Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-01-25
OVER THE TELL.
,~~~~A~~~~~AMAAAAAAnAMn

I'm d SedC on a DOX IN the
shade OF the big mesquite tree in
'front.' OF the courthouse where the bows
OF the day shift generally congregate
dIUer supper to smoke and talk over
the incidents of the day.
The first mornin' we was clippi n
along through country that l
Rnowed every foot of; used to drive
a stage over it for Uncle Ben HOLIDAY
n>itter of forty year ago. knowed
every valley, crick, foothll and noun
tam butte. i knoweSl we was comm
10 the head of DEVILS gulcb. where
Jumpup Johnny used to live before
the Raphahoes got him, and | BEGAN
10 wonder if they would go down the
IRAN at the gait we was Ilnockin' of
uhen. L sort of grabbed the seat and
meld on, but, sir, they dropped over
Ihe nil so easy that if I'd "a Shet
my eyes l would not have knowed it."
ne grabbed the seat" and vet day
dIter DAY down that same gulch on
d worse trial he had sent six thor
oughDreds on dead run, dragging
aIter Them a swaying stagecoa CHI,
where the fall of horse or the slim
OF wheel would have hurled all to
destruc ton.
The last time I pulled Uncle Rem
Holiday over the trail we was iumned
by 'Rapahoes. We didn't happen to
"a'e any outbound passengers that
mornrn, only me and Uncle Ben and
MS hhgSers, and the express and mail.
we was a-sailin' along when | noticed
some pony tracks in the trail, and
says TO Uncle Ben, Get the gun ready
LOT we are apt to be jumped by In
Jins. just then we topped a little
rise, and there was band of Rama
noes about 400 yards away. Take n
Shot at en- / says. | had a good
Henry rifle. and Uncle Ben blazed
away, burt for some reason missed
and they came for us. Uncle Ben o,o>
sorter white about the mouth. but
settled down in the seat and saws
quiet like:
Hank g.
All right I says Hold tight >
There was nothin' but thoroughbreds
on Uncle Ben's lines through the Lniin
countries. He wouldn't have a boss
fnat could not do his mile in less than
TWO minutes on them runs, and I'll
bet he thanked his God for il that
day. Maybe we didn't 90. You bet I
kept my foot off the brake and made
that 2O-foot lash whistle and snap
over them thoroughbreds' backs.
rms, with the Iniins yellin' and
shoutm' behind. sent us into the Will
lows ahead of time. 1 begun to blow
my horn long before we got to the
STATION and the stock tenders ami
guards knowed there was somethin'
wrong and come out to meet us.
When the Iniins saw them, they went
the other way.
We'll, Sir, the 'Rapahoes used to
run me into the STATIONS time and
again. I've had the coach riddled
with bullets and arrows. and once 1
went into station with an arrow
IN the flank Of the right wheeler. One
time j remember I had an army colo
mel and his wife and children, a cap-
pafn and his wife and their servants.
all bound for Fort Laramie. We was
jumped by Injins and piled the mail
and cushions about the women. and
children in the bottom of the STAGE
and Started in to make a. runnin.
hight. Them officers were dead game.
You bet. and for miles and miles wa
put up the prettiest runnin' fight that
a man would want to see. II was
touch and go through lots of time.
Dut as we got close to a station they
neard us a-shootin' and came ont.
AT flrst the Injins thought they would
come on, but the stock tenders had
long range rifles and knowed how to
use EN-. and them Iniins was soon
a.huntin' for a thick hill a long way
on. I've forgot them officers names
OUT l bet If they're alvin they re-
member me and that days ride on the
Laramie trail. An army officers life
was no picnic them DAYS.
used to throw off the brake M,
,ne oud to the six+horse team. tie tbo
mes 10 seat brace, take nv Henry
ana drop on my knees in the front
OooC and shoot over the seat. MANY
ana many's the single-handed runnin,
Ignt We put up that way. Sometimes
q De jumped by Injins two or three
nines IN one days drive of rs mills
~ was a bout all the excitement there
was In them days that a Teller could
really enjoy. We'd drive over orr.
uIVlslon OF Is miles in one dav and
lack the next. Generally there was
TOUT or hve stations with CHANCES oF
horses on the run. VI
BUT as we whooped it along in that
Palace car reckon it came To mo
more IMAM ever that times is cbang;n,
ana that am gettin' old. hut
Plncned myself ITO see if I was awake
over on that hill is where Ewenecked
0hlitn and his gang of bull-whaclxers
was corradled by Cheyennes and lost
al ther stock and over two-thi Of
ehe men before one of the bows pot
oack from Fort Laramie with the sol.
oiers. L see there's schoolhouse ON
the hTll now. Up that little gulch rim
nm Off the valley wonder was where
me vlgilantes rounded I'D Wartnosed
Johnson and his crowd and lvncbed
rhe whole gang. There's a farmhouse
now at the mouth of the gulch and a
Dig crop of corn in the valley below
At a town where we stopped for noon
drove up to once alone to find the
only house then in the town, a STAGE
station, burned down, the station
keeper and the stock tenders killed
scafped. half roasted and chopped H..
and the stock drove off. / had TO
drive to the next station without
change OF bosses. Now it's a bip
town with trolley cars and such. and
there l was kFtin' along at 40 mile an
hour l reckon smokin' a two bit
cigar, and all had to do was to press
a arttle button and a niger in uni.
form would fetch me liquor. Change?