Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1911-04-21

-MWN W0o RAOSsJ WSh hAS0 Ch
k,GBA Jim Upton when first he
hRd came to the Sierra Madres
EAfA6 along with Badly and three
or four other pack-mules;
but Badly was his intimate friend, and
the others didn't count
1t was when Holcomb Valley, away
up, In the tops of the hills, was real
camp, where every one was busy get
ting gold, or sure he was going to get
It, and It was nobody's business who
anybody else was or where he came
from. Curiosity starts lots Of GENE
tories, so 1t didn't pay to want to
know too much. All that any one
ever really cared about was whether
the other fellow was on the square,
and Jim Upton was all Of that, So
was Badly. When Jim gave his word
1t was q certainty. whether he was
only to bring In sack OF -four or take
q mule-load Of gold out, 1t would be
done on time. And there isn't much
of anything finer than always keeping
your word and making good.
Jim had been civilian teamster
and packer with the army when
things were lively along the desert, at
q time In which. man didn't make,
any heavy bets, when he rolled in his
blankets, that he would get up In the
morning with his scalp. When the
noble red man, as a reward for hay-
Ing tortured and murdered all he
could. was finally pensioned into fat
and lazy peace, Jim naturally drifted
into packing. and the drifting and the
packing brought him to Holcomb.
That's all any one knew Of him. and
more than anybody cared. But be-
fore long every one was glad he was
there because packing wasn't a thing
that most men tackled, particularly
when the trail ran away off into the
high-back hills, through passes, along
shelves by waterfalls, and over places
where the ledge tried to lose itself in
the face of the cliffs. 1t was no pyg-
my's job.
Even for a packer, Jim wasn't hand
some, being that kind Of man that
the desert makes, or makes the des-
ert--tall, lean, and leathery, sunburn-
ed to a red, and with little wrinkles
around his eyes from much peering
over hot sands. He was more liberal
with everything than talk, Of which
he was misery, perhaps through lack
of practise. But the Lord Almighty
too busy to measure men by words.
It's what they do. Be sure Of thatl
So most men believe Jim stood pretty
well with him, and others don't mat
ter.
Badly was q wise old chap. who had
lived with Jim q long time. In fact,
they must have become acquainted
somewhere out on the desert before
they came to the new camp Baldy
was rather a Misunderstanding burro.
having q white face and whiskers and
a pair Of phiIanthropic ears much big
ger around than any OF his trim little
legs, which hand could girdle. He
seemed to think he had right to go
into any cabin where Jim was welcom-
ed, and, come to think of 1t, most
everybody else thought SO. He was
Just like q good-natured dog that's al
ways hanging around q table or a
campfire and looking so longingly for
q little attention or scrap Of some
thing to eat that no one can refuse
out of mere politeness. Badly was
real polite, too, because he never
took anything without asking for 1t in
his way. Jim said Badly got his hon
esty from a preacher who raised him
but the boys thought It was really
from associating with Jim himself.
Life with them was Just about the
same one day as another. Break
camp In the morning, swing the pack
trees on. get the loads UP and throw
the bitches and plod away over the
trail. BaIdy's bell calling "Tink-tank;
tink-tank.' as he led the way. Soft
spots In the trail would stop the ring
ing until Jim came front and fixed Il
up. II was the same way with 9
bridge. Badly would go up on 1t and
tap 1t with his feet before putting his
weight down until he got clear across
while the whole train would watcf
him go over. feeling sure OF his judg
ment. And 80 every day they did the
same, life beginning and ending witt
the trail, Always the trail.
Along about the time when tns
samp had settled into an every-da,
basis and was used to Jim and Badly
Bill Pape came into the valley will
his little girl He wasn't strong
enough to work In the hills. SO made
one OF the first land entries in tina
country. II was almost the last thini
any one else would have thought OF
but the place was pretty enough. be
Ing a little valley through which
stream rambled along until It came L
an edge where 1t fell of into a canor
and made its bed out to the sage
brush hats, many miles below. BIZ
built him cabin from the big log
around the valleys edge. and wen
into sort OF farming business, sell
ing vegetables TO the miners over q
Holcomb forseamp prices. He neve
got very well acquainted because h
didn't seem to At the West. but hi
wasn't bad fellow. He was a dreamy
kind of man, with book-learnine
Used to read poetry and such.
Bins place was this horniest any
where around. and some way it ap