The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-03-11
THE PASSING OF
BILL JACKSON
BY Will @. Barnes

TTELL you, fellows. faint no fun
to swim bunch Of steers when
the water is as cold as 1t is now"
The speaker was a short, thick-set
cowboy, whose fiery red hair had gained
for him the sobriquet Of Colorado"
the Mexican name for red, which was
frequently shortened to "Colly" among
the "punchers."
Colorado, who was carefully rolling
cigarette. glanced around the circle
of listeners, as if challenging some one
to contradict him. The balance Of tho
boys evidently agreed with him, for
no one said word except the kid"
and he, after taking his pipe from his
Lips and carefully knocking out the
ashes on the heel Of his boot, said:
"J'ever have any 'sperience at 1t, COL
ly?"
Colorado by this time had finished
rolling his cigarette, and was waiting
for the cooks pot-hook, which he had
thrust into the campfire, TO get red
hot to light 1t. Having done this. and
taken few preliminary puffs. he an
tough one 1t was too"
Tell US about it, Colorado" said the
cook "Whar was it, an how did it
happen?"
Eyes, Colly, les hear the story"
chimed in the Kid.
1t was just the time for story. We
had come down to the railroad with
bunch of "hash-knife" steers, and
found the Little Colorado river, which
ran between US and the railroad,
swollen to u mighty torrent by the
rains in the mountains. We had wait
ed four days for it to go down, but it
seemed rather to rise little each day.
AS the feed was poor and we had lots
OF work to do. the boss was in hurry
to get them shipped and of his hands,
and SO had just announced that at day
light the next morning he meant to
try to swim the herd across 1t was
late in November and the weather was
snappy cold. Overcoats and heavy
clothes were an absolute necessity In
the night on guard around the herd,
and the idea Of going into that cold wac
ter was not n pleasant one. But the
cow-puncher Is much like the sailor,
in that he never stops to think Of get
ting wet or cold, or going into any dan
ger so long as the boss himself will lead
the way. SO we were all prepared to
get @ soaking the next day.
4, 1t was that pleasant time in the even
Ing between sunset and dark. The herd
was bedded down near camp, and the
first guard were making their rounds,
with never steer to turn back, The
balance OF us were lying about the
campfire, smoking and talking "hoss,"
a subject which is never worn thread
bare in COW camp. Colorado, who had
been idly marking o1irr brands in the
sand in front of him with the end Of
his finger, said: well, boys, faint much
of a story, but eff you want to hear it.
LII tell you how it was. Dick, gimme o
bite of your navy" and having slowed
away huge chunk of Dicks navy"
Colly settled back on the ground and
began:
81 was workin' fer the Diamond out
fit up in Utah, bout three years ago.
an the old man he come Off down here
into Arizona an bought a bunch of
steers to take up thar. He had written
his wagon boss TO come down with an
outfit big enough to handle 1000 head.
an we struck the Little Colorado river
bout the mouth Of the Canyon Diablo
Wash, where we was to receive the
herd long in June. We didn't have
no partickler hap'nin's comm down,
and I'VE got the herd turned over all
right, an built squeeze chute an
branded 'em oil before we started back.
80 as If any got lost the outfit could
claim 'em on the brand; an about the
last Of June we pushed 'em of the bed
ground one mornin' bout daylight, an
pulled our freight for the home ranch.
"The cattle were all good to handle,
an didn't give us no trouble to hold
nights, barrin' one or two little stam-
pedes, an we drifted on down toward
Lees Ferry without any mishaps, 'cept-
in one night 1t were a-rainin' like oil
possessed, an l wakes up q Teller
named Peck to so on guard. Peck got
up an put on his slicker. walked over
to where his pony was tied. an mount
ed. We was camped On the banks Of q
wash called Cotton Wood creek, an
along there the wash had cut down into
the 'dobe fat some ten or fifteen feet
deep. Peck he's bout half-asleep, an
gets Off wrong for the herd, an rides
straight up to the edge of the creek,
thinkin' all the time he's a-goin' out on
the prairie to the herd. His pony sort
of baked on him an give a snort, but
Peck, bein' cross-grained sort Of cuss,
an only half-awake, just bathed him
with his quirt, an jabbed his spurs into
him. The pony gave n jump an landed
In the middle OF the creek, with six
or eight feet Of muddy water run
MIN in it. Lord, didn't he wake up
sudden like, an squall for help. We
all turned out in hurry, but he swan
across, an the opposite side bein' sort
of slopin' like. the pony scrambled out.
,le