The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-28
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JACKSON.


49, TELL you. 1elIowa 'fasnf no fun
IN 30 swim . bunch q stsers when
NJ the water II ~ cold ~ II n
The spealrer was . short,
fhsck-set COWBOY. whose dery
red hair had gained for HIM the soorfQuee
az ~CoforAdo,'' tho MEXICAN name for red.
which was frequently shortened 10 ''cosly''
among tbs ..puncherM"
Colorado. who was carefully rolling .
cigarette, glanced around the circle OF rs
teners, a. II challenging some one to con-
trndict him. The balance Of the Boys esf-
dantiy agreed with him. for no one said =
word except fha KID aud he. aftef tai.
ing his pipe from his tips and carefully
knocking out the ashes on the heel OF his
boot said:
syever have any 'sperience ~ It.
ColIyr'
Colorado by this time had finished roll
ing his cigarette, and was waiting for tho
cooks pothook. which he had thrust into
fine campfire. to get red hot to ighk H.
Having done this. and. taking few pre-
hminary ouifs. he answered: TIES. hev'.
Ard 4 mirhty tough one II was. too.''
"Teii us about IL. Colorado" said the
cook "whar was II. an how did Il hap
penT'
Eyes. coily, let's hear the story" chinned
In the Kid.
II was just the time for = story. We
had come down 10 the railroad with
bunch Of ''hash-knife'' steers. and found
the Little Colorado river. which ran be-
tween liz and the railroad. swollen TO q
mighty torrent By the rains in the noun
tains We had waited four days for II to
60 down, bur Il seemed rather to rise =
little each day. A. the feed was poor and
we had lots OF work 70 DO. the bass was
In q hurry 10 ret than shipped and OF hts
hands. and 20 had Just announced that At
daylight the next morning he meant to
Try to swim the herd across II was late In
November and the weather was snappy
cold. Cvercoats and heavy clothes were
IN absolute necessity In the night on
guard around the herd. and the idea Of 60
lng into the cold water was not pleasant
one. But the cow-puncher 10 much Ike
the sailor, In that he never stops to think
Of getting wet or cold. or going into any
danger 10 long ~ the boss himseH will
lead the way. 10 We were AL prepared 70
got q soaking the next day.
II was thar pleasant time II the even
inx between sunset and dark The herd
was bedded down near camp. and the nrst
guard wers making their rounds, with
mover q steer to turn back. Tho balance
Of IN were lying about tho campfire.
smoking and talking hos" . subject
which IN never worn threadbare In = cow
camp. Colorado who had been Idly mark
liag out brands In the sand In front of him
Win the end u his finger. said: We'll.
boyA faint much Of story. but Ct you
want 10 hear Il. III tell you how Il was.
Dick. ginme hit a. your navy" and
having slowed away . huge chunk a
Dicks navy" yCoiiy settled hack on thu
ground and began:
II was workin' for ths Diamond outft
up IN Utah, bout three years ago. an the
otd man he came on down here into Ar
coma an bought bunch of steegs to take
up thar. He had written his wagon boss
20 como down with an outfit big enough 10
handle 2.oo head, an We struck tho Little
Colorado river bout the mouth o& the
Canyon DIAblo wash. where We was TO re-
celve the herd long In June. We didn't
have no rertickler hap'nln's comm down,
and We got the herd turned over all right,
an built 'squeesc chute an branded 'em
all before we started back. 20 ~ u any rot
lost tho OUTFIT could claim 'em on the
brand: an about tho Inst Of Juns We
pushed 'em on the bod ground one mornin'
bout daylight an pulled our freight ior
the home ranch.
'sThe cattle were oil good 70 handle. an
didn't give us no trouble 10 hold nights.
harrin' one or two little stampcdes. an we
drtfted on down toward Less ferry with
out any mishaps. 'ceptin' ono night Il were
a-rainin' like all possessed. an wakes
up a Teller named Peck TO 20 on guard.
Peck got up an put on his slicker, walked
over 10 where his pony was tied. an
mounted. We was camped on the banks
OF a wash called Cotton Wood creek. an
along there the wash had cut down into
the 'tiose hat some ten or ffteeu fee< deep
Peck he's bout half asleep. an gets or
wrong for the herd, an rides straight up
Ia tho edge of the creek thinkin' all the
time he's a-xnin' out on tho prairie 60 the
herd. His pony sort OF balked on him
an give n snort. but Peck heiu' 4 crcss-
grained sort Of euss. an only half awake
Just hated him with his qutrt and jabhed
his spurs into him. The pony give a jump
an landed In the middle az the creek, with
s.x or eight feet ~ muddy water runnin'
IN a. frrd. didn't no wake I'D sudden
like an sauail fer hslpI We all turned out
In hurry, hat he swan across an tho
opposite side bein' sort Of siopin' like. tho
pony scrambled out. Then Peek was
sfeerd 10 cross tack In the dark, an
stayed over thar all night. a-shivcrsn' an
u shaktu' an a-curssn' like a crazy man
When We got up for breakfast thar MORN
IN at o'ciock II WAS clear an cold an
dark Tho cock he gees dawn 20 the creek
an hofiers 90 Peck sort 80 sarcasfse-tIk~
Gene 60 breakfast. Peck an Peek he
gets maj an swSarS ~ tha eoctnero pretty
plenty. an saii ef he didn't gro back he'd
turn ioese On him with his sixrshooser an.
the cock ssein' pretty ro,lscky htssaif he
Scse aaek 10 the wagon AN pulls his VIM
chester ar starts fer the creek agin when
jackson steps him an turns him back
When Il come daylight Peck went down
che creek mile ar tnds place 10 cross
wha< II wasn't 50 deep. and ~ gifts back
90 camp Jist ~ we WAS Gsatlfn' out
The nsx Colorado were a pswars,s,
stream when we reached IL. helm all
swollen ~ re rSlttn' SHOWS up IN the
mountains, an we all kinder hated to
tackle ~ Tire cid rsn told the waa-ua
tsss afore NJ l"Fs IN FAIRY the ousfs an
horses over In tae beat. has to SWIM tho
steers
''fea know Aow Less ferry &c. tsa r4ve-
comes cut ~ a box eaISon as-sye an. tha
sides break away little an tAen A mile
tssow IL goes ssssa a box n&tn. where tha
walls - zs0 test hisf. an tAe e.rrs,r I
rams like y ra;1traee X WAS shore n rNx,v
place "a mvfns n bunch ~ steers an Jack
son TIE wagon tsssS Re knowes. wa has