Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-06-14
! A New Settlement
And How h Came 10
Be Made
B. CAROLINE A TRIP
Copyright By American Press Asoo-
citation. 1911.

There were portions Of the Wild and
woolly weston what was formerly
the wild and woolly west-for the
silken mantle Of civilization 10 fast
spreading over the whole land-where
the dividing line between honesty and
dishonesty was not distinctly marked.
The privations were great, and many
Of the people found 1t difficult to make
q living. There was no law to keep
the honest separated from the dishon.
est. and this alone tended to obliterate
the dividing line.
One day two plainsmen went to a
land office to enter some land. While
there one of them told the following
story:
Last week." he said, me and Josh
was movin' toward the mountings on
a prospecting trip. We had two good
ridin' bosses and "a pack boss. One
day we found fine campin' ground
beside stream whar the trout was
list jumpin' outen the water to be
"~NNhNNf fAAa We SOhSkooS0 " ACob &haI
couple o. days. So we pitched our
tent and got out our cookin' kit and
calc'lated to spend the time like ma
hobs.
''The next afternoon, when we was
layin' or smokin' our pipes, we saw
couple O. men comm outen the timber
on the crick. Ketchin' sight Of us. they
turned at fust, but we hollered to 'em
to come on. and they jined us. They
was youngish chaps, neither ov 'em
havin' VT growed beard We Of
fered 'em the demijohn, but they didn't
seem to relish liquor much; mebby
they wasn't old enough to have
learned. We offered 'em pipes. but
they didn't seem inclined to smoke
neither.
They told US they was In camp In
a patch Of timber ways down the
crick. and after stayin' awhile with US
they went away.
"'What dye s'pose them kids Is ado
In over yereY says Josh when they
was gone.
They're boss thieves says.
Hoss thieves. They don't look
nuthin' like boss thieves
Like enough they belong to some
family as Is mighty hard up, and the
only way for SIGH in this yere country
to make a haul Is to run of bosses, sell
'em and stock up. Wen picket the
stock strong tonight, fur it's my opin-
ion these young fellers II try to stam-
pede EN-
eve made everything as fast as we
could. The moon was full, and the
country was lit up like day. Me and
Josh smoked till near 8 o'clock. 1t
must "a been, then turned in. We was
awakened by hearin' the stock rushin'
this way and that way tryin' to break
the ropes. and we heard whoops like
Indians; only they was more like
squaws and papooses than bucks.
Then come shots The bosses was
nigh crazy with fright, but we had tied
'em so strong they couldn't get away.
JOSH l says. says l, them young
fellers Is dom what I said they'd do.
Get your gun and let's go for EN-
"T don't want to kill boy fur
hoss.' said Josh. especially II he's
starvin'.'
"'well, we can't let 'em do what
they like with our property. Come
on
1--WE lit out to whar the sounds come
from, and the first thing the kids
knowed we was right on 'em They
run, and we chased 'em. One Of 'em
tripped and fell. sat on him while
Josh chased the other and after a
hard run brought him in. We took
'em to camp and in order to frighten
'em told 'em we was goin' to hang 'em
to the limb of tree.
'They knowed well enough that's
what's done to boss thieves, and they
believed we was In earnest. What
dye s'pose they did They begun to
cry. This give Us such contempt fur
'em that l says to Josh. says I:
"'Sich snivelin' younkers oughtn't to
be lowed to live. They'll never make
men. and the women wouldn't have 'em
around. Let's string 'em up shore
'Then one Of 'em said. wringin' his
hands: We hain't men; we're gals.
Our folks Is starvin' over thar. and
we tried to git yer stock to sell 'em
and git somepin fur the children
"Me and Josh looked at each other.
4 be doggoned.' says l. II ever saw
sich boss thieves before. What luck
we didn't shoot at 'em"
al told you.' says Josh. I wouldn't
like to kill one of EN-
1--WE give up the tent to 'em and the
blankets and made 'em as comfort.
able as could. and Josh and I built
a FIRE and lay down by It for the rest
o. the night. Next mornin' we give
'em a fne breakfast ov hard tack and
bacon washed down with coffee. Then
we told 'em we'd go and see what we
could do fur their folks. We found
fist what the gals said we'd find. There
wor three families In mighty bad
way not only fur food, but other
things.