CHAPTER VII.

A NIGHT IN A FRONTIER TOWN-POPULAR DIVERSIONS AND PRIMITIVE JUSTICE.

WING to the dangers of travel on the lines of communication with points farther west, I found myself booked for the night at Sheridan. The Santà Fé coach was announced to leave the following morning.

The prospect was anything but agreeable. I was, however, fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of Colonel Stone, the agent of the coach line, and enjoyed in his company quite an interesting evening. Colonel Stone (how he got his title I did not learn) was a man of tall, sinewy form, and, judging from a half-hand which he displayed every now and then, seemed to be a character after the true style of the country. According to his account, he had experienced all the "ups and downs" of frontier life, and, though he got through with his life, he bore off numerous scars and other souvenirs of his eventful career.

Among the wonders of Sheridan then on exhibition, were the remains of a saurian animal discovered near the town by a Swiss watch-maker named Brandt. Most of the bones of the monster, in a fine state of preservation by means of petrefaction, were in the possession of the Swiss. For the convenience of the curious, the remains were arranged on a table in the rear of his shop. The reptile measured, when alive, at least fortyfive feet in length-the Swiss insisted upon one hundred and forty-five feet! The lower jaw must have been over four feet in length, and the teeth, some of which were very well preserved, were perfect cones in shape-the largest about an inch and a half in height and one inch in diameter at the base. Several

of the ribs, apparently perfect, were about eighteen inches in length. Several sections of the vertebra measured seven inches in diameter. The reptile was found in a cañon about threefourths of a mile from the town. It was lying near the surface, with a portion exposed. According to the Swiss's description, the monster was moving across the cañon at the time of its death, and lay with its head on one side and its tail on the other, while in the centre a space of several feet was washed away. The country around Sheridan I found wonderfully prolific in petrefactions of all kinds. The rocks which appeared upon the surface were frequently rather remarkable, presenting a variety of marine shells. There was no doubt in my mind, from the numerous exhibitions of submarine formations, that, at some remote period, the entire country formed the bed of a vast inland sea.

Sheridan compared very favorably with other plains towns. It contained a population of one hundred and fifty souls, and from accounts all were desperate characters. After the suspension of work on the railroad, the population, which at one time was much larger, suddenly diminished. Frequently the citizens were put to great straits to secure a maintenance. Many lived by poisoning wolves and selling the skins, for which they realized a dollar, or a dollar and a half, each, according to size. It was hardly the proper season for this work, although parties were engaged in it, and found no difficulty in disposing of their stock. I was told by one person that in the winter he could make from seventy-five to a hundred and fifty dollars per month out of the wolf skins he could The wolf family is rather large on the plains, and a liberal application of strychnine evidently would not be seriously felt for some time to come.

secure.

Ten o'clock in the evening I discovered was the regular hour for the public entertainments to begin, which consisted of a skirmish with pistols, or a series of pugilistic encounters, in which it rarely happened that both parties come off with their lives, or at least without receiving a damaging and indelible

remembrance of the contest. I had already heard fearful stories of the " quiet and orderly" town of Sheridan, and, as much as possible, kept clear of the streets from fear of some stray pistol ball, by mistake, finding a lodgment in my own person.

The week before, the Sheridanites, according to their own accounts, had had "a beautiful time." During that week six men had been shot in drunken brawls. On the Sabbath night the honor of two more specimens was brought into antagonism over the flowing bowl. Pistols were produced, and the "popular tragedy" opened. One was mortally wounded. The other set out with a view to escape. He was closely pursued. The pursuers fired repeatedly, which was responded to by the fugitive. After a lively chase and considerable firing the pursued was overtaken. He fought desperately, but without avail. A rope was procured; one end was fastened around the victim's neck, the other to a cross-tie in the tressel railroad bridge at the town. The victim was then forcibly ejected between the ties into space below, and was there left to shuffle off this mortal coil; which was more readily done than to shuffle off the coil which had been prepared for him by his peculiarly justice-loving fellow-citizens.

The business of Sheridan was monopolized, almost exclusively, by that enterprising, homeless race, the Jews. The universality of enterprise of these modern representatives of that ancient and numerous family circle is probably more completely illustrated upon the plains than any where else. It would seem, from their appearance, manner, and want of knowledge of the language, that it was only the new importations from Germany, particularly, who constituted the specimens sent out. It was the rare exception to find an Americanized member of the family exposing himself to the dangers of a scalpless pate, or to the discomforts and isolation of frontier society. How they managed to subsist was a mercantile problem which I could not penetrate nor unravel. The favorite branch of business to which they devoted their attention was the sale of clothing and cheap notions, and generally had a stock equal to the emergen

cies of a community of ten times the gross invoice of that which really existed. If any Indians, of a friendly band, happened near at hand they drove a fair trade by bartering their cheap commodities at high rates for skins at low rates. These pioneers of business were, generally, the representatives of large establishments in the east, and were evidently set up in trade by advancing a supply of goods on easy terms, and were sent out into the remote regions of the plains to "cut their eye-teeth," and otherwise show themselves meriting the reward of increased confidence.

At the time of my visit, Sheridan was in a state of siege. Several days before, a large war-party of savages had appeared upon two buttes near the town and opened fire upon the inhabitants. Everybody rushed to arms, and for the larger part of the day a spirited fusilade was kept up. The people of the place at once organized a regular corps of defenders, and detachments were on the watch day and night. On the more prominent eminences pickets were posted to signal the approach of war-parties. At night the guard was doubled so as to completely encircle the town.

The first thing upon my arrival I negotiated for quarters at the "hotel." There being but one in the place, the choice was not difficult. At bed-time I was escorted to a small enclosure immediately over the bar-room. The establishment below was of that enterprising character that kept no count of time. During the entire night I enjoyed, quietly, not only one of those phases in human life which is to be found no where else but in the bar-room, but also a vivifying anxiety and trepidation in anticipation of a pistol ball or two finding its way through the thin floor into my bed. This sort of bed-fellow I certainly had no desire to cultivate. In the midst of all the frontier slang, crudely-fashioned oaths, and unpolished vulgarities inspired by oft-repeated charges of "chain lightning," which electrified the boisterous crowd below, my attemps at slumber were anything but satisfactory.

CHAPTER VIII.

OFF FOR FORT WALLACE-PARTING CIVILITIES-INTERESTING REMINISCENCES-"WHAT'S THE NEWS?"-ARRIVAL.

T an early hour on the following morning, an unusual din below suggested that the day's duties had commenced, a routine invariably inaugurated with cocktails" all around." A voice from the foot of the stairs proclaimed "breakfast-ye better be dusting up tharstage-Santa Fé-time up." These incongruous observations were instantly obeyed, and in very few minutes the lodgers dropped down stairs with a rush.

By the time we had "tossed" in a breakfast, composed of half-cooked meat, as tough as India rubber, and boiled potatoes as hard as bullets, the announcement was made that the " stage" was ready to get off. There were three passengers besides myself-a government land surveyor, a Pennsylvanian, traveling without any special object, a delightful recreation, indeed, in such a country, and a Jew. On account of hostilities I found that the daily line had been abandoned and two coaches were run together on alternate days, one for passengers and the other for a military guard, freight, and the mails. The time of departure having arrived, the baggage and mails were stowed away in the boot and on the driver's box of the first coach. With pistols and rifles, my fellow-passengers and myself took possession of the interior of the same vehicle. The second coach carried the heavier packages and the guard, consisting of six "brunette" soldiers. The coaches were modeled after the American pattern, and were each drawn by four horses. The inside accommodations were for six persons on two seats. Both coaches were painted red, and in a bold and artistic display of