Year: 1876

hbEi iOiN' VT JtbpN III NNhs


There we're four of us seated togeth-
er around a cheerful pitch pine fire up
on the side of grassy knoll among the
foot hills, about forty miles from Gus
ter. One of the party was noun -
taineer the rest were members of a
large. well armed train of Black Killers,
then toiling and working its way
through a wilderness of sage brush, en-.
dravoring to. reach the trail our party
had discovered few hours before. We
had selected a spot for rest, where the
wind or The sun, or perhaps both, had
cleared awav the snow from about a
huge pine knot, almost petrified by
age. The grass, too, was quite luXuri-
ant and offered an inducPment for us
to halt and rest until the train came up
The fire lighted and the knot in a blaze,
we brought forth our pipes to smoke
and watch the misty curtain rise. Twas
n glorious scene on that crisp frosty
morning, and the man who died there
that day should'have been proud OF his
magnificent death chamber. Nature
seems to have avished unlimited wealth
of beauty upon the Black Hills, and fate
seems TO have led Dick Barnett to the
most beautiful spot in the hillS In which
to die. While we were calmly smoking
around the fire, Watching the misty
canopy rise like feathery yeil IRON
the valley beneath us while we silent
ly admired the magnificent background
Of glistening snow and bright green
pines, which in The morning sun ap
peared more beautiful than ever before;
while we were thus quietly admlrlhg the
beautiful blood.red iron tlnctured val
ley below us, now plainly visible be-
meath the slowly rising curtain OF mist,
admiring the winding creek in its cen
tire, which, with its broad fringe or
orange colored Knnikinic yellow, ap-
pearpd like huge yellow snake IN a
basin Of blood, a man rode suddenly
upOn us.


Each sprang to hiS feet, riff in hand.
The stranger turned his horse away in
a'arm and rode quickly away. lie was
a white man. and We could not and had
no reason to halt him. He rode cut to
the side of the rode and dismounted.
Then he proceeded to arrange and to
write upon some paper, which he placed
in his bosom. and after some hesitation
led his horse toward our surprised party
and halted ahonS thirty PAGES distant,
rifle and pistol in hand.


Halo there !"


" Halo yourself !"


&C Is this the Custer road %


" Dor't krow. I've been lost all
night Who are you 2"


" Pilgrims from Cheyenne. Been
lost on Jrnney's trail two days"


Then the lonely stranger rode up ard
stood reStlessly awaiting Interrogation.
lie said he hal left Custer two days be.
fOIp that lie was drunk when he left,
and did not know what he had done or
how he had got lost. He received lot
letters from our party, and soon af,
terward hade us adieu. He said he
was going to the states, and we bade
him look out for his scalp and said
eood-by. Poor fellow Unfortunate
drunk 1t cost him his life. 1t was
late in the afternoon when we met him
again. We were in dry camp,a camp
in which snow must be melted for
water for man and beast. The boys
were busy at work shovelng snow into
camp KETTLES and melting ID for the
horses. Supper was over, and the
guards were out. A shot awoke the
reverberatng echoes of the hills, and a
minute afterward every man of the
fifty'five "ptlgrims" were prepared for
duty. A party of vigilantes rode into
camp they had come upon the guards
suddenly, and had been fred upon
They were rough looking men, but all
quite civil. They inquired for a law
yer. We had one and he came for
ward. They asked for a Judge we
had none, so they elected one. They
asked for preacher, but found none.
A clerk was found in the reporter.
They had brought back the strange
man of the morning. He was a prisO-
ner, and seemed to realize his position.
He called the reporter, and handed him
back his mine matter, and requested
him to write few short letters for him.
This was done, and he signed them
while couct was being held-the Judge
seated on pile of harness, the jury on
a wagon tongue.


" Dick Barnett !" shouted one of
LllOoC NiuSl A%lSh
to the reporter and, handing him his
papers and two or three pictnres, said
in trembling, choking voice. " It's
all over with me. reckon. They all
know me, and it's no use squealing ?"


He walked over to the wagon, while
two of the party started to barkless
old cotton. wood tree, where lariat
vas thrown over a projecting limb.


4" Dick Barnett" said old Colonel
Lyon, you have been caught in the
act OF stealing horses from the people
of these bills. You have also been
found guilty of shooting and woundiug,
with intend to kill, Peter Lambert, aud
with stealing his horse. This here
party of good and true men have settled
this fact and say you must hang. What
have you to say against it 2"


Dick, while old man Lyon was
speaking manifested little or no feeling.
He looked into the faces of all and
seemed to expect some interference &C
from the members of ou- train. lie
paused for a moment, when he said


II know / shot Pete Lambert, but be
wanted to get the drop on me. took