ferry the outht an
horses over in the boat but to SWIM the steeis
you know how Lees Ferry is; the river CohvH
ont az q box canyon above an the sides break
away a little an then mile below IL goes li'o
the box agin, where the walls Is three thOusai,u
feet high an the current runs like nlII-Idce
IL was shore a nasty place TO SWIM puhch VI
"teers an Jackson. the wagon-boss' ne khV"eu
we had a big job on hand when we got theio
Jackson was the best wagon,boss l ever see SEA
worked under He was tall, slim CHAP c rd
outwork any two men in the OUTFIT WASH aleeIu
Of nothn', an, though he couldn't read no'
write, tell you. boys, he saveyed cows morp
KNOWN lie didn't let the steers water the DAY
before SOS they'd be powerful dry an take 10
the river easier ~ - ,ho
ferryboat which was a big concern Iong ehul
to drive a four-hoss team onto an when was
rowed by six men. The cook ne was hhsh.S
skeery bout goin' onto this here boat, cause ne
said bout a year afore that hed been a-puhcn-
ing COWS i'm Southern AriZony an feller there
shipped "A lot Of cattle up inter Cahforney 10 Pu'
on an island near Los Angeles. Ihey l9adeu Ell.
onto fat scows with high railin rouhd EN- an
out bout fifty head each scow an puhcher
on 1t to look out fer em. Coin over 10 the
island the tug what was a-towin EN- py III,
horn OF the saddle to speak, busted the string
an thar bein quite a wind a-bl0"ln, an Dig
ole waves a-noppin' around, the fOur sco"s Ue
gan to butt an bump up agin one another nv
a lot Of muley bulls a-hghtln. an the caille So'
10 runnin' back an forth an a-beiIerih an a.
bawIin' an them punchers. they shore 'houEh'
their last day had come. The COOK ne never eN
pected to see dry land agn, an ne Jlst Vo"tu
II ever he got back to the prairie that he q
punch no more COWS on boats.
We'll bimeby the tug got new larlat onto
'em agin an corraled EN- an sate ehu' d, ,,S
wharf but the cook lowed he war a dryland
terrapln an wouldn't ever agin get into no
such scrape. not ef he knOwed hlsset HOW
sumever. he did get up nun spunk 10 tac .NL
the ferry. an went over safely. After we got
the wagon acrost, we went back an started the
cattle down the side canyon what leads INTO the
crOssin'
"Jackson's dee was to git the bosses ahead
Of the steers an let ern follow the bosses. You
know bosses swim anywheres. an the cattle VIII
alters foIIer 'eIn. So ne puts three men in lit
tie boat two to row an one to lead a hoss.
KNOWN the balance would foHer him night
across
THE boss wrangIer he'd tn bosses all ready.
an jist the leaders of tn" herd came down
to the waters edge the boys in the boat pulled
out a-leadin' a boss an the other HOSES fol-
Tered right in an was soon a-sWimmln Iheh
when they was all strung out an dom fine. we
crowded the steers into the water after ern
They was all powerful dry an took to the water
easy huff an afore the leaders knowed 1t they
was a-sWimmin' in fine shape. jackson wouldn't
let US hOllcr shoot till got EN- all inter the
water an then We jerked our siX-shootcrs an
began to FOG 'em an yell like bunch OF
COmanchcs
You all know thar's only thing to be
afeerd Of in swimnlin' lot Of cattle. and that's
when they gets TO millin'. Jackson had SWIM
cattle across the Pecos I'm Texas. an the Yellow
stone In Montana, an saveyed 'xactly what to
do But this here Colorado at Lees Ferry Is a
bad place to tackle. fer you're bound 10 get on
the other side afore you get into the box canyon.
or your names Dennis. cause once Teller gifts
into the canyon he's got to go on clean down
hundred miles afore he can strike level place
big enuh 10 crawl out on.
soon as the cattle got we'll strung out Jack
son began to undress hisseN He took off ali
his clothes but his shirt an then he buckled his
six shooter hit around him an pulled the saddle
off-n his boss.
al Coi IN n cAi
| IT, are you an he says No not less have to:
but If they gets to millin out thar Wei lose the
whole herd an the only way to break it up is
to ride out an shoot among EN- an skcer EN-
He knowed ii were risky for n anything went
wrong he was shore to BE- carried into the
canyon an drowned. But Bill Jackson want
the sort Of a wagon-boss 10 stop at anything to
save the herd. an sure nun bout the time the
| leaders got fairly into the middle Of the river
Z long comes big cottonwood tree a-driftn' an
whirlin' down stream right into 'em That
skeert EN- an turned EN-. an fore We knoWed
/ it they doubled back the balance an
swimmin' round an round for az the world like
drftwood in a big eddy In cfeek. This was
what Jackson was afcerd of, an he pushed his
boss into tn. river an takes his six-Shooter in
his hand He rdn' a little Pinto pony they
called Blue jay, one Of the best all-round COW
ponies ever see.
"Old Blue Jay he jst seemed to sabe what was
wanted Of him. an swan long without any
fuss. When Jackson gifts out close t. the millin
steers ne begin TO holler an shoot an he called
TO the fellers in the boat TO come back an try
to stop 'em. Now. you all know what a risky
thing ii is 10 go near steer a-sWimmn in the
water. for he's sure 10 try to climb up on you
Jackson knoWed this. but he swan Blue Jaw
right slap-dab inter the bunch an tried to scat
ter EN- an stop 'em from min'.
Just how it happened We couldn't tel. but
first thing We seen jackson was right in the. .
middle of the millin critters. an in a niuuf
they had crowded poor old Blue Jay under an
all W. seen of jackson was his hands went uI
an then he was lost in the Whrlin' mass ~
horns that was goin' round an round \ man
had chance at all 10 swim cause their honfs
KEEP him under all the time. an they was packed
so close a Teller couldn't come m between '.ro