The Ogden standard. [volume], January 24, 1920, LAST EDITION - 4 P.M., Image 15

About The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
I Continued from Preceding Page
were only able to recover it by
; lone' and elaborate search. Then,
' after we escaped from tlic reeds
and swamps, we found ourselves
' upon stony uplands where the spoor
was almost impossible to follow.
: Striking their, spoor again on
softor ground we followed thorn
down across great valleys wherein
trees grew sparsely, which valleys
were separated from each other by
ridges of high and barren land. On
8: these belts of rocky soil our diffi
i culties were great, but here twice
we were tfut on tho right track by
I I more fragments from the dress of
Inez.
At length we lost the spoor alto
gether; not a sign of it was to be
found. We had no idea which way
to go. "All about us appeared these
valleys covered with scattered .bush
running this way and that, so that
we knew not which of them to fol
low or to cross. This thing seemed
hopeless, for how could we expect
to find a little body of men in. that
immensity? Hans shook his head
and even the fierce and steadfast
Robertson was -discouraged.
I walked to the top of the rise
where we were encamped, and sat
down alone to think matters over.
Our condition was somewhat par
lous. All our beasts were now
dentl and had been eaten, for of
late we had met with little game
The Strathmuir men, who now
mustcarry the loads, were almost
worn out and doubtless would have
deserted, except for the fact that
there was no place to which -they
could go. Even the Zulus were dis
couraged, and said they had corao
away from home across the Great
Hivor to fight, not to run about in
wildernesses and starve.
Plans, however, remained cheer
ful, for the reason, as he remarked
vactiouslv, that the Great Medicine
was with us and that therefore,
however bad things seemed to be,
all in fact was well; an argument
that carried no conviction to my
soul.
It was one evening toward sun
set that I went away hus alone. 1
looked about me, east and west and
north. Everywhere appeared the
same bushclad valleys and barren
-ises. miles upon miles of them. I
lethought me of the map that old
Zikali had drawn in the ashes and
remembered that it showed these
.valleys and rises and that beyond
them there should be a great
swamp, and beyond the swamp a
mountain. So it seemed that we
were on the right road to the home
of his whito Queen, if such a per
son existed, .
But at this time I was not troub
ling my head about white queens.
I was thinking of poor Inez. That
she was alive a few days before we
knew from the fragments of her
dress. But whore was she now 7
I stared about me helplessly, and
as I did so a flying-ray of light from '
the setting sun fell upon a white
patch on the crest of one. of- tho
distant land waves- It struck mo
that probably limestone outcropped
at this spot; also that such a patch
of white would be a convenient
guide for any who were travelling
across that sea' of bush. Further,
some instinct within seemed tc
pel me to steer for it, although I ,
had almost made up my mind to go
many points more to the east.
So, next morning I headed north
by west; laying my course for that
white patch, and for the first timo
breaking the straight line of our
advance. Captain Robertson, whose
temper had not been bettered by
prolonged and frightful anxiety, or
by his unaccustomed total absti
nence, Ssked me rather roughly,
why I was' altering the course.
"Look .here, Captain." I answered,
"if we were at sea and you did
something of the sort, I should not
put such a question to you, and if
by any chance I did, I should not
' expect you to answer. Well, by
your own wish I am in command
here and I think that the same ar
gument holds,"
"Yes," he replied, "I suppose you
have studied your chart, if there is
any of this God-forsaken country,
and at any rate discipline is disci
pline. So steam ahead and don't
mind me."
Tho others accepted my decision
without comment; most of them
were so miserable that they did not
care which way we went, also they
were good enough to repose confi
dence in my judgment.
Well, we started for my white
patch of stones which no one else
had noticed and of which 1 said
$L- ' "Next he staggered about,
'Wtiir waving his hands, cursing
V and shouting."
nothing to anyone, and reaching It
by the following evening, to find,
as I expected, that it was a lime
outcrop.
By now we were in a poor way,
for we had practically nothing loft
to eat. which did not tend to raise
the spirits cf the party. Also that
lime outcron proved to be an unin
teresting spot overlooking a wide
valley which seemed to suggest
that there wore other valleys of a
similar sort beyond it, and nothing
more.
Captain Robertson sat stern
faced and despondent at a distance,
muttering into his beard, as had
become a habit with him. Umslopo
gaas leaned upon his axe and con
templated tho heavens, also occa
sionally the Strathmuir men, who
hands, and with his antique derby hat,
pointed glistening shoes and coat too short
in the sleeves, made an excellent repre
sentation of a Kansas farmer in for to se9
the show, while Jones, with his baggy
corduroy suit nnd rough, brown shirt, cer
tainly did look tho schoolboy trying to look
tough.
Furthermore, tho outer appearance of
the guileless pair was substantiated when
tho saloonkeeper discovered that neither
of them would touch anything stronger
than sarsaparilla.
"Why sars-parilly?" he asked one o
them.
"Oh, the word sounds so good," he re
plied, and soon the whole town was chuck
ling ovpr this explanation.
But this fooling turned out to be costly,
for when my negroes came In arid Jet set
them to work some of the citizens of Ani
mas sent a letter to the foreman stating
that he'd better pay the blacks off and got
'em out of town. "Wo ain't never had no
niggers and we don't want none," they
said.
Jet paid no attention to this, but some of
the negroes came to him for their pay, pay
ing that they had been abused by the town
folk. "You go ahead," he said. "I'll see
that you're not harmed," and under the
Influence of his voice they went back to
their trenches, but they rolled affrighted
i
cowered beneath his eye. Tho
Zulus squatted about sharing such
snuff as remained to them in eco
nomic pinches. Goroko, the witch
doctor, engaged himself in consult
ing his "spirits" by means 'of bono
throwing upon the humble subject
of whether or no we should suc
ceed in killing any game for food
for to-morrow, a point on which I
gathered that his "spirit" was quite
uncertain. In chort, the gloom was
deep and universal and the sky
looked as though It were going to
rain.'
Plans became sarcastic. Sneak
ing up to me in his most aggravat
ing way. like a dog that means to
steal something and cover up the
theft with simulated affection, he
pointed out, ono by one, all tho
disadvantages of our present posi-
pyes and spoke in half-whispers as they
worked.
Jones and I were in Colorado, where we
had another big project, and that left Jet
facing the situation alone. It was observed
that he was more the man of action and
less the tenderfoot on week days. His
worn slouch hat, laced boots and rough
shirt dignified him, and thoso who saw him
in action allowed he was pretty much of a
man after all.
However, the resentment of certain
citizens was swift to find expi'esslon and
on the morning of the fourth day. as Jet
came down to the gulch, he found his men
all btanding in excited groups around a
tion, indicating ner contra 'that If
hi3 advice had been followed, his
conviction was that even if we had
not found the maneators and res
cued the lady called Sad-Eyes, ojr
state would have been quite differ
ent, since he was sure tltat the val
ley which he had suggested we
should follow was one full of game,
inasmuch as he had seen' their
spoor at its entrance.
"Then why did you not say so?"
I asked.
Hans sucked at his empty corn
cob pipe, which was his way of in
dicating that he would like me to
give him some tobacco, much as a
dog groans heavily under tho table
when he wants a bit to eat, and
answered that it was not for him
to point out things to ono who
knew overything like the great
death's-head warning which read like this:
Any nigger found In this county
after to-morrow night will wish he was
a dog. Get out, every one of you!
Jet saw that tho time had come for de
cisive action. He called tho blacks around
him. "Go on with your work," said he.
"This placard Is a bluff. It's the work of
a few sots and hoodlums. The law will
protect you. Jf it don't, I will! Get to
work."
Tho negroes had no faith in the officers
of tho law. They were thoroughly alarmed
and" several of them declared their inten
tion to quit. To them Jet said:
"Well, now, you're under contract to
"I was!" said a man wearin' a Mexican hat. "You tech that playcard and I'll kill you!"
r.i moft Tnfrmnflonal Feature Service. Inc. Great Britain IUshU ncserrcd.
Watcher-by-Night, his honored mas
ter. At that moment I confess that
much as I was attached to him I
should have liked to murder Hans,
who, I felt, believing that ho had
mo on toast, to use a vulgar phrase,
was taking advantage of my posi
tion to make a mock of me In his
sly, Hottentot way.
I tried to continue to look grand,
but felt that the attitude did net
impress. Then I stared about me
as though taking counsel with the
heavens, devoutly hoping that tho
heavens would respond to my mute '
appeal. As a matter of' fact they
did.
"There," I said, in my most icy
voice, "is my reason, Hans," and I
pointed to a faint line of smoke
rising against the twilight sky on
the further side of the Intervening
valley.
"You will perceive, Hans," I
added, "that those Amahagger can
nibals have forgotten their caution
and lit a fire yonder, which they
have not done for a long time. Per
haps you would like to know why
this has happened. If so I will tell
you. It is because for some days
past I have purposely 4lost their
spoor, which they thought we were
following, and lit fires to puzzle
them. Now, thinking that they had
done with us. they have become in
cautious and shown us where they
are. That Is my reason, Hans."
He heard and stared at me till I
thought his little eyes were going
to drop out of his head. But even
in his admiration he contrived to
convey an impertinence as only a
native can,
"How wonderful is the Great
Medicine of tho Opener of Roads,
that it should have been able thus
to instruct the Baas," he said.
"Without doubt the Great Medicine
Is right and yonder those men
eaters are encamped, who might
Just as well have been anywhere
else within a hundred miles."
"Curse tho Great Medicine" I re
plied, but beneath my breath, then
added, aloud:
"Be so good. Hans, as to go to
"Umslopogaas and to tell him that
Macumazahn, or, the Great Medi
cine, proposes to march at once to
attack the camp of the Amahagger,
and here is some tobacco."
"Yes, Baas," answered Hans,
humbly, as he snatched the to
bacco and crept away like a worm.
Tho end of it was that within an
hour we were creeping across that
stay, and if you leave camp before I get
Into touch with the company you won't
get a cent. I'll wire the company the
whole situation, and if they say for you to
go I'll pay you all off with my blessing."
The boldest of them went back to work,
and Jet wired the condition of affairs to
me and asked for orders. "The citizens
aro dead agin the blacks," he said, "and
things are owly kore," he added, "but I
reckon I can hold the fort if you say so."
Qf course I had no way of knowing how
tense the situation was, but Jones did, and
ho trusted Jet. He replied: "Exhaust all
peaceable means but hold the forL We
will back you in anything you do. Will
touch up Animas authorities to protect
you."
This authorization did not reach Jet till
late in the afternoon, and by this time the
news of the banishment had spread and the
saloons were filled with loafers In full en
joyment of the action of tho "citizens' com
mittee." It's wonderful to see how tho
promise of violence will stir up a town. Of
course the authorities disclaimed all sym
pathy with the spirit of this placard, and
professed themselves unable to discover
the authors of it, but thoy were half-hearted.
"All right," said Jet, "but you can
spread tho news that I'm here to protect
my men."
The blacks besought him to bo very care
ful. "They goin kill you sho'!"
It was about sunset when he went down
to the corral to rope his horse. He was
saddling it when a couple of cattlemen
rodo up. One of them entered the corral,
but tho other, a long-whiskered citizen,
watched In a casual klud of way, whlro
Jet cinched bis restless horse, swung into
his saddle and rode away. The beast (as
is the nature of these bronchos) began to
buck, just to mako sure his rider could
stay on, nnd kept at it with vicious fury
for forty rods or so, then quieted down and
loped .away resignedly.
"Who was that buster?" asked whiskers
who was a stranger in the town.
The other man, who had been busy with
his own horse and had seen nothing of
Jet's Wild West Show, replied contemptu
ously: "Oh, that was the tenderfoot fore
man of this water company. Pie's the
'farmer that brought these niggers In."
"Former?" said the other man. "Well, if
you think that man is a farmer you want to
reviso your notion of him. If ho wasn't
raised on tho range, and raised wild, I'll
eat my hat. I've seen him before. I can't
jest place him. but don't make no mistake,
he's an experienced citizen and any job
he's obligated in will go through."
Meanwhile, with his riflo in its holster
(just where it could be most conveniently
handled) and with liia revolver at the
proper point on his side, Jet rode calmly
along, tearing down the warnings, putting
up in their places a poster of his own, of
fering fivo hundred dollars reward for in
formation leading to the discovery of the
men who had assaulted his black foreman.
valley toward the spot where I had 1 il
seen tho line of smoke rising jJ
against tho twilight sky. H
Somewhere about midnight wo IH
reached the neighborhood of thiB H
place. How near or how far we H
wero from it we could not tell,
sinco the moon was invisible and,' H
of course, the smoke was in the IH
dark. Now the question was, what i
should we do? Obviously there J jH
would be enormous advantages in j
a night attack, or, at least, in locat- IH
ing the enemy, so that it might bo IH
carried out at dawn before he jH
marched. IH
After a hurried consultation, it H
was agreed that Hans and I should H
go forward and see if we could lc Ijf
cato the Amahagger. Robertson
wished to come, too, but I pointed
put that he must remain to look
after his people, who, if he left rn- M
them, might take the opportunity . M
to molt away ' in the darkness.
Also if anything happened to me H
it was desirable that one white IH
man should remain to lead the H
party. Umslopogaas, too, volun-i , H
teered. but knowing his character
I declined his help. To tell tho H
truth, I was almost certain that it IH
we came upon the maneaters he i
would accomplish a fine -but futile i IH
end after hacking clown a number IH
of savages, whoso extinction or es- ' IH
cape was absolutely immaterial to ', ) jH
tho rescue of Inez. H
So it came about that Hans and H
I started alone, I, to tell the truth,
not at all onjoying the job. I sup- H
pose that there lurks in my nature H
some of that primeval terror of the H
- dark which must continually have
haunted our remote forefathers of H
a hundred or a thousand genera- H
tions gone and still lingers in the i H
blood of most of us.
I think that Hans guessed niy
state of mind, since he suggested
that he should go alone, adding,
with his usual veiled rudeness,
that he was quite certain that he'
would do much better without me,
since white men always made a
"Yes," I replied, determined to IH
givo him a Roland for his Oliver.
"I have no doubt you would crawl
under the first bush you "-.tie
across, where you would sleep till
dawn, and then return and say that
you could not find the Amahaggar."
Hans chuckled, quite appreciat
ing the joke, and having thus mu
tually affronted each other we
started on our quest jH
To Be Continued V " 0 ,
Copyrlgt, 1010, By Sir U. nider Jlaseaftf-.,;- J
I A Case of Bill Posting"" By Hamlin Garland I
W HEN I took the job of building the
Las Animas dam tho country boast
m ed of its freedom from negroes.
Mexicans there were (in moderation)
and plenty of Texas cowmen and ex-cowmen,
together with exiles from Arkansas
and Mississippi but as all these bow-legs
jmd hair-hung gunmen were not much good
irhen" it came to lifting a mountain stream
; out of its deep bed in order to put a dam
inder it I had to induce another kind of
jnmigrant.
Jones (his name wasn't Jones, but we'll
; call him that), a small, blond, boyish-man
from Chicago, was my engineer, a "con
' suming engineer" his cook once said In de
scription of hira. He looked like a college
sophomore, but he had been everywhere
I J and had solved all sorts of "problems."
He had built cyanide mills In Colorado,
&m experimental coke plants in Illinois, elec
flf trlcal railways in Ohio. He had investi-'
I j gated Innumerable mines, and had passed
j through three labor wars.
I He knew men all kinds of men and I
I 1 let him choose his own foremen. No lazy,
I half-hearted service would do for Jones,
I ; and when he went Into camp above Animas
I ' ho took Jet Whitlow as his superintendent
I of Hip cradlnc crew.
I ' Jet had helped us through with two or
I ' three "rough propositions," and was to be
I ! trusted. He was a tall, flat-chested cuss
I with extraordinarily long arms and a lank,
I expressionless face, but he was strong as
I a mule. The camp had been in place sev
I oral days when Jones and I arrived on
I Sunday morning and the first thing I saw
,B as I entered the tent was Jet cleaning a
jH jjalr of patent leather shoes.
H "What's the meaning of that?" I asked.
BH "You aren't going to wear those shoos, are
H you?"
H "Oh, yes. this town has put Jones and
D mo up for a brnce of Eastern tenderfeet,
flfl and I thought we might as well look the
H part," replied Jet. and passed quietly to -
SI the job of renovating a rusty, "hard" hat, ,
SFa which had seen much service on the plains
area of utah.
aPf This appealed to my sense of humor, for
3J Jones told me Jet had never been in a city
(ga In his life As cowboy, miner, rancher,
JriS Mage-driver, sawmill operator and several
3p other things (Including the position of
Eher,ff anrt cIty mar3nal) he'd been to
;Ja busy to "go Eaat."
"So I'm a tenderfoot, am I?"
3 Jet went on, "Yes, they've got you sized
M as a brand new college graduate,
nephew of tho Company," here ho grinned
W tt me, "and I must say you fill the eyo that
'. Jones was delighted. "All right, I'll try
j to look my part," said he.
A As ve went about town the citizens
ked and nudged one another. "Well,
look at that! Did ye ever see such a bunk
-4 time as them two is playing on that East
. 4 tm capitalist? It is astonishing what fools
tf:i millionaires can be 3end a little Sunday
. -i tchool scholar into a job like this."
Vl certainly made a comical team.
Jet towered over Jones full two broad
Well, naturally, that started things. In
less than an hour half the men and boys
in Animas were on tfthe street watching
him as he rode from point to point. There
was something admittedly impressive in
the man's fool bravery, ne fellow owned vM
up to me afterward, for It would have been
easy to have shot him from a corner.
Stark courage like that is rather awe-in-
spiring. The picture of that solitary, IH
intent, unhurried horseman, doing his duty
appealed to the better class of citizens
with growing power, though they were too IH
much afraid of the "committee" to say so.
The saloons were full of men discussing
it. "Nobody but a fool tenderfoot would
do such a thing. He ought to be killed!"
The whiskered cattleman scratched his
chin.
"I've seen that citizen before he's a
bad man tojool with, I'm dead sure of
Meanwhile Jet had wiped out all of the
warnings around the camp, except one that
was tacked to a pole in front of the biggest
saloon in town. This he purposely left to
tho last, for in and around this resort the
dangerous characters of the town had
gathered and the word had gone round that ,
if he tried to tear that down he'd end right
there. Tho sidewalk was crowded as he
rode calmly up and slipping from his horse 11
started for the placard.
"Let that play-card alone!" called a
harsh voice. "You touch that pole and
you'll get hurt."
Jet turned and those who stood near him
gave way under the cold gleam of his eyes
he had a signifying eye as I can testify. IH
"Was anybody speaking to me?" he H
asked, quiet and polite.
"I was!" said a man wearing a Mexican IH
hat, "You tech that placard and I'll kill !
For answer Jet reached out with his
right hand, snatched the poster from the
polo. "Now make good!" said he. H
There was an Instant's hush a silence H
in which some of the men held their breath IH
while Jet's gray eyes punched straight Into H
the face of the chap who had made the loud H
noise- Finally Jet said: "I'm not in the a
habit of taking orders from rustlers liko H
you. Give mo your gun." Tho big fellow H
gave It to him like a babe giving up a rattle.
"These blacks are under my protection," H
he says, "and the 'man who interferes with H
them will need a coroner." H
"Why. hello, Jet," called out a hearty
voice, and the visiting cattleman stepped H
out of the crowd. "1 couldn't just place ye
before." H
Jet's face lightened. "I got you now,"
he said. "You're the feller that helped me
bring in UtalrPete." H
'The same," laughod tho other man, H
"but you had a beard then." He turned to H
tho crowd. "Tho joke is on you boys, this
'tenderfoot' is the kind that nil Hades can't
scare. I'd advise you to treat him quite
respectful." H
The opposition died right there.