Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-06-21

sweetheart, a light-of-love, in one of
the Virginia City dancehalls, Of whom
he was very fond. On one occasion,
when he was away on foray, his girl
fell sick. She was without money or
friends, and in her emergency appealed
to Moody, whom she knew to be on
friendly terms with Ives. Moody saw
that she had q physician, medicine and
attendance Ives was very much
touched on his return to Virginia City
and swore that he would never forget
Moody's kindness.
Carried Full Foxes
With Moody's train when it left Vir-
ginia City were number Of choice
spirits, young men who had made a
good cleanup in the gulch that season,
and were going out with full pokes OF
gold dust to get in touch with what
little of the comforts of civilization
the Mormon capital afforded. They
we're well aware of their danger, but
the adventure appealed to them. Two
of these men became famous later,
N. P. Langford, who wrote ''Vigilante
DAYS and Ways" and Captain John
Bozeman. trail blazer, for whom the
CITY of BoZeman was named. Others
in the Moody train were John McCor-
mick, william Sloan, M. 7. Jones, John
S. Rocdellow, Henry BranSon and Mel
anchthon Forbes. They constituted
doughty. chip-shouldered bunch, tu-
tored in the rough school OF the gold
diCgings, where the man with the
quickest trigger finger had longer
lease on life than the boy who was
slow on the draw, and none of them
would 90 far out Of the beaten track
to avoid a fight.
So they went blithely on their jour
ney down the valley of the Ruby which,
If Plummer had had his way, would
have been to them the Valley Of the
shadow. After the train had had a half
davis start. Plummer detailed dutch
.Tol1n" wagner and Stephen Marsh
land to follow, with instructions TO
hold I'D the train, kill all If necessary,
and get the 100000 in gold dust. Plum
mer intended to send out larger force,
as the prize justified a strong expeol-
ton. but the only men available WnoLh
he could trust on an errand OF Inns
desperate character were these two. lie
knew that they would take any chance
to get the gold, that they were devoteo
to his interests and would see that ne
got his share of the loot.
Bandits Survey Camp
After dark the bandits came witnm
sight of the twinkling fires OF tne
Moody camp They hid their mounts III
4 nearby thicket and crept up to with
in a few feet of the camp. The fires
Illuminated the place so they could see
ond recognize every man. But they saw
aIso that every man carried with him
a sawed-off shotgun, which told the
robbers that Moody's men were on
guard and expecting flgnt. wagner
was for taking the hazard. He proposed
tn Marshland that they pick out Jour
men. including Moody, shoot them down
with their shotguns, then make re-
volyer charge and finish or stampede
the rest. But Marshland figured that
the odds were too great, refused, ana
the attack was abandoned.
The next morning, when the MOODY
men were breakfasting, wagner ana
N6arshland rode into the camp. AS they
nut in appearance every man picked up
his shotgun. Wagner asked them II they
had noticed any stray horses on tnelr
trim down the valley. He was answered
civiIlv. whereupon wagner and Marsh
land rode out of the camp with wnoie
skins and we're perhaps glad that tney
had acted with discretion
TWO days later, In the dusk OF the
evening. while Moody and two other
men were making camp, the others De
ing some distance away, taxing care
of the stock, the robbers, MASKED,
dashed into camp, covered MOODY anu
his companions and commanded tnem
to stand and deliver. With the frown-
ing muzzles Of shotguns at their neaos
there was nothing for them to DO but
comulv. "Dutch John" kept them COW
cred. while Marshland dismounted ana
proceeded to search, first the men, and
then the wagons, for the gold dust.
Forbes Starts Fight
In the last wagon was Forbes, sick ON
his pallet. He had been watching the
robbers through a hole in the wagon
cover. was armed and ready for action. |
As Marshland climbed into his wagon
he fired point blank at him at close
range. The bullet struck Marshiano IA
The shoulder, knocking him 70 the
ground. He was on his feet IN an m
stant. and as Forbes fired again, dasneo
INTO the brush and disappeared
wagner. realizing that the gauntlet
was down, pulled the trigger Of his gun,
with which he had Moody and the
other two men covered But the noise
y the discharge Of Forbes pistol fright
med Wagner's horse. The animal
-eared ftlst as Wagner pulled the trig-
yer and the slugs intended TO blow
DAYLIGHT through Moody whisteo
narmlessly over his head. Moody grab
sed q usstol which he had concealed
= kts h0uk~Eou. and shot ak Wagner,