The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-11-29

" -
Il parted from that wagon hesStatiug
and reluctant. but two soldiers to ezch
leg will bust any mans grip. / ioss some
clothes, too, after we hit the ground
but | needed the exercise.
The old man was alone in his oihce
when they dragged me in, and he seiIk
my guards out.
SO you found your voice, did spup
he says.
Yes, sir I answers. 1t came back
unexpected. regular miracle
He drummed on the table for long
time, and then says, sort of immaterEl
and irreverent, You're pretty good
mule puncher, ehs'
1t amt for me TO say I'a the bese
in the Territory | says; but I'm GU
rious to meet the feller that CLAIMS tfIe
title
He continues, 1T reminds me OF an
exhibition | saw once, back in New
Mexico, long time ago, at the Little
Flatwater Canyon
Maybe you've heard tell OF tire
fight there when the Apaches were up
Yes? Well, l happened TO be in thai
scrimmage.
"1 was detailed with ten men 10 con-
voy a wagon train through to For
Lewis. We had no trouble till we came
to the end of that canyon, just where
she breaks out onto the flats. There WE
got it. They were hidden up on the
ridges; we lost two men and one wagon
before we could get out onto the pTas-
RE.
L got touched up in the neck, hrs1
clatter, and was bleeding pretty badly.
still hung to my horse. and we stood
'em off till the teams made il out OF the
horse fell and threw me-broke his leg
| yelled to the boys.
"'"Go on! For Gods sake, go onr'
Any delay there meant loss of the whole
outfit Besides, the boys had more than
they could manage, Injuns on threG
sides.
eve had a Young Texan driving thE
last wagon. When i went down hri
swung those six mules of his and cannr
back ups that trail into the gut, where
the Rlllets snapped like grasshoppers.
1t was the prettiest bit of driving
ever saw, not to mention nerve. He
whirled the outfit between me and the
bluff on two wheels, yelling, Climb ors
Climb on! We amt going to stay long
/ was Just able to make ii onto the
seat In the turn they dropped one on
his wheelers. He RAN out on the tongue
and cut the brute loose. We went raj
Ting down the gulch behind five mules
All the time there came out of THAI
mans lungs the hercest stream of pro
family my ears ever burned under.
was pretty sick for few weeks, SO &
never got chance to thank that team
ster He certainly knew the mind of ass
army mule. though. His name was-let
NEE e-Wiggins--yes. Virgins
"'Oh, no, it wasn't breaks ia, fooi
ish; it was Joyce
Then | stopped and felt like kid, FOR
the Colonel comes up and shuts the
circulation out of both my hands.
"I wasn't sure of you, Bill, he says
till saw you preside over those mules
out there and heard your speech--then
I recognized the gift He laughed like
boy, still making free with my hands.
TIM darn glad to see you, Bill joys
Now then, he says, tell me all aboux
this killing up in the hills and'I done
So
after I finished he never said ans
thing for long time, Just drummeS
the desk again and looked thoughtful
It's too bad you didn't speak out.
Bill, when you first came in. Now, you.
We showed everybody that you can talk
just a little, anyhow and he smiles,
and they all think you're the mar
caused the trouble don't see but thar
you've got,to stand trial. wish could
help you, Bill
But see here, Colonel j says; Z
couldn't squeal on. "Kink."' We're pard-
1lers. just had to give him chance
to cut. played dumb cause ] knew il
I talked at ALL being simple and guile
less, you all would twist me up and
have the whole thing in a jiffy. That
man give me the last drop of water in
his canteen on the Mojave, and him
with his own tongue swelled clean ouf
of his mouth, too. When. we was snow
ed in, UP in the Bitter Roots, with me
snow-blind and starving, he crawled
from Sheeps-Horn clean to Miller's--
snow twelve foot deep, too, and nary a
snowshoe in miles, but he brought the
outfit in to where ! was lynn bout gone
in. He lost some fingers and more toes
watering through them mountain drifts
that day, but he never laid down till he
brought the boys back.
"tColone we've slept on the same
blanket, we've ct the same grub, we've
made and lost together, and I had to
give, him a skew, that's ALL I'm into
this here trouble now. Tell me how I'm
going to get out. What would you do Z
He turns TO the open window and
says: Partners are partnersi That's
my horse out there at that post. If
were you I'd run like hell
THAT was the willingest horse ever
rode. and hated to sell him, but he was
tolable used up when / got across the
line"
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