The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-23

me to join the train, and not to think
about going alone. but L was confident
that I could make the journey success
fully. I allowed the train TO leave a
day ahead of me, and, as luck would
have it, Mrs. DenisOn, a woman in Den
yer. offered me $50 if 1 would take her
and her two children and some bag
gage with me. She was to furnish her
own provisions and do her own cook
ing, and the $50 was for the bare trans
portation Of herself and baggage. I
accepted the offer gladly, both for the
sake of the money and for the sake
OF having company.
During the first eighty miles of our
journey we did not pass or see a single
house. and the first building Of any de-
ScriptiOn that we came to was a stage
station. After three days travel. and
when we were within ten miles of the
station, we came suddenly upon the
ruins of the fifteen wagons that had
left Denver ahead of ours.
My passenger was frightened almost
into commissions, and the terror OF the
children was indescribable. By sheer
force of will, / kept up my courage.
l got out and made a careful eXami-
nation of the ruined train. The In
dams had piled the wagons up and
had made a bonfire OF them. There
were evidences of a struggle. The grass
was damp with blood My passenger
was sitting shiveTing int the wagon.
did not care to tell her what I had
discovered. Il guess somebody's been
camping around here, i said, and
they have left. some of. their stuff be-
hind. Let's go ahead.P
q q -
When we reached the station crowd
of men came rushing out, to ask if
we were refugees and how we escaped?
When we said that we were unpro-
tected and defenseless. travellers. with
out escort. the men were superstitious
about II, and said that the Lord had
been riding along with US, and I felt
/ that way myself
some OF them were men who had es-
capped from the wrecked wagon train
Ihey told US that the Indians had onIy,
Killed one OF the party but that many
were wounded. The slain man had been
ildslily buried in an old wagon box for Il
I coIhn. The survivors had lost all thar
ttney had possessed, but were glad to
4 4 ~ AAANAuAi0 nUhEIEQ ABOUT Nne neigh
/ DorhoOd for some time, and why they did
not attack the little station where we
l were assembled is something I never
/ iould Understand. Indians are queer.
aney came SO near US that they picked
/ or and killed the man who was herding
| the stage stock, and they left his body
Tor our men to bury.
In the morning my companion Mrs
benson, mad somewhat regained com
poSure, and the children, poor things
were all right. The stage coach came in
from Denver and the driver put up his
horses when he heard what had han
/ pened, and said that he would not travel
anOJner mile without an escort Of SOL
/ diers. So we sent a messenger to Denver
/ to see about getting the escort.
meanwhile 1 had made ND my mind TO
take my chances and go ahead I thought
/ mat seeing / had been so lucky uD to
I date, the luck would remain with me-
l hitched my horses 10 the wagon Then
J. told Mrs. DenisOn to get ready If
/ she was going along with me, for ] was
aaoout to start again. She refused point
| blank, to go.
She called TO the men. This poor mad
woman is bent on going forward to her
: destruction Then they all came around
I me, all talking and eXclaiming and asking
whether ] had taken leave Of my senses,
/ and if 1 was tired of life
Let me talk ] said. when lull came
/ IN the clamOT Of protests. Il am my own
/ boss. ! am free born, free minded and
]
well. that is my lookout, after all But
nothing viii happen. must 60. You
can't stop me-
At that the agent for the stage said
| blusteringly: See herr, my good woman,
/ ! simply Will not allow you 10 take this
I Journey alone. / refuse 10 let you start
I VIII some OF you men put up this mad
/ woman's team and hide the harness?''
. l was very mad, and 1 guess / looked H..
L felt my eyes kind Of snap, and L said:
/ Mr.. Agent, IL you have papers for my
/ detention. show them to me. If you have
I not got them you cannot detaiu me.
/ legally and l will go. You or any other
man will attempt TO stop me at your
/ peril had big siX-shoOter hanging
! from my belt
Then stalked into the house and said
to Mrs. Dennis: See here, what am
to do with your plunder?" Plumber was
| the by-name for baggage.
Take II on 10 LeaVenWOrth CITY said
/ she. IN go by the stage. and I'll get
States freight office with the plumber and
/ you'll get paid there" Her husband was
/ freighter and was employed at that Of
/ flee.
We'll" I said, "even if T am not TO
/ carry you, l cannot take your plumber
at less than $50, for the risk is just the
same, and the trouble is not mich less o.
I AN right" she said. III be there ahead
/ Of you on the stage and III see that you
/ get paid
Ali the men were out and were watch
ing me. They thought to the last that
would weaken But ] went straight to
my team, and at that the agent came
forward.
81 see you are determined to go ahead, -
l he said
You might have seen that from the
/ first" says I. Then I said lot moro.
! I always thought that men were mostly
| fools, said 1, and you here are no eX-
ception- You don't apply your thinking
powers; but then, perhaps you haven't
any. Now, just 10 quiet you, I will tell
you how l have reasoned this thing out
and why have determined to take this
/ journey alone.
The Indians nave struck their bows
1 and have skedaddled. They don't know
I that the troops are slow They think that
they are up and cunning for them by this
time. So the redskins have skOOted to
the mountains, and you Won see neither
! hide nor hair Of them around this neigh
| bOrhoOd for months 10 come They'll be
( perfectly content for a long time. They
made big haul and they never lost q
/ buck. Don't think they are fools Never
( Judge anybody by yourselves, far less In
dians.
And on I went alone, and after max
/ ing thirty-five miles I had a good nights
/ sleep and got up refreshed, while my
/ horses were gay with their rest.
On the fourth day out the stage coach
passed me The passengers gave me a
! cheer, and 1 hOllered back. Hang on to
/ your scalps, and I'll hang on TO mine, "
{ or some such chaff as that. You see,
after all their scare, [ had been I'm the
/ right and there wasn't an Indian any
where around.
At the stage office I found Mr. Deni-
/ son, and delivered his goods to him. He
paid me my $50, with many admiring ex-
3 Carnations, saying that I deserved 800
/ more than fifty. He was happy over the
Z safe arrival Of his wife and children, and
/ his wife had been telling him all kinds of
! fine things about me, how I was Drawer
Z than any man, etc.
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