The National tribune., 1904-08-11

day came aspund again should divide
them up into proper messes of five to six
Wen, in, ,regNlatinn style, and also would
organize my own mess.
had given the men orders to pick up
their harness off the ground where they
had dropped, lit. land hang 1t on their hind
wheels-wheel harness first, swings next
and leaders on top-and to put their
collars and brides under the wagons.
While some pf them We're complying with
this order. One Jig muldtto fellow. Louie
Marshall, stepped up and began to inform
.'Lindley alloWs us to-
| shut hiBI iT' instantly with
''That'll do. sir. When You speak "f
your Wagon Master put Mister before his
name, / don't care to know what Mr..
Lindley did or didn't. I'm running this
outfit now. and l think understand my
business. | don't want any of your ad-
vice or suggestions. You do just what
tell you to do. and do it promptly. and
you'll have no trouble" And i gave him
Il look that must have convinced him that
he had better obey my orders without try
ing to argue the question. for after look
ing at me Il moment he mumbled out some
apology for speaking. and moved off with
alacrity and hung up his harness as d.
rected.. And this was one of LindleyS deS-
peradoeS
Thereafter. whenever opportunities Oc-
cured. took particular pains to give my
| orders to these bullies-these dangerous
men of whom Lindley had warned me to
beware-in a very decisive manner, and
also to require their prompt obedience. l
gave them to understand that they would
be allowed no special privileges. as here
tofOre, nor shown any favors above the
other men-that all must obey orders
alike. and do their duty promptly. l knew
that if these worst ones were brought to
proper discipline would have no trouble
| with the others. and therefore devoted my
special attention to them. They soon
seemed to arrive at the conclusion that l
was going to be master there, and would
put up with no foolishness: and although
for a while they were a little sullen, they
gave me more prompt obedience than
had expected.
AS may be ina gined was kept very
busy for some time demonstrating that
| rawhide outfit; but / kept the teamsters
and workmen at the shops busy. The
foremen Of the blacksmith, wagon and
harness shops We're a little sulky at first
| about doing all the work | was taking to
them. for they, too. had been doing about
| as they pleased previously; but when they
found that Capt. Thomas was backing me,
and We're told that if they didn't do my
work promptly he would get other men
| who would. they came to time nicely.
AS the young Spring grass was now
| getting n pretty good growth. | had the
mules that were not needed for work kept
| ont on herd every day from daylight till
dark. instead of having them tied up to
the wagons most of the time. as had been
| the rule; and the poor beasts soon began
| to show great improvement in flesh on
| their bones and new coats Of hair.
Most of the SINNERS seemed to soon
| take up with the new order Of things, and
evinced considerable interest in the recon
| structiOn of the train. which l was car
| rying on; but. still, some of them seemed
DESTROYS of trying me now and then in
! some new way, Among other things they
| appeared to want to find out whether /
| could use the fine ivory handled navy that
| | carried on my belt, or if it was just for
ornamental PURPOSES / carried it. In those
days / kept myself in good practice and
| could shoot pretty we'll at short distances
of from 20 to 30 steps
AN EXHIBITION OF CRAFTSMANSHIP.
! had bought a turkey from a woman
who came around selling poultry, and kept
| 1t staked out near my tent, tied by the
leg. feeding il, pp for future dinner. One
day skinifer came rushing into the tent
to tell me that my turkey had got loose.
| Going out T found the bird walking off
| through the Weeds, and from the looks
gathered around: / felt sure that some of
them had turned it loose for @devilment.
l knew the turkey would be difficult to
catch, and concluded that / would just
| shoot it as the slirest way. When some of
! the boys offered to run it down for me,
| suspected that that was a ruse to run il
off, and so told them to keep quiet, and
| would stop the fowl.
Taking out my pistol. / walked quickly
| up to good shooting distance, and as |
could only see the head and neck bobbing
through the weeds as it walked, l thought
1t would be too difficult to hit the head
and therefore made a careful estimate of
about where the body was, and fired, aim
ing to hit the larger part.
The turkey dropped, and l supposed
that ! had hit it where l aimed to-, in the
body. told one Of the negro boys to pick
it up and take it to my cook, and return
| ing my pistol walked back to my tent
| When the bird was picked up / heard q
shout from the fellow whom had sent for
it, and on asking what was the matter, he
answered.
"Why: Boss, you done shot it's head
clean off,
"Of course" answered. as though il
was just what i had intended. "Where
did you suppose l was going to hit it?''
| They expressed great establishment and
admiration OF my craftsmanship, as they
passed the turkey around for inspection
and appeared to jump at the conclusion
that in their new Boss they had found a
crack pistol shot and that this was but an
ordinary exhibition of his skill. I wisely
concluded to rest on the fame that this
chance shot had given me as an expert
and to give no further exhibition of my
dexterity.
! heard one of the SINNERS remark in
earnest admonition to his comrades as he
joined the crowd who had been looking on
| from distance,
"Fellers, don't you fool with him: don't
you fool with him. He's a bad one! Jest
took out his pistol, cool as you please, an
stuck it out without hardly lookin' at the
turkey, an turned loose an shot it's head
off clean as if you'd cut it off with knife
Bet you he kin put them bullets jest where
he wants to every time. l tell you, don't
you poster him."
This seemed to satisfy them as to my
ability to handle pistol, and as / pru-
IDENTIFY avoided giving any further test my
reputation rested on that accident. l often
however, in, practicing, in those days
could put five out of six balls inside the
size of a playing card at 20 steps (and
this was about the only use l made OF
cards) but in this instance the hit
ting of the turkeys head had been purely
accidental. ;, -.