The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-05-16
CHAPT Err |

The Horse Valley Adventure.

"The first time l saw the boy, Jack
Irons, he was about nine years old.
was in Sir William Johnson's camp of
magnificent Mohawk warriors at AL
bany. Jack was so active and success
full in the games, between the red boys
and the white, that the Indians called
him Boiling Water His laugh and
tireless spirit reminded me of noun
tain brook. There was no lad, near
his age, who could run so fast. or jump
80 far, or shoot so well with the bow
or the rifle. l carried him on my back
to his home, he urging me on as If
had been a battle horse and when we
were come to the house, he ran about
doing his chores. l helped him, and,
our work accomplished, we went down
TO the river for swim, and to ms
surprise, / found him a well-taught
fish. We became friends and always
when / have thought of him, the words
Happy Face have come to me. 1t was
1 think, a better nickname than Boil
ing Water although there was much
propriety in the latter. / knew that
his energy given to labor would ac-
&OIupllSI luGtn NiiCh ACll hAAhg
repeated the words which my father
had often quoted in my hearing:
"'Seest thou man diligent in his
calling? He shall stand before kings"
This glimpse of John Irons. Jr.-fa-
military known as Jack Irons-is from
a letter of Benjamin Franklin to his
wife.
Nothing further Is recorded of his
boyhood until. about eight years later,
what was known as the Horse Valley
Adventure occurred. full account
of 1t follows with due regard for back
ground and color:
at was the season o. the great |
moon" said old Solomon Binkus, scout |
and interpreter, as he leaned over the !
campfire and flicked coal out of the |
ashes with his forefnger and twiddled |
1t up to his pipe bowl. In the army
he was known as "old Solomon
Binkus," not by reason of his age, for
he was only about thirty-eight, but as
a mark of Difference. Those who fol-
lowed him in the bush had a faith in
his wisdom that was chldlike. 81 had
had my feet in pair O. sleeves walkin
the white sea a fortnight" he went
on 1.-THE dry water were six foot on
the level, err mebbe more, an some O.
the waves up to the tree-tops, an no
body with me but this ere oil Marier
Jane (hls rifle) the hull trip to the
Swegache country. Col ding my
pictur 1t seemed as if the wind
were a-tryin' fer to rub 1t off the
slate. 1t were a pesky wind that
KEEP a-cuffin' me an whistlin' in the
briers on my face an crackin' my coat
tails. / were onesome-lonesomer
a he-bear-an the cold grabbin' holt
o. all ends o. me so as 1 had to stop
an argue bout whar my bound'ry-
lines was located like l were York
state. Cats blood an gunpowderl l
had to kick an scratch to keep my
nose an toes from gittin'-brittle."
At this point, Solomon Binkus
paused to give his words a chance ito
sink in" The silence which followed
was broken only by the crack of burn
ing faggots and the sound of the night
wind in the tall pines above the gorge.
Before Mr. Binkus resumes his mar
'dIlNe, WHICH, one lulSht hhO" W eHS
lit of his head and the look of his s
vide open, right eye, would. soon hap j
pen, the historian seizes the oppor- q
unity of finishing his Introduction. l
lie had been the best scout in the army
# Sir Jeffrey Amherst AS small q
10Y he had been captured by the Sen l
,cas and held in the tribe a year and I
wo months. Early in the French and
indian war, he had been caught by o
slgonquns and tied to a tree and D
ortured by Ratchet throwers until res i
ued by a French captain. After that Il
lis opinion of Indians had been, prob
bly,. a bit colored by prejudice. Still q
alter he had been harpooner in 0
whale boat, and in his young man a
Nod. one of those who had escaped
he Infamous massacre at Fort VIII | b