The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-04-03
THE PASSING OF JACKSON.
An Arizona Story.

cowboy, whose fiery red hair had gainet
for him the sobriquet of Colorado" tn
Mexican name for red, which was fire
quently shortened to "Colly" among tn
'punchers."
Colorado, who was carefully rolling
cigarette, glanced around the circle o
listeners, as if challenging some one t.
contradict him. The balance of TIL
boys evidently agreed with him, for NJ
one said a word except the kid" ant
he, after taking his pipe from his lip
and carefully knocking out the ashes OF
the heel of his boot, said:
"J'ever have an 'sperience at it, Col
ly?"
Colorado by this time had finished
rolling his cigarette and was waiting TO
the cooks pot-hook, which he hat
thrust into the camp fire to set red ho
to light it.Having done this, and taking
few preliminary puffs, he answered
Yes, l hev', and a mighty tough one il
was, too
cook. "Whar was it, an how did II
happen?"
Yes, Colly, les hear the story
chlmed IN the Kid.
1t was just the time for story. We
had come down to the railroad with a
bunch of "hash-knife" steers, and found
the Little Colorado river, which ran be-
tween us and the railroad, swollen to a
mighty torrent by the rains in the
mountains We had waited 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 a hurry to get them
shipped and off his hands. and so had
just announced that at daylight 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 the cold water was not pleasant
one. But the cow-puncher is much like
the sailor, in that he never stops to
think of getting wet, or cold, or going
into any danger so long as the boss him
self will lead the way, so we were all
prepared to get a soaking the next day
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 a steer to turn back The
balance of us were lying about the
campfire, smoking and talking "hoss,"
subject which is never worn thread
bare in coW-camp. Colorado who
had been idly marking out brands in the
sand in front of him with the end of his
finger, said: "Well, boys, 'taintt much
of a story, but eff you want to hear it,
I'll tell you how it was. Dick, gimme a
bite of your navy" and having slowed
away a huge chunk of Dicks navy"
Colly settled back on the ground and be-
gan:
Il 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 two thou
sand head, an we struck the Little Col
orado river bout the mouth of the Can
yon Diable Wash, where we was to re-
ceive the herd long in June We didn't
have no partickler hapnin' comm
down, and we got the herd turned over
all right, an built squeeze chute an
branded 'em all before we started back,
so as if any got lost the outfit could
claim 'em on the brand; an about the
last of June we pushed 'em off the bed
ground one mornin' bout daylight an 4
pulled our freight for the home ranch.
1.-THE cattle were all good to handle.
J,,'t oi, two 10 ha1
nights, barrin one or two little STAN
pedes, an we drifted on down toward
Lees Ferry without any mishaps, 'cept-
in one night it were a-rainin like all
an | wakes up Teller named
Peck to go on guard. Peck got up an
out on his sicker, walked over to where
mis- pony was tied, an mounted. We
was camped on the banks of wash
,alled Cotton Wood Creek, an along
here the wash had cut down into the
dobe fiat some ten or fifteen feet deep.
Peck he's bout half-asleep, an gets off
wrong for the herd, an rides straight UP
% the edge of the creek. thinkin' all the
line he's a-goin out on the prairie to
he herd. His pony sort of baked on
lin an give a snort, but Peck, 'bein' a
wake, just bathed him with his quirt
IN jabbed his spurs into him. The
,ony give a jump an landed in the mid
lie of the creek, with six or eight feet of |
muddy water runnin in it. Lord, didn't |
,e wake up sudden-like an squat for |
lelp. We all turned out in hurry, but !
lie swan across an the opposite side |
,ein sort of slopin' like, the pony |
crambled out. Then Peck was afeerd |
o cross back in the dark an stayed |
yer thar all night, a-shiverin' an "a
hakin' an a-cursin' like a crazy man. |
When we got up for breakfast that |
nornin' atfour o'clock it was clear an
old an dark. The cook he goes down
o the creek an holers to Peck sort of
arcastic-like, Come to breakfast, |
'eck, an Peck he gets mad an swears
t the cocinero pretty plenty, an said |
f he didn't go back he'd turn loose on
i'm with his six-shooter, an the cook,
ack to the wagon an pulls his Win
hester an starts fer the creek agin, /
hen Jackson stops him an turns him
ack. When it comes daylight Peck
rent down the creek mile an finds a
lace to cross whar it wan so deep, |
nd so gifts back to camp jist as we was
ullin' out.
1.-THE Big Colorado were a powerful
tream when we reached it, bein' all
wollen by the melting SHOWS up in the
fountains, an we all kinder hated to