The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-03-11

cursin' like crazy man. When we
got up for breakfast that mornin' at
four O'Clock it was clear, an cold, an
dark. The cook he goes down to the
creek an hollers to Peck sort Of sar-
castic-nke: Come to breakfast, Peck
an Peck he gifts mad an swears at the
cocinero pretty plenty, an said eff he
didn't go back he'd turn loose. on him
with his six-shooter, an the cook, bein'
pretty rollicky hisself, he goes back
to the wagon an pulls his Winchester
an starts fer the creek agin, when
Jackson stops him an turns him back.
When it come daylight. Peck went
down the creek mile and finds q
place, to cross whar it want so deep,
an 30 gifts back to camp jist as we was
pullin' out.
"The Big Colorado were powerful
stream when we reached 1t, bein' all
swollen by tie melting SHOWS up in
the mountains, an we all kinder hated
to tackle it. The old man told the wag-
on-boss afore he left to ferry the out
fit an horses over in q boat, but to
swim the steers.
"You know how Lees Ferry is; the
river comes out OF a box canyon above
an the sides break away a little an
then a mile below it goes into the box
a9in, where the walls is 5000 feet high
an the torrent runs like millrace. It
was shore nasty place to swim .
bunch of steers, an Jackson, the wag-
on-boss, he knowed he had big job on
hand when he got there. Jackson was
the best wagon-boss l ever see er
worked under. He was a tall, slim
chap, could outwork any two men in
the outfit, wasn't afeerd Of nothin', an,
though he couldn't read or write, 1 tell
you, boys, he saveyed COWS heap.
What he didn't know bout COWS want
worth KNOWN. He didn't let the steers
water the day before SOS they'd be
powerful dry an take to the river
easier.
I'VE fust got the chuck-wagon over on
the ferry-boat, which was big con-
Germ, long enuff to drive four-hoss
team onto an which was rowed by six
men. The cook he was mighty skeery
bout goin' onto this here boat, cause
he said bout year afore that he'd
been a-punching cows in southern Ari-
zony an Teller there shipped lot
Of cattle up inter Californey to put
on an island near Los Angeles. They
loaded 'em onto fiat scows with high
railin' round 'em, an put bout so head
on each scow an u puncher on it to look
out fer EN-. Coin over to the island
the tug what was a-towin' 'em by the
horn Of the saddle, SO to speak, busted
the string, an. thar bein' quite wind
a-blowin', an big ole waves a-foppin'
around, the four scows began to butt
an bump up agin one another like
lot of muley bulls a-fghtin', an the
cattle got to runnin' back an forth an
a-bellerin' an a-bawlin', an them
punchers, they shore thought their
very last day had come. The cook he
never expected TO see dry land agin.
an he jist vowed If ever he got back
to the prairie that he'd punch no more
cows on boats
WELL bimeby the tug got new lar
lat onto EN- ag:n an corraled 'em all
safe enuff at the wharf, but the cook
lowed he war dry-land terrapn an
wouldn't ever get into no such. scrape
eft he knowed hisself. Howsumever, he
did get up huff spunk to tackle the
ferry, an went over safely. After we
got the wagon ncrost, we went back
an started the cattle down the side can
yon what leads into the crossin'.
"Jackson's idee was to git the bosses
ahead Of the steers an let 'em follow
the hosses. You know bosses swim any
where's, an the cattle will alters foller
'em. So he puts three men in little
boat, two to row an one to lead boss,
KNOWN the balance would foller him
right across.
'"rhe hoss wrangler he'd the bosses
all ready, an jist us the leaders of the
herd come down 10 the waters edge the
boys in the boat pulled out, a-leadin'
boss, an the other bosses follered in
an was soon a-swimmin'. Then, when
they was all strung out an dom fine,
we crowded the steers into the water
after 'em. They was all powerful dry
an took to the water easy huff, an
afore the leaders knowed it they was
a-swimmin' in fine shape. Jackson
wouldn't let us holer or shoot till we
got em all inter the water, an then
we jerked our six-shooters am began to
fog 'em an yell like a bunch of Co
manches.
"You all know thar's only one thing
to be afeerd Of in swimmin' lot of
cattle, and that's when they gets to
millin'. Jackson had s,vum cattle across
the Pecos in Texas, an the Yellowstone
in Montana. an saveyed 'xactly what
to do. But this here Colorado ut Lees
Ferry is bad place to tackle, fer you're
bound to get out 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
20 on clean down about hundred miles
afore he can strike a level place big
enuff to crawl out on.
"Soon as the cattle got we'll strung
out, Jackson began to undress hisself.
He took Off all his clothes but his shirt,
an then he buckled his six-shooter belt
around him an pulled the saddle Off n
his boss.
II says: Bill. you amt a-goin' to try
to swim it, are you" NO. not less
have to; but # they gets to mlllin' OUT
thar We'll lose the whole herd, an the
only way to break it up is to ride out
and shoot among 'em an skeer EN-
He knowed it were risky. for if any
thing went wrong .he was shore to be
carried into the canyon an drowned.