Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-04-07

" the game went against
~ 3HI me pretty hard l rath-
or envied the fellow
who was then collect
ing a pretty good share OF everything
that was being cleaned up on the Big
Divide.
You guessed his name the first time
1t was Black Bart. Me held p 1es'
once, and that was when he was a.
ing things pretty much his own way
up here. In fact, he had kind OF a
monopoly in sticking up folks on these
higher traiIr.
Forest Hill was a camp then, all
right. Everybody coming in n no.
body going out. Everybody getting a
little gold, a dozen games ready 10
take 1t away from them, and dance
halls a-plenty. Snow on the ground OF
course, but not very cold.
1t wasn't because l wanted to get
away from Forest Hill that l went
down to Auburn. I would rather have
stayed here; but 1 had to go to meet
the owner of the Fan Tan, OF which
was superintendent that year. 1t was
such an unusual thing for me to leave
the camp, something I hadn't done IN
q yea that 1T actually attracted some
attention. I we'll recall how Bill Pape
spoke about 1t on the day before l
started.
"You a-goin' to Auburn" he said.
'Why, I never heard Of such doin's!
You amt beer down there since you
landed on the divide. Stay at home,
Hank. stay at home" as If the trip was
thousand-mile one and dangerous all
the wav. Then as an afterthought he
added: "If I'd known you was go1n' l
wouldn't have sent that hundre
ounces out by the express folks. l
could trust you to bank 'em for me
and I amt sure I can depend on any
Of these big companies
/ a see him yet as he squatted
down on the snow, poked his arms
through the shoulder-straps Of his
pack. gave it a ina lurch to settle 1t
into place and then vent swinging
away toward the woods shaking his
head and waving "Good-by" to me.
Poor chap! He had reason to Tear
companies. Less than two months be
fore one of them had jumped his
claim, the Golden Annie, on a techni-
cality, thrown him off because they
had money to hire a little army OF
men, and then carried 1t to the courts.
The law was just hen being recog-
nized as a means of settling disputes
In this part of California, but the low
or court gave a decision against MIN.
Naturally, Bill was a little bitter and
20 we're the boys. They offered to
help him get his claim back by the
use of a few rifles. but he stuck to the
law and appealed the case.
Bill was a homely sort, Ions n
lean. but unafraid. He never had ia
ken water before hat time, so all the
boys p1tied him and were surprised.
The only thing he ever complained OF
was that the men who grabbed the
Golden Annie kept right on mining 1t
while it was in litigation. He certain
Nv did talk some about that and so did
all of us. 1t wasn't a square play.
The grounds a pretty safe place to
keep gold when it's in dispute.
However, about this trip n the
hold-up!
got up pretty early on the morn
ing I was to go. Had to because the
stage left before sunup. 1t was be-
fore the camp was awake, or the
dance-halls swept out. Away out In
the west the air looked muggy and
cold, while in the east, high up over
Badly, the stars hat a been up all
night were just going to bed. In all
the little clearing where the snow was
tracked with trails there wasn't a sign
of any one moving. Even the trees
that stood around the edge, loaded
with snow above and black beneath,
we're quiet as If still asleep,
Yawning and shivering, 1 hiked 1t
down to the stage-station just as she
pulled up. Jim Upton was on the box
and had about all he could do to hold
In the four horses that were dancing
around on their hind legs and trying
to throw themselves out Of the har-
ness. A stableman was hanging to
the leaders heads and buck-jumping to
keep away from the sparring hoofs. ,
A shotgun messenger that l had
never seer before helped the agent
hoist the stronghold aboard, and by
that I knew there vas dust being
shipped out. The agent was a new ar
rival in camp, too.
Got much in it," I asked him, and
he nearly swelled up with his own i'm
portance as he answered: ooh, not
much. Golden Annie cleanup. That's
all"
| thought of poor old Bill being
robbed every day of his life, and even
at that minute swore l wouldn't give a
cuss if Black Bart showed up and took
the whole poke j
A woman came out with a small
shaver of a boy and a tiny little girl,
and several bundles such as women
usually carry. Being some polite I
helped the agent get her aboard. One
bag she hung to like glue. We were
the only passengers, and it didn't
make me very happy, o a bet.
I'm not much used to m n ba-
bies. Like them all right, but they
don't understand me much.