The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-02-04
HOW WE
HUNG SHED
A Pathetic Tale Of
Frontier Life =. :.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER

name of Shed no one ever knew or
cared, l reckon; but his big. round,
red face heavy red beard and brick
dust hair plainly have to answer for
Red. the first part OF his name. He
was big. stupid and heavy. with low.
soft voice and a kindly manner. with
very little TO say He did not use a
jackknife' to whittle dry goods boxes
and hitching posts. like most men when
loafing about the door of the saloon,
but stood with his big. heavy legs wide
apart. his broad shoulders stopped and
his hands thrust deep In his pockets,
as II on the deck of ship.
Sid Berry, his partner. had a pack
train and a big. bIrly wife. with jaw
like wolf trap. She could ride mule
and she could drive n mule as well as
q Mexican could. and that meant that
she could swear terribly. No one knew
where Berry and the woman came
from. Inafact. nobDdy knew or cared
to know where anybody came from.
We had all tumbled in there together
when gold vas found-a long line of
US on oursWay from California. through
the wilderness. to Idaho. We had found
gold by chance one day about noon.
and before night we had city" stak-
ed OF, and every man. the big woman
included, had a lot and q mining
claim. We did not know where we
were. We only knew that we were
several hundred miles from the near
est white habftatiop. that we were q
lawless mob and so must have law and
order. a recorder to record our claims
and town lots. judge to pass judg-
ment and sheriff to enforce 1t.
And SO one night by the light Of
great pine knot fire In the center Of the
"city square the men and that woman
met and elected Mr.. Goodwin. now a
rich and respected wholesale merchant
In San Francisco. recorder. Tom
Hound. the butcher was elected sher-
iff and the; writer Of this judge.
Shed had big. woolly black dog de-
voted to him. and the woman was de-
voted to him too We boys all saw this
very soon Where there are only about
one woman and fifty to several hun
dred men the boys are apt to see what
Is up.
The pack. train was soon on for The
Dalles, 200 miles distant. Berry, his
big wife. Shed. the big woolly dog and
all together. In q month the caravan
came back all right. and we had the
city already built. and We had grave
yard started up on the hill. too. for we
had taken some whisky with us from
California.
After q time the pack train started
for The Dalles again-Berry his big
wife, Red Shed. the woolly dog and all.
One morning four miners met the
pack train about half way from The
Dalles as they were coming back to
Canyon City with horses loaded with
supplies The big woman rode the bell
mule at the head Of the pack train and
swore Justify al the men and their
laden horses for not getting out Of her
way faster. Behind the pack train
came Red Shed shuffling along. leading
his horse and with head held down.
The dog was not to be seen. and Berry
was not In sight either.
But as they crossed spur Of the
mountain and came to creek they
saw off to the right. or rather the first
bend, old woolly bowling dismally by
the edge Of thicket. The dog did not
seem to see them or notice them. but
would start on after the pack train,
then stop and howl as II to tell the big
woman and Red Shed that they had
forgotten something.
So when the dog. after bowling q
minute or SO, turned about and ran
back into the thicket. one Of the men
| handed hia bride to the miner nearest
him In the trail and. gun In hand. went
to see what was up.
There lay Berry In the edge Of ths
bush dead-shot through the head. hi'
hair all blood and hIs torn clothes al
dust from having been dragged there.
The men wrote everything down In
q little notebook with pencil, SO tina
there could be no mistake about th'
facts, and Then. having nothing to di,
a grave with. they found hollow
place not far of on the hillside ant
laid the body there. covering 1t with
heap Of stones.
They said nothing when they go
back till the pack train came In. Shed
the big woman. the big woolly dog toe
The pext day after the pack trail
got back Tom Hound. the sheriff. call
ed at the big woman's camp. She wa
washing o pair of blankets and the wa
ter was bIeody. she told Hound tina
Shed had Killed an antelope and tied
while yet warm on top Of his pack.
Where was Berry? oh. Berry an
she had divided up at The Dalles. H
had gone his way and she had com
her way, "and that Is all there is G
that!'
Her fingers snapped In the air. sh
tossed her big head as she turned O
her big heel and her jaws snapped liI
,, steel trap.
Hound found Shed. the shadowy ol
dog at his heels. out on the hill wit
. the mules. His feet wide apart. b
hands deep in bis pockets and b
a bead bent low. be was watching a y
lie colony pf ants reforming their cur
ous little city. a mule had set its fo
In this ant bill. and the big man. wit
head down. was SO busy, 50 sarFI
he watched them that be did not see
hear Hound TIL his hand was On b
, shoulder.
] .AI right. Tom; only let me lead Il
r mules down to water and sort er be-
;. 'em up bit"
The trial was held in the city squa
that uiglt by the light Of big log ai