The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-01-14
BY BUFFALO BEAA
1905, by wILLIAs1 r. CODY

On the Sd Of April 1859, two riders
started, one from st. Joe. Mo, ana one
from Sacramento. Cal At the start
the dispatch bags would be thrown
over n pony's saddle The rider would
mount and ride at top speed TO the
first relay station There fresh pony
would be waiting, on whose back the
dispatch bags would be hastily thrown.
then off again. and so on till til" re
lief" rider would snatch the bags ana
dash off with them for the next lap Of
the long race The relays averaged
fifteen miles apart. Forty-hve to 100
miles scmiweekly each way ut full
speed over rough country was riders
daily stunt Riders started ut forty
Eve mile trips and rs they became
hardened took the longer trips, which
naturally brought them larger pay
This was not m easy job for four
teen-ycar-old boy But stuck to 1t In
spite of aching bones and tired head
For the first three months had no
mishaps began to think the talk of
danger was all bosh Then as ! was
galOping around Il curve on hillside
trail one day | rode flush up To lev
elcd pistol The man behind 1t told me
to throw up my hands obeyed
There Is no use arguing with loaded
pistol Fronticrsmcn In those days
! shot to kill The road agent diSmount
ed and walked up to me to take my
saddlebags | tried to look scared
and harmless He lowered his re.
volver rs he reached for the bags
Just then | whirlcd my pony around
| The little horses plunge Knocked the
1 man off his feet. and II stray Kick from
one Of the iron shod hoofs gra2cd the
| fellows head. knocking him scnsclcss.
Having no further interest In him.
! was glad enough to make my escape
/ Here Is a further adventure Of i'm
| port:
I One day | ealopod up to relay
station and found no relief pony wait
Ing for me. Not soul was il sight
| But | heard men yelling and shooting
down by the corral back Of the station
, I jumped off. rife in enc hand and my
twenty pound pouches In the other.
and made fer the trees that hid the
| corral from the trail thought from
the noise that there must be an Indian
raid there at least
reached the little clearing above
the corral In time to see gigantic
buffalo bull charge through bunch of
cattle and rush on toward the door
yard of the station Four CT five men
were yelling at the top of their lungs
and blazing away at him with guns
and revolvcrs But if any Of the shots
reached the brute they only served to
madden him all the more 1t was ne
business of mine. so ] stood there
laughing at their excitement But all
at once | stopped laughing and turned
sick at what saw
There, near the door Of the cabin,
playing with big wooden doll. sat
little girl perhaps three years old. She
wore little red cloak. and the bright
bit Of color had caught the mad buf
falo's attention Down at the uncon.
sclous playing baby charged the great.
furious brute The men saw her peril
just when did. and they fired wildly
and came forward at q dead run. But
, they were too far away
A woman ran screaming out Of the
house and rushed toward the child
She had no weapon of any Kind and
probably couldn't have used one if she
had had. But | suppose mother love
made her forget the horrible peril and
she wanted to die with her little girl.
Women are sometimes Drawer, | think.
than men. especially where their chill
drcn are concerned.
The buffalo was not fifteen yards
away from the child when | brought
my rife instinctivcly to my shoulder
wouldn't give myself time to think
what must happen If should miss
1t was one of those times when n man
must not fail in his aim
Just then the baby looked up and
saw the murderous brute. She clapped
both hands and gave Il squeal Of de
light She probably thought the beast
was some new sort of playmate.
AS she called out | fired. The buf
'falo's legs seemed to tuck themselves
up under him. The Impetus of his
rush carried him along the ground full
ten feet, and he came to stop with
his head not six inches from the little
girls knee. stone dead.
Then after the men had pounded me
on the back till was sore the childs
mother insisted on kissing me- How
healthy fourteen year-old boy does
loathe to be kissed!
Although among the yOlnreSt of tho