The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-06-07

sun-up. The G~rindstone Butts Law
about a mile ahead of us. Looking
back. we saw the %Injuns coming over
. rise Of ground way I'm the distance
snow" says my friend. II know a
short cut through those hills thatll
bring us out at Johnson's. They've
got enough punchers there to do tho
United States army up-starched and
blued. Shall we take it?"
"Sure!" says i. "I'm only wan.
dering around this part OF the coun.
try. because this part Of the country
is here-if il was anywhere else I'd bs
just as glad"
So in we went. II was the steepest
and narrowest kind Of canyon, look
ing as IL il had been cut out of the
rock with one crack OF the AK. | was
just thinking: "Ge whiz! but this
would be "a poor place to get snaggcd
in" when bang, says a rifle right in
front of as 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 n good deal.
"Cusscd poor shot whoever he is"
says my friend. "Some Iniun holding
us here till the rest come up, | pre-
sume?"
That's about the size Of it-and
I'd like to make you a bet that he
does II, too. il | thought I'd have a
chance to collect"
"Oh, you can't always tell-you
might lose your money" says he,
kind of thoughtful.
Il wouldn't mind that half as much
as winning" says /. "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 a bit" saws he.
II 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 f~oolishness.
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"
lie talked so calm il made me kind
OF mad. well" sayi ], 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?"
"You see that block Of stone just
this side of him with the square face
towards us? Well, he's only covered
in front, and I'm %a'going to shoot
against that face and kctch him on
the glance"
Great. IL you could work it,"
says I.
well, watch!" says he. Then he
squinched down behind his cover. so
as not to give the Injun an opening.
trained his cannon and pulled 10
trigger. The old gun opened -.
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 +. "You
make many cigars at this
game."
"Now don't You get oneasy?" says
he. '.Just watch"
"Biif." says the old gun, and this
time. sure enough. the Iniun was
knocked clear of the rock. I fel.
all along that he wouldn't be much
Of a comfort to his friends after
wards. if that gun did land on him.
Sthl, he wasn't so awful dead. for
as we jumped for the horses he kind
Of hitchcd himself to the rock, and
the rifle across II. and working
the lever with his left hand. he sent
a hole plumb through my hat.
Bully boy.' says j. / snapped at
him, smashed the lock of his rifle To
Then, of course, he was our
meat.
As we rode up to him. my pard held
on him. The Injun stood up
and tall. and looked us
in the eye-say, he was a man,
tell you, red-skin or no red-skin.
The courage just stuck out on him as
stood there, waiting to pass in his
My pardner threw the muzzle of his
up. II can't do it--he's game
the heart OUT" says he.
Then we shocked along down to
Iohnson's and had breakfast:
What became of Frosthead and
lis gang" Oh, they sent out "A rcgi-
or two. and gathered them in
bout 25 soldiers to an Tnjun. No.
10 harm was done. Me and my pard
the only ones that buckcd mp
gainst them-chuck out a cigarette.
Kid; my lungs ache for want OF a