Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-11-23
!. /" eJES Titled
KILN z
How Old Jones Settled
With Curly RilI.

nephew halted their teams for the
night. Old Jones and his relative
were freighters, and the crack Of
their long, shot filled mule whips
and the creak Of their heavy wag-
ons had been heard in half Of the
camps Of Colorado. Il
| The four wagons tonight were
swung into the segment of q circle,
and the mules we're hobbled and
cast loose from the straps in which
through the day they pulled. At
| this relief these grateful slaves
stood about and attested their Joy
in the loud cries peculiar to their
kind, but which are so unfortunate
/ in their lack Of harmony. 70 stop
this racket the nephew went about
| giving them their Vesper feed. This
/ he placed in morrels, or nosebags,
/ which he hung to their hungry
! heads. Old Jones built q FIRE and
began the compilation Of an intri-
cate but savory dish known to those
| happy ones who have the recipe as
"freighter's stew" .a
Supper over, the two freighters
sat about in the. lurking shadows
made by the fires blink and glim-
/ mer, smoking their pipes. All at
once there was connection in the
| band Of mules. Those patient folk
| who had scrambled and pulled all
day over rough mountain trail
with wagons loaded on the principle
Of 200 pounds to a mule, and who
| now in the properties Of mule life
| should be at peace and rest with the
world, were charging about and
snoring in q very alarming way.
"Injunsp' said Old Jones, shoY-
ing back into the gloom. 11njuns,
for thousand dollarsl There amt
| no animal on earth, bar Injuns,
ever makes mules take on that
l;away."
The nephew thought SO too. Old
Jones and the nephew did not fear
an attack. There were no Indians
about that were not described as
friendly.
But what they did fear was that
the mules might be stampeded.
stampeding stock is great aborig-
Einal industry. The Indian will
stampede your cattle or mules and
then claim q dollar head for find
ing them for you. Thus do these
wise sons of nature fill their Golfers
and exact areYenue from those who
cross their lands.
Joseph's nephew took Winches-
ter from the wagon ond began to.
work his cautious, silent way to-
ward the mules. Those last were
still snoring and shying as # prey
to wild alarm. The nephew disap-.
peared in the darkness. Old Jones
placed his hand over his pipe bowl
SO its fiery eye could not be seen
and peered after him into the
gloom.
eBangl Bangl Bangp' It was
the Winchester speaking. It told
the Indian policy Of the border, and
q very sufficient good policy it is
too. Old Jones at the sound heaved
q sigh, but never moved. After q
little the nephew came in to the;
fire. He seemed alert, hopeful and
unrelenting as to the Winchester
Indian policy.
'Did yon stretch one?" said Old
Jones. .. 81
q think most likely I did = said.
the nephew in q sanguine way.
eve can tell in the mornin,, shore. +
Old Jones and his nephew had
visitors in the morning. The whole
Ute tribe and their agent came
down to the freighters' camp. The
members Of the Jones family at
once seized their Winchesters and
alscriousty prepared for war. The
Utes ran about, jumping and yell
ing and demanding vengeance. Old
Jones and his nephew stood silent
and grim behind their wagon and
showed their iron teeth. The agent
insisted on peace. Would the
Jones who had killed the Ute the
night before give himself up? He
would be guaranteed from harm,
but the Utes insisted On his arrest
They (the Indians would attack
the wagons if the criminals did not
surrender. So spoke the agent,
nervous little incompetent, as many
an Indian agent is.
."Give up nothin' " said Old Jones
derisively. SsYou tell them UtesSif
they want anything round here to-
waltz in and get it. 7
The Utes howled and danced still
harder and higher at this, and the
agent talked more earnestly than
ever. He threatened the Joneses
with the power Of the government
!. 4