The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-03-31


tiiit inst thing W Sem ,iibkytt.! Wittfl = 1T
In the middle vi the millin critters, nil la
minute they had crowded pore old Blue
Jay under, an al we seen of jackson was
his hands went up IN then he was lost in
the whirlin n:Ss of horns that was goin
round all round y man had no chance a5
nil to swim, cause their Iiuufs KEEP him
under all the time, an they was packed so
close Il Teller couldn't come up between
EN-, anyway.
"The boys in the boat tried to do sor,e-
thing, but 'twa'n't no use, fer he never
come up, an when they got too close one
big steer throwCd his head over the side of
the boat an purity nigh upset EN-, So they
had to keep away to save themselves But
tlcy KEEP up u-shootin an a-hollcrin til
the leaders finally struck out fer the shore
an in IL few minutes the whole herd was
strung out fer Tie opposite side, an sooner
than kin tell it they WAS all standin on
dry land an not Il single one missin.
"Mrantimc the boys il the boat had
watched everywhere fer pore jackson s
body, but they never got sight of it,
though they went clean into the mouth of
the box canyon. They was lots of big
trees an DRIFT a-runnin, an we guessed his
body had been caught in the branches OF
nCatin tree an carried down with it..
Pore old Blue Jay come floatin past EN-,
an they tried to catch him, but the cur
rent was so swift they couldn't do it. All
they wanted was to get Jackson's silver
mounted bride cff'n him, cause twas
easy huff to see that the pony was quite
dead.
well, tho rest of us crossed in the big
fcrryboat an rounded up the steers, which
was grain up the canyon on the other side,
an moved 'cm cut u couple of miles to
camp Shorty, Ecin the oldest hand in
the outfit, took charge an sent two of us
back to the ferry to try an see if jackson s
body could be found, but the Teller what
run the ferry said 'twa'n't no use lookin
fer him, cause the swift current would
carry him miles an miles down the cam
yon without ever lodgin anywhere So
We went back an Shorty gave it up an
| decided to push the herd on next day. We
was Il blue Ole crowd that night around
the campfire, / tell you. All the boys
| liked Jackson, an besides they was think
III of his wife an two kids what was
a-waitin for him ut the headquarters ranch
up in Utah
"Shorty sent q letter from the next set
| tlemcnt to the ole man, a-tcllin him what
had happened, an we come alCng up with
the cattle, arrivin safely ut the ranch with
out any molc n:isfurtupcs.'
AN didn't they never find Jackson S
body, Colly:" quuricd the Kid.
"Waul," said Colly, that's singular
thing too. When we gets back to the ra::ch
| the ole man he was Crful cut up about it,
an hated to think that the body WASH
| found He'd been down in the Grand
canyon tho summer afOrc with Il lot OF fell
lers, an he said he believed hn could find
| it bout 100 miles below the ferry, cause
thar we're u place thar down i'll the canyCIl
whur the walls Widen out fer some &c
miles, an thar was quite wide valley with
| grassy meadows an trees. So nc takes one
| of the boys an pack outfit an goes OFF
| down thar. They had to leave everything
Oh top of the canyon an climb down a-foot
an pack their stuff on their backs, Tho
walls WAS Il, 0GO feet high thar, IN they had
| II hard time Epttin down. Course 1t was
| jisU scratch, but I'm blcst if after foul
or five days hunt they didn' t find it lodged
| in II pile or drift along the river. Twas
easy huff to tell jackson body, fer he d
had two fingers of his let hand shot of in
Il fight once. So they takes it to Il place
| in the valley whar it was safe from flood,
an burics it as well as they could an tho
next fall, when twas cold he went back
an packed the remains out of tho canyon
| an took them clean to the ranch an buried
pm list as if 1t was his own brother. l tell
you, the boys was ready to swear by the
| ole man after that"
But Colorado's story was finished, and
ls it was about 1920 the second guard
men began putting on ovcrcoats and heavy
gloves preparatory to two hours and hall
of watching the herd.
! The stars were shining clear and bright,
the bells of the horse herd came softly
over the prairie, making a tuneful chime
on the frosty night air, and as united the
rope that bound my roll of bedding and
kicked it out on the ground could not
keep from thinking of poor jackson Is
! death and wondering if the morrow held q
like fate in store for any of us.-Win G,
! Barnes in Argonaut.