Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-11
CHAPTER Continued.

OF course was no ring-tailed, pea
warmer o. q fancy cook, and the mess
was not long finding it out; but some
how managed to get along. Good
ness knows, the fare was simple
enough, and so, consequently, the de-
mands on my skill; making coffee
frying meat, boiling beans, and baking
bread-that was all.
Bread making, however, was not
long getting me into trouble, for what
with my other duties and the gusty
winds 1t was always hard to bake 1t
done and yet not burn it.
The mule-skinners of our outfit were
q pretty tough lot, especially when in
drink; and usually at the stage sta
tons twelve to twenty miles apart, the
more particularly notable brands OF
lighting whisky" were to be had.
The bully Of our bunch was fellow
named Edwards. In the first week
out before we struck the Platte river,
he had most of our party terrorlzed.
Repeatedly the wagon boss had called
him down, but always mildly for he
himself, l believe, was afraid Of him.
Finally one morning, while harness
ing the teams for start, Edwards
took offense at another skinner" and
beat him most cruelty over the head
with q six-shooter. Standing over his
unconscious victim, he dared any one
to interfere; but not even the boss
ventured to take him to task. The beat
en- man we left at the next government
hospital, and whether he ever recov-
cred we never heard.
That very same night Edwards told
me that If I burned my bread again he
would shoot my head off. Myself I'M
armed and, besides, yet wholly un-
familiar with gun fighting, took my
trouble to my boss, only to be told
that 1t was up to me to look after my
SELF
Next. morning the storm broke.
Breakfast not ready early enough to
suit him, Edwards drew his pistol on
me and started to curse me for not
hurrying. But before he had three
words out slipped from my belt an
oak tent-pin had planned to use on
him, and at the first crack broke the
wrist of his pistol hand.
Then in an instant we had 1t over
and. under-a desperate fight I should
have never won through with had not
the boys collared his pistol and the dif-
ference in our weight and strength
been evened up by the Gripping of his
hand.
And at that the affair was a tougher
tussle than ever had, for he bit and
claWed and kicked like the wild beast
he was. Finally got a twist of his
6 Cd arm that nearly broke it, and put
him. at my mercy, which did not get
especially active In his behalf until l
had beaten him worse than like to de
scribe, and was myself more of a
wreck than I like to think about.
But the affair proved well worth
while, for thereafter Edwards was
tame o. q cat, and none of the rest
OF the outfit tried to impose on me.
On we plodded week after week up
the valley Of the Platte, past Jules
berg at the Junction of the North and
South Forks; on up the North Fork
past Scots Bluff and Chimney Rock;
on through TT. Laramie, up the Sweet
water and over Whiskey Gap, not
reaching Echo Canon until near the
end of the fourth month out from st.
Joe, for our mules were In bad condi-
ton when we started.
People VINO nave not eHJOyeu III III
innate acquaintance with mules fancy
them dull and stupid. Nothing of the
sort I'll back an old mule against
possum any day for cunning, where
there 10 4 chance Of lodging work or
of evening q score. And 1t was right
there In Echo Canon saw a funny In
stance Of this.
There we were met by number OF
clerks sent by our owners to enter Salt
Lake with us and see that no goods