Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-16


But Montana was all on the good
side of luck for me in this duel affair,
SO much so that when the boat stopped
for fuel at the Painted Woods, and the
hostile captain was the first to start
ashore over the gang-plank, somehow
an end OF the plank slipped and down
1t he tobogganed into the sWlrllng,
muddy current of the river!
Fished out by the deck-hands to
chorus Of delighted yells from most
Of the men aboard, he STROBE dripping
and cursing to his cabin, while l went
ashore with my war-sack and other
belongings, and there STOPPED for the
next boat. to avoid chance of further
trouble with him. All .a4
Arriving at Bismarck, Dakota, l
found it vet another Cheyenne, run by
gang of sure-thing hold-ups and
thugs. for the place was all abustle
with the first big rush Of settlers into
that section Of the northwest. and
wherever tenderfeet were thickest
thugs throve latest.
Still, it struck me as a good place
for the employment Of my wolf
money. so built and opened hotel
there. taking as a partner married
man whose wife could run the kitchen
end of the show. as 7 was not f1attering
myself that my life in moving-camp
had trained me to win any prizes as a
fancy-dish designer. ~%gla g,t.@ Ftt@9E z
And there, too, l soon got so often
and so much occupied with other peo-
pies troubles that I seldom had much
time to run a hotel, or, indeed, any
business that called for camping on its
safety-valve. One or two Incidents
will be sufficiently typical of my life
in Bismarck
An old acquaintance Of mine
named Hayes, in a fight, got the bet
ter of one of the tough fraternity, and
beset by crowd of his victims
friends. he took refuge in gambling
house. from which roisterers and play
ers quickly fed as the mob began sur
rounding the building. $50 5ts
While not close friend OF mine,
the odds were so heavily against Hayes
l felt ought to take a hand, but it
could not help my hotel business any
to antagonize the mob. Strategy,
rather than any head-on, butt-in, must
be the play, and, happily, lighted on
winner.
And yet the strategy was very SIM
pie. After having fetched near at
hand the fastest team in town, hitched
to a light buggy, l sent two men in
front Of the gambling houseSordered
to empty their pistols rapidly; and
the moment the guards FROM the rear
and sides had run to the front, !
kicked in the rear door, got Hayes
out. rushed him into the waiting buggy
and whipped away.
That was all. Sure enough tiny
dust clouds flew up thick around us,
but none Of their shots scored.
In three days I had landed Hayes
safely in Fort Rice, and was back at
my hotel in Bismarck, where the gang
lost no more than day or two picking
bruiser they believed able to beat me
to finish A crowd of them invaded
the bar of my hotel, locked the doors,
and, before realized what was up, the
slugger was at me.
But. my training under Peach and
later practise on my own account,
made it no difficult matter for me to
knock their champion so nearly into
the great hereafter that he was mat
ter of three hours getting back.
One season about did for me in the
hotel business. strapped me Of most all
I had except the building and the lot
it occupied-my losses due in about
equal parts. imagine, to my own
neglect or lack Of training for the
game and to the lack of scrup1e In my
partner.
Still, was not grieving any over
my losses, for I was thoroughly tired
of life in town and wanted to be hit
ting the trail again SO bad l reckon
I'd have made them present OF the
hotel show if they had not contrived
to possess themselves of it a short time
before I reached a frame Of mind to
give it to them.
In the matter of weather, my next
move proved to be most uncomfortably
ill-timed It was little trading ex'
petition, started late in the fall to Fort
Stevenson a small post in the Mis-
souri, eighty-five miles above Bismarck
| A not unimportant item of the goods
carried consisted Of the quantity
equivalent to two barrels of whisky
contained in lot Of small kegs. or
/ rather, to be truthful, the equivalent
of only one barrel Of whisky.
| For with the doubly-prudent if not
wholly laudable purpose Of making
sure the Stevenson soldiers should not
| hazard their health drinking too high
proof spirits, and that I should run nc
chance of loss on the trading eEped1
ton. must confess I had by discreet
dilution expanded one barrel into two
Arrived at the post. soon made
good sale Of the whisky to sergeant
ard got it safely slowed, but before
had time to engage in any further
trading was summoned by the Officer
of the day to appear shortly before the
commanding officer
Suspecting this could only mean in
curry respecting my contraband whis
ky. and having noted signs of the nea
approach Of heavy storm, sure tina
season to bring snow, I was trottins
my team swiftly out of town inside
Of ten minutes.
And none too quick was my move
for while had pressed my team to to-
speed as soon as out Of sight Of tn
garrison. from a hill-crest that
crossed shortly before nightfall / coul
see a detail Of cavalry galloping on m,
trail