, 1905-01-09
THROUGH the Culing Smoke
III

- ~ a. "a hi"iA "a ot0P v" ~ NAAo
his voice keyed on the fine strings, and
e%nunciation %nervously quick-no, he
was not a sleeper by any n OF
means. He could gather more newsy
gossip out of a small community and
print it in better biographical form
than any other Of the 'a-mission-to
perform" boys in these parts, during
many years past. But he became i'm
bued with the idea that being a bank
er at Cody was a better take than run
ming a weekly newspaper at Wheat
land and more conducive to life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness"
yet it seems to have been a sad if par
donaDle mistake.
That was as yesterday morning. To
day the form has been locked, the last
impression taken, the machinery still
ed and the composing room deserted.
The tears of a widowed mother anu
the sobs of fatherless girls are in the
midst OF the silence of death.
But as yesterday morning and today
a brace of siX-gun men,the henchmen
of cupidity, greed and avarice, are hit,
ting the trail for the tall timber. brand,
ed with the mark of Cain and pursued
by the relentless judgment. Whose
sheddeth mans blood, by man shall
his blood be shed"
But as yesterday morning, would
be bank robbers flee with a price hang.
ing over their heads, and a precious
life has been sacrificed in the sale
keeping of human dross.
All this at Cody, over beyond the
Bighorn mountains by the precipi'
tous banks of the Shoshone. Do you
know, | was there once, some years
ago, and then the only bank to rob was
yclept Faro, the banker vas known as
n dealer. and if there was any robbing
going on, the bank was in with it. and
if there vas any six-gun play the
dealer set in as well, n when the
SaIlt was w ne was 6ShSioliS ooiS ~
ride his horse up yonder to a growing
but well behaved and %peaceable com
immunity whose houses are of o and
loan weighted down by broken rocks
lest wolf or coyote unlimited enter ant
disturb the siumber of those who may
be resting there.
Talk about swinging around Robin
Hoods barn! Twas a long distance
then from Cheyenne, in the southeast
ern corner, to Cody at the northwest
of wyoming; but It's gradually short
ening nowadays. Well, l traversed
portions Of four different states oveI
four different lines of railroad, no tc
say anything about a sixty mile stage
ride, as the shortest and quickest and
most practicable route between the two
points mentioned in Wyoming, start
ing out on a third of July. And the
next day? My Glorious Fourth ex
tended with a diversified program from
Northwestern Nebraska into Montana
opening at Crawford e Fort Robin
son. at break of day. with desultorJ
firing. and winding up with a puzzlint
display of eccentric fireworks, in the
evening at Billings, Mont. Tht
events of the day were entertaining
but the waits between the acts were
rather long-sometimes as much as 6
hundred miles.
| particularly recall one of the mum
bers on the program. 1t was at OLE
Fort Custer in Montana, as we tarried
Across the valley out on the hill to the
eastward, CONSPICUOUS on the sky line
well in view from the car window, wa.
the little cemetery and the plain blu
noticeable shaft-the FINS of thu
story of Custer and his men-the ira
gic finale of the dramatic Las
CHARGE"
To the westward on The high range
lof bluffs, engaged in the festivities
peculiar to the race. were gathered
lHuidilS lulitihei awe SSicpiotih6 ~
natal day of the nation, the anniver
sary of the beginning OF their complete
subjugation, relentlessly approaching
The End; and making it the occasion
for their own merrymaking to such al
~extent as to attract them from scores
of miles about. A most peculiar in
consistency, don't you think?
But that isn't a marker!
On Decoration Day, the memoria
services of our people are observed
about the graves of the heroes who are
sleeping the long sleep on the hill ovel
ly%onder, and in the shadow Of the Gus
ter monument. are gathered a respect
full, If not always a reverent and sad
dened throng, and the customs of the
day are observed there with all proprie
ty, and much sincerity.
And in that throng as it winds its
way from the agency to the City Of 81
lence-
Oh there is a grim, grewsome humor
in it! Gather from near and far
some after many sleeps, have come the
Indians who were chiefly instrumental
in establishing that cemetery, as digni-
fed, solemn and stoical as an Indian
may be, until the line has returned to
the Agency; and then, over here on
the bluffs on the sunset side Of the
valley-three days of pony racing, the
giving way of a maiden to wed, by her
chief dancinv and the Hike IncOnRru.