Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-14

battery would scatter an elephant
over q township.
I'VE Hoped along quiet and easy until
sun-up. The Grindstone Butts lay
about a mile ahead of us. Looking
back, we saw the Injuns coming over
a rise of ground way in the distance.
'tNow," says my friend, 81 know q
short cut through those hills that'u
bring us out at Johnson's. They've
got enough punchers there to do the
United States army up-starched and
blued. Shall we take it?''
"Sure!" says l. "Pm only wan
dering around this part of the coun-
| try, because this part of the country
is here-if it was anywhere else I'd be
! just as glad.''
So in we went. It was the steepest
and narrowest kind of canyon, look
| ing as if it had been cut out of the
rock with one crack of the ak. was
just thinking: see whiz! but this
would be poor place to get snagged
in," when bang! says rife right in
| front of us and "m-e-arr!" goes the
bullet over our heads.
We were off them horses, and be-
hind a couple of chunks of rock, SOON
er than we hoped for, and that's say
ing good deal.
ssCussed poor shot whoever he u.s."
says my friend. 'sSome Injun holding
us here till the rest come up, I pre-
sume?''
Chats about the size of it-and
I'd like to make you bet that he
does it, too, if I thought I'd have q
| chance to collect
"Oh, you can't always ten-you
might lose your money" says he,
kind of thoughtful.
81 wouldn't mind that half as much
as winning" says I. "But, on the
square, do you think we can get out?
I'll jump him with you if you say SO,
although amt got what you might
call a passion for suicide
"Now you hold on Bit" says he,
ST don't know but what we'd have
| done better to stick to the horses, and
run for it, but it's too late to think of
that: Jumping him is all foolishness,
| he'd sit behind his little rock and
pump lead into us till we wouldn't
float in brine-and we can't back out
now"
He talked so calm it made me kind
of mad. ssWen,' says I, Gin that case,
let's play Simon says thumbs up till
| the rest of the crowd comes.''
"There you go!" says he, "just like
all young fellers- gett:n' hosstyle
right away if you don't fall in with
their plans. Now, Sonny, you keep
your temper, and watch me play
! cushion carroms with our friend
there"
Meaning how?"
khok - 3D.
this side of him with the square face
towards us? Well, he's only covered
| in front, and Pm a'going to shoot
against that face and ketch him on
! the glance"
"Great. if you could work it,"
says I.
'We1l, watch!" says he. Then he
squinched down behind his cover, so
as not to give the Injun an opening,
| trained his cannon and pulled the
trigger. The old gun opened her
mouth and roared like an earthquake,
but didn't see any dead Jnjun. Then
twice more she spit fire, and still
there weren't and desirable corpses to
/ be had.
"Say, pardner!" says I. "You
wouldn't make many cigars at this
camel"
"Now don't you get oneasy?" says
he. 'tJust watch!''
"Biff!" says the old gun, and this
! time, sure enough, the Injun was
knocked clear of the rock. I felt
all along that he wouldn't be much
of a comfort to his friends after
wards, if that gun did land on him.
Still, he wasn't so awful dead, for
as we jumped for the horses he kind
of hitched himself to the rock, and
laying the rifle across it, and working
the lever with his left hand, he sent
a hole plumb through my hat.
"Bully boy!" says I. I snapped at
him, smashed the lock of his rifle to
flinders. Then, of course, he was our
meat.
As we rode up to him, my pard held
dead on him. The Injun stood up
straight and tall, and looked us
square in the eye-say, he was man,
I tell you, red-skin or no red-skin.
The courage just stuck out on him as
he stood there, waiting to pass in his
checks.
My pardner threw the muzzle of his
gun up. 81 can't do it-he's game
from the heart Quit" says he.
Then we shocked along down to
Johnson's and had breakfast.
tsWhat became of Frosthead and
his gang?" Oh, they sent out regi-
ment or two, and gathered them in
bout 25 soldiers to an Injun. No
no harm was done. Me and my pard
were the only ones that bucked up
against them-chuck out cigarette,
Kid; my lungs ache for want of
smoke.-Idler.