The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-03-31
A New Settlement
And How 1t Game to
Be Made
By CAROLINE A. TRIP
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

the wild and woolly west-for the
silken mantle of civilization is fast
spreading over the whole land-where
the dividing line between honesty and
dishonesty was not distinctly marked.
The prlvations were great, and many
of the people found 1t difficult to make
a 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
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 a stream whar the trout was
list jumpin' outen the water to be
ketched, and we concluded to rest thar
d couple O. days. So we pitched our
tent and got out our cookin' kit and
calculated to spend the time like ma
hobs.
"The next afternoon, when we was
Iayin' off 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' yit growed a beard. We Of
fered 'em the demijohn, but they didnt
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
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 haul is to run off bosses, sell
'em and stock up. Well picket the
stock strong tonight, fur it's my opin-
ion these young fellers II try to STAN
pede EN-
1--WE 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 1 says, says I, them young
fellers is dom what 1 said they'd do.
Get your gun and let's go for EN-
az don't want to kill boy fur
hoss, said Josh, especially If he's
starvin'.'
"Well, we can't let 'em do what
they like with our property. Come
on
eve 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. I sat on him while
Josh chased the other and after
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 says to Josh, says l:
"'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
L be doggoned, says l, if ever l saw
SIGH boss thieves before. What luck
we didn't shoot at EN-!
az 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 | built
t a fire and lay down by it for the rest
2 o. the night Next mornin' We give
$ 'em a fine breakfast ov hard tack and
: bacon washed down with coffee. Their
we told 'em we'd go and see what we
t could do fur their folks. We founc
j fist what the gals said we'd find. There
e wor three families in a mighty bac
way not only fur food, but othel
J. things.
s "When the gals got on their owl
= clothes they was good lookin', and
offered to marry one If Josh'd marry
:: tother and settle down and take cart
of the hull crowd, seem there warn
e no men among 'em, the men havin
o been killed off either by Indians or flu
boss stealin Josh agreed, and w
Tipped up fur fust choice. Josh VOL
Y it. but I didn't keer, since they wa
# both fine gals.
I'VE axed 'em if they'd agree to ou
It plan. and they said they didn't SCI
3 how they could help themselves.
e 1--WE just been married, and we'r
e goin' to make settlement on this liant
we're squatted on"
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