|
When we first came out to Nebraska in Garfield county, I went to work on a ranch for a fellow by the name of Milligan.
Most of their horses were broncos and he said they were just as tame as kittens. They had one there by the name of "[Checke?]" who looked lazy and easy to handle. Milligan said he was and helped me saddle him. While he was doing this he shoved a piece of broken spur in under the saddle. I thought I was a pretty good hand with horses and leapt into the saddle, ready to ride the range.
That horse just gave one shudder and then he jumped straight in the air. He was an experienced bucker and pitched and side-stepped all over the corral.
He had me first ahead of the saddle then back of it and the more he worked the worse that spur hurt him. With one last tremendous heave, he threw me pretty hard. All the hands, even Milligan's girls and wife were out to see the fun and the bronco after I was out of the saddle seemed well satisfied and just eyed me sittin' there in the dust.
Claim jumpers were a pest at that time and they were so gally they would just go right in and take possession if the owner happened to be away.
After they got a toe hold, they were pretty hard to get rid of.
An old man had a claim north of us in Rock county, all fixed up with a dug well, small shack and some other improvements. The old man used to go away and stay for three or four weeks at a time. While he was absent on one of these jaunts, wherever they took him, a shifty-eyed bird just took possession of his claim, shack and all. He never would talk much but said that the old man had gone away for good and had turned over the claim to him.
We were worried about old 'Fuzzy' as he was known around there. But in a month or so he showed up and tried to take over his claim but the jumper wouldn't budge or even let old "Fuzzy' come on his own place.
The old man came over to see us and we got hold of "Horse Buster" Hodges, a cow hand and settler, who, usually took the lead in the 'committee' who took a hand whenever it looked like they were needed.
The boys got together and rode over to the claim that night. 'Fuzzy' went along of course. It was moonlight and the bird must have seen them coming, for he was outside and had a gun. He didn't say anything, just stood there. "Horse Buster" had a lariat coiled, hanging from his belt. He got off his bronco and stood there in the moonlight, not sayin' a word for the time. The fellow must have got nervous and we figured he could see that rope and didn't like the looks of things. Then 'Horse Buster' said, 'the old man's back. This claim is his. We're here to back him up. Get goin'. This tough guy muttered a few words, laid his gun down and the boys went into the shack and pitched his stuff out. 'Horse Buster' bein' the spokesman, told him it would be healthier for him if he made tracks and plenty of them. He was never seen again in that part of the country.
Before they built churches, and held meetings, there used to be a circuit rider preacher who came through. Sometimes the people would gather in schoolhouses and this traveling preacher also held worship in the claims. Sometimes with only the family or maybe two or three neighbors would gather in. One time they met on the trail and all knelt down and prayed right there on the prairie.
When school houses got thicker they held regular meetings in them and later they built churches. We always thought this early worship, with its hardships and discomforts were more sincere and genuine. The people lived closer to God in their every day life. They walked miles across the prairie to go to a meeting. Today they ride in a fine automobile a few blocks to church and even have cushions on the seats and private pews.
|
|
