Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28

He had to attend his horse when he
might have been watching the column
bines beside the trail, the snow on
distant peaks the pearly Rayado singing In
its bed. I made the remark as we trotted
across an open park in the Bonito Valley; and
Sam grinned cheerfully. We had left camp at
dawn for q 20-mile circle through the high
pastures. The ride was my idea: and SAM
who has q fine consideration for horsefesh,
must have wished to dissent. But he dissem-
bled; for Sam Is . patient man.
He suggested that there were compensations
IN handicaps. he said that handicap made
o man more careful and sometimes gave him
an advantage. He spoke of one Dell Beede. I
perceived there was something about Dell that
Sam was willing to relate to me, so became
silent.
The tale was told In snatches. when the trail
Widened to let US 60 side by side or when We
labored up o steep grade and Sam, ahead,
turned In his saddle to talk back to me or
when we paused to drink at flower banked
spring. The way was long and there was NO
hurry. and Sam leisurely painted the scene
against which he set the story he meant to tell.
The mining camp was called Ida. 1t was
community Of two or three hundred souls,
huddled In the upper end Of box canyon In
the mountain west of US. small stream rose
In q bog. above Ida and joined large creek
eome tlNee miles below. At the head Of that
creek there was q larger camp, already thriv-
ing before the vein at Ida was located, and the
rush to Ida came from this older community.
HHE camps were remore and the ore, or actual
- dust and nuggets, went down the trail by
pack train to the end Of the nearest stage line.
Now and then, as was inevitable to such a COM
munity, hold-up occurred, but such incidents
a 1vad
casualties, since the robbers took care to assure
their own advantage and the nominal guardians
Of the treasure were forced to recognize this
fact Those who refused to surrender to the
odds against them were apt to die. One or two
rash adventures demonstrated-to their own
testruction-that the bandits were willing and
able to shoot II they must. and spirit Of n1u-
tual tolerance arose.
But in the course of time this tolerance
toward the outlaws ended. So long as the
camps were young each organized its own
transportation, but when production became
steady and regular the express company estab-
hshed Q service to take charge of these ship
lments. Agents were installed in each camp and
armed guards rode the trails and the treasure
went securely for q while.
The company sent Charley Coilet in to act
rs agent ct Ida. Charley was cheerful young
fellow. with ready tongue and friendly
1auBu, ana TIC neu ~ Ll03 uke0 MIN because
In the face Of sore aflicton he bore himself
hight well.
For Charley's left leg had been amputated
just below the knee. Till that disaster &C.
Cured he was . cowboy and rode the ranges
but a bucking horse fell on his foot and crushed
1t beyond repair. The accident was recent.
When he FIRST came to Ida he stin moved ON
crutches and with difficulty, but after q while
he learned to discard one crutch.
He rode almost as well as ever. "But It's hard
Tor me to mount" he pointed uot $50 I had
10 hunt a job where could stay on the ground"
The cabin in which he settled himself stood
bn low, rocky spur above the Ida trail The
main camp was mile up the canyon around
bend and out Of sight, but Charley did not
mind solitude. He was always glad to see Wis
ators, but he did not often come up to Ida,
since, for a man with only one good leg and q
crutch the way was long. Even when he &C
buried horse he seldom rode.
II got Buck for company, that's ALL" he ex-
planned. II don't feel natural without horse
around"
The express company provided safe which
Charley set in a corner of the cabin and in
which miners could deposit their gold to await
the day Of shipment. 1t was necessary that he
Stay near the cabin to protect this safe when