SHlHHMMIMWMIIJIINMNHWHHHHN 
 
BANCROFT 
 LIBRARY 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 
From Photograph 
 
 of him 
 
 after 14 years 
 
 Confinement in the 
 
 Penitentiary 
 
 "FOLK WELLS" 
 
 (CHAS. POLK WELLS) 
 
 When Captured 
 and put in 
 
 the 
 Penitentiary 
 
 at 
 Ft. Madison, Iowa 
 
LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 POLK WELLS 
 
 (CHARLES KNOX POLK WELLS) 
 
 THE 
 NOTORIOUS OUTLAW 
 
 Whose Acts of Fearlessness and Chivalry Kept the Frontier Trails 
 Afire with Excitement, and whose Roberies and other Depredations 
 in the Platte Purchase and Elsewhere, have been a Most Frequent 
 Discussion to this day, all of which Transpired During and Just After 
 The Civil War. 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF 
 
 Published by G. A. WARNICA 
 
 His Life Long Friend and Chief Financial Support 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 $ 
 
 Page 
 Polk Wells' Portrait ~\ 
 
 before entering penitentiary (. Frontispiece 
 
 after 14 years in penitentiary j 
 
 Father Wells Thrashes Polk for Striking Storekeeper 26 
 
 Swimming the Missouri River, leaving home 28 
 
 Escapes from Father by Swimming Creek 30 
 
 Wells' First Shooting Scrape on Old Pomeroy Ferry at 
 
 Atchison, Kans 38 
 
 Entirely Surrounded by Indians Fights His Way Out. 59 
 
 A Fearful Early Morning Charge 69 
 
 Seven Dead Indians in this Escapade 90 
 
 An Exciting Scrap with the Danites 149 
 
 Holding up "Overland Route" Office Using Dummies Be- 
 hind Log 164 
 
 Portraits G A Warnica and Wife, formerly Mrs. Nora 
 
 Wells Polk Wells' Chief Backers 167 
 
 Nora Taking a Horse to Wells' Rescue 187 
 
 Wouldn't Rob Orton Circus Because of Generous Hearted 
 
 Showman 190 
 
 Shot Through Knee at Riverton (la.) Bank Robbery 200 
 
 Robbing The Jerseyville (111.) Bank 204 
 
 Portrait Sheriff Chandler and Family 209 
 
 Polk Wells Captured at Randolph, Wis 213 
 
 Life in Fort Madison (Iowa) Penitentiary 218 
 
 John Elder Chloroformed to Effect Escape from Penitentiary 221 
 Escape of Wells, Cook and Fitzgerald .224 
 
-r-3 i 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 jENTIMENT moulds public opinion. The ex- 
 pressions of but a single man may change a 
 whole epoch of history. The records of the 
 world itself, which are known to us as history, 
 are but the lives and acts of its citizenship. 
 Each individual makes his or her part of that 
 record, whether knowingly or unknowingly. It 
 has been truthfully said that "it takes all kind of people to 
 make a world." It likewise takes all kinds of lives to make 
 up her history. 
 
 History is seen through many eyes, and the records of her 
 various lives, whether good or bad, must in the aggregate 
 form a true and impartial history of the nation's life. What 
 some men would discard from record, others would find most 
 important to impress the public mind. It is with this feeling 
 that this book, THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF 
 CHARLES KNOX POLK WELLS, better known to the public 
 as "POLK WELLS," is made a matter of permanent record. 
 We do not present it to you for your reading and considera- 
 tion, as an example of perfect life or an exemplary one, far 
 from it. His exciting career of lawlessness, his super daring 
 deeds, has long since fixed his name on frontier record as one 
 full of pathetic hatred and his very name as one with which 
 to coerce children into good behavior. However, there are 
 thousands of his friends, too, who have found much in his 
 life to admire, for even his enemies freely admit he had a 
 large, warm and kindly heart; that he never once took a 
 penny from a poor person, and was always ready to bestow 
 his last one upon them. He stands charged with many crimes 
 of which he is but the rightful perpetrator, perhaps guilty 
 of some even unknown, but many were false and but the work 
 
of a vicious public revenge, which places all crime committed 
 upon the shoulders of he who at that time stands most promi- 
 nent in daring deeds of outlawry, upon the public mind. 
 
 The Life of Polk Wells is exceptionally full of the frontier 
 life of the West. His adventures amongst the Indians is par- 
 ticularly thrilling and reveal to us many of their singular 
 traits, habits, etc. His boundless friendship to friends, and 
 his excellent kindness to even enemies, is enobling. All we 
 ask of you, kind reader, is a patient reading, a candid, careful 
 sifting of the "wheat from the tares." 
 
 This history of his life was written by himself, while an 
 inmate of the penitentiary, in a lonely felon's cell, at Fort 
 Madison, Iowa, where he poured out his soul in agony over 
 his past missteps, talks to us of better things, and leaves for 
 us this publication, whether for better or for worse. 
 
 G. A. WARNICA, Publisher. 
 
 Halls, Mo., February 1st, 1907. 
 
Life and Adventures of Polk Wells 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Messrs. Richard Wells and Moses Berriman were residents 
 of London, England. The former was an Englishman by birth, 
 education and religion, and the latter a Jew of the strictest sect. 
 Mr. Wells and family usually spent the summer months in hunt- 
 ing and fishing at his country residence. Barney, his eldest son, 
 was a tall, handsome fellow; a man of unimpeachable veracity 
 and integrity, an accomplished horseman, proficient with the 
 fowling-piece, was first in the chase and greatly enjoyed the 
 "music" produced by his "pack" of black-and-tan hounds. 
 
 Mr. Berriman's family consisted of himself and daughter 
 the country during the heated season at the home of a friend 
 Rachel, and they, too, were wont to while away some weeks in 
 living near the Wells estate. Rachel was cultured and refined, 
 symmetrically developed, possessed a pure, spotless character and 
 a warm, affectionate nature, and I need hardly say a handsome 
 face as Jewish ladies are noted the world over for those attributes 
 large, lustrous brown eyes, long, raven tresses and delicate, 
 peachy complexion which the poets of all ages love to sing about 
 and which (with other perfections of mind and body alluded to) 
 stamp them the beauty queens of earth. The daughters of Job 
 were the fairest in the land and it is safe to say that Raphael 
 could not have found a model for his Madonna anywhere outside 
 the Jewish race. 
 
 If Rachel was exquisitely beautiful she also knew how to 
 preserve that beauty by indulging her fondness for equestrian 
 exercises, and while out for a canter one day met Barney Wells, 
 to whom' she was soon married, and the following year (1791) 
 they emigrated to the United States and settled in Henry County, 
 Old Virginia, near the old Henry Court House, where they 
 bought a large tobacco plantation with a 1 ! appurtenances thereto, 
 including a number of slaves, thoroughbred horses, game-cocks, 
 and a "pack" of fox-hounds all of which no planter could afford 
 
8 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 to be without, that is if he expected to retain the respect and 
 good-will of his neighbors, as riding to the hounds was regarded 
 as the one recreation necessar-y to engage the time, excite the 
 brain, and try the skill and courage of the gentleman sportsman. 
 
 The new home occupied an elevated position near the south- 
 ern edge of a large maple grove from which a great deal of sugar 
 and syrup were made. In the rear of the dwelling were the negro 
 quarters, stock stables, tobacco barns and other buildings. Away 
 to the south lay the large level fields, at the bottom of which was 
 a three-quarter mile race-track and its accompanying "cock-pit." 
 Hunting, racing, and cock-fighting were the principal amuse- 
 ments of country gentlemen, therefore everyone owning land and 
 slaves was necessarily obliged to keep a stable of fine-bred hunt- 
 ers and racers, game-cocks and hounds; also a copper still for 
 making "apple- jack" and corn whiskey without such delicacies 
 no Virginian's table was properly furnished. 
 
 The old coachman and the house servants soon informed their 
 new "Massa" and "Missus" of those of their neighbors who were 
 "de quality folks" and pointed out the "Po white trash," with 
 which all communication and association was peremptorily inter- 
 dicted by "Old Black Mammy." The Master, however, was giv- 
 en a wide range of latitude and allowed much discretion in his 
 intercourse with "uppertindum." Hence his wealth, refinement 
 and lively disposition, to say nothing of his inclination, made it 
 incumbent on him to assume the place in the social whirl and 
 pastimes of the neighborhood that his predecessor had occupied 
 consequently he soon became a leading spirit at the race course 
 and fox chase. 
 
 His wife, knowing it was customary in England for ladies 
 to ride to hounds, and seeing her neighbor women accompanying 
 the hunters, also joined the chase, and, being as fearless as she 
 was graceful in the saddle, always demanded the best horse, 
 which her husband gallantly yielded to her. After experiencing 
 the enthusiasm and thrill of joy engendered by this sort of sport 
 she became desirous of taking a "brush" which she accomplished 
 by being first "in at the death." The hunt was so fascinating to 
 her that she rode in the chase until her first son was of age. 
 
 Here it was, amid splendid surroundings, scenes of mirth and 
 chivalry that Barney and Rachel reared a family of eight boys 
 and educated them in the best schools of the state The three 
 youngest died on the old homestead, while the others drifted 
 west and in various ways distinguished themselves. John was 
 the champion hog and tobacco raiser of Jefferson County, Illinois 
 Barney was a Major in the Mexican war, and, for many years, a 
 Justice of the Peace of Jefferson County, Illinois, where he and 
 John both died. William was a land speculator and money gath- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS '/ 
 
 erer of Barton County, Missouri, where he was killed for his 
 money by the Kansas Jayhawkers during the late Civil war. Ed- 
 mond was for several terms Judge of the District Court of Linn 
 County, Missouri, while Benjamin, the eldest son, distinguished 
 himself principally as an honest man and a warrior. He served 
 as Lieutenant in General Scott's command, and was twice wound- 
 ed at the battle of Lundy's Lane during the war of 1812, after 
 which he returned home and married. One son was born to him, 
 and his wife died. He again married, three sons were born to 
 him and the second wife died. With his four little boys he moved 
 west, and, in 1830, he landed at the old trading post on the Mis- 
 sissippi now the flourishing city of Fort Madison, Iowa, and two 
 years later commanded a volunteer regiment against Black Hawk 
 
 Joseph Bovay, an enterprising young Frenchman in 1790 
 began trading with the Indians and later established a trading post 
 on or near the present site of the city of Burlington, Iowa. About 
 this time all thought and interest of the Sacs and Foxes was 
 directed toward the young warrior "Muck-Ah-Ta-Mish-E-Kah- 
 Knack," which translated into English means "Black Hawk, who 
 early distinguished himself for bravery and wisdom," and, natur- 
 ally enough, was elected chief of one of the largest and most war- 
 like tribes of the nation. Mr. Bovay, better known along the up- 
 per Mississippi as "French Joe," noting the popularity and influ- 
 ence of the newly made chief hastened to win his support and 
 patronage by marrying his sister who was, of course, the reigning 
 belle of her tribe. Mr. Bovay, unlike the general run of "Squaw- 
 men" (as they were called) seems to have had a genuine manly 
 respect and true love for his Indian wife who died in giving 
 birth to a baby girl since he named his little daughter Mizellah 
 after and in honor of his own mother and took her to St. Louis 
 Missouri, where she was reared and educated by his relatives. 
 Each year with a boat load of furs he floated down the Mississippi 
 to St. Louis and after disposing of his cargo spent some weeks 
 visiting with his child who at the age of eighteen returned home 
 with him. 
 
 Randolph Smith, a young man of German and Scotch ex- 
 traction, and an own uncle to the prophet John Smith of Mor- 
 mon fame, now put in his appearance at the Bovay home and 
 soon after married the Frenchman's daughter. The first fruits of 
 this union was twins, a boy named Jerome, and a girl named 
 Lureanah, who was also sent to St Louis and educated under the 
 immediate directions of her mother's friends. She, some months 
 previous to the commencement of the war with Black Hawk, mar- 
 ried a Kentucky gentleman who was killed at the battle of "Bad 
 Axe." 
 
 Berriman G. Wells in 1834 wedded the young widow Lure- 
 
10 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 anah and took her and her little blue-eyed boy to his home in 
 Augusta, Iowa, where he was engaged in the grocery business 
 In 1840 they and Randolph Smith, familiarly known as "Black 
 Hawk Smith," by reason of his relationship to that chieftain 
 moved to Missouri and in the south-west corner of Buchanan 
 County on the river bottom each bought a section of land on 
 which they commenced rearing permanent homes. The great 
 overflow in 1844 stopped the work and compelled the families to 
 move from the bottom to Rushville, which is located on a piece 
 of table land connecting the river bottom with the bluffs. The 
 land having dried off the family returned to the farm but Mr. 
 Wells remained in town to complete his "still-house" and "tobac- 
 co press." In the former he converted the farmers' corn into 
 whiskey, and in the latter their tobacco was manufactured into 
 plugs or pressed into hogsheads ready for shipping. 
 
 His business caused Rushville to rapidly increase in popula- 
 tion which, of course, was the means of filling his coffers with 
 gold, for whiskey and tobacco were staple articles Men could 
 make their hats of rye straw and their shoes of cow skin, but 
 lacked the means or ingenuity to manufacture whiskey and tobac- 
 co which must be had at all hazards. Mr. Cleveland says the one 
 is a "luxury," while Mr. Harrison affirms the other to be a "ne- 
 cessity." So the people thought then and will perhaps continue to 
 think unless some Brown-Sequard sort of a fellow compounds a 
 new "Elixir of Life" with which to inoculate them with a dis- 
 taste for such abominations. 
 
 While Mr. Wells was engaged in making money to buy bet- 
 ter breeds of stock and to make new improvements on his Ian j 
 his wife and children were adding each year a new field to the 
 farm and forcing the soil to its highest productive capacity. Mr 
 Wells became smitten with the "gold fever" and immediately 
 prepared an outfit for a trip across the plains. Four wagons were 
 loaded with flour, bacon, whisky and tobacco, the three latter 
 were of his own production, and four yoke of oxen, mostly of 
 his raising, to each wagon. This little train in the hands of his 
 four eldest sons started on the first day of May, 1849, f r the 
 gold mines of California. The following spring Leonard I. 
 Smith, Mrs. Wells' youngest brother, accompanied by her first 
 son, James R., went to Salt Lake City, Utah. The home circle 
 being thus broken up Mr. Wells thought it best to move the family 
 to town, Rushville, so the small children could attend school. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 On the 5th day of June, 1851, Mr. and Mrs. Wells were 
 made happy by the appearance of a fifteen pound baby boy whom 
 they christened Charles Knox Polk Wells. The family now con- 
 sisted of Mr. and Mrs. Wells, two daughters. Sarah and Ruth 
 and three sons, Berriman, John and (the writer) the aforesaid 
 Chas. K. Polk. There had been two other girls and a boy, but 
 they died in infancy. 
 
 Town life did not agree with my dear mother, whose gentle 
 spirit wandered over mountain and valley in search of her absent 
 boy whom she never saw or heard of again She longed to be 
 on the farm where she might handle the implements that he 
 worked with, and lean on the gate he had made with his own 
 hands ; besides, Berriman and Sarah were better scholars than 
 their teachers. John could not be persuaded or hired to go to 
 school nnd Ruth and I were not old enough to attend except for 
 the purpose of amusing the other pupils which we did some- 
 times, consequently mother and the children were moved back to 
 the old home in the woods. 
 
 When father settled upon this land it was covered with sev- 
 eral growths of the vegetable kingdom, the ground was matted 
 with blueberries, gooseberries, wild roses, bullrushes and fox-tail 
 which is and has ever been the terror of Missouri farmers. Then 
 came the delicious paw-paw, the favorite fruit of the opossum 
 which our Dutch neighbor persisted in calling the "slick-tailed 
 tog," red and black haws, and red plums, the "hog" plums, mul- 
 berry and boxelder were next in the line of march heavenward: 
 the elm, hickory and hackberry looked up to their more preten- 
 tious neighbors the white oak and black walnut; over and above 
 all waved the majestic heads of the cottonwood and sycamore 
 and in those monarchs of the forest the sly old coon made his 
 home, fattened on the new corn and furnished great sport for 
 the boys on "good coon nights." In this forest were to be found 
 also the large timber wolf, saucy wild-cat, the timid hare and in- 
 nvmerable squirrels and various species of the feathered trile 
 from the pee-wee up to the wild turkey. In short this was a 
 jungle fit for the Congo Valley and the idea of building a home 
 in it would have been to the prairie-raised man about as rational 
 
12 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 as to undertake with a pocket knife to hew out a mansion in the 
 Rock of Gibraltar, but to the man of Virginia or Kentucky it was 
 the best, the only suitable place. So my father thought, and he. 
 being a Virginian endowed with large destructiveness, combative- 
 ness and continuity, attacked the huge task with a vim and cour- 
 age these faculties can alone supply. A square containing four 
 acres was cleared of everything but a few small shade trees and 
 into its center all the buildings necessary for the family were 
 erected, and the plat s>et to blue grass. Various kinds of fruit 
 trees dotted the ground at regular intervals, while each fence 
 corner around the entire enclosure contained a peach tree and 
 under every fourth tree set a stand of honey bees. The hickory 
 and hackberry timber was used for building purposes, while the 
 oak and walnut were split into rails with which the whole planta- 
 tion was fenced. But every tree that "brought forth not good 
 fruit was cut down and cast into the fire." A notch, called 
 "girdling," was cut through the sap or to the red around the tree 
 about two feet above the ground, which process killed it. The 
 timber subjected to this treatment in the spring was, during the 
 fall and winter, cut down and sawed into short logs which to- 
 gether with the tops and underbrush, and with the assistance of 
 several yoke of oxen were piled around the stumps and set on 
 fire and before retiring for the night all hands turned out to 
 "chunk up the log heaps." Thus the work of destruction con- 
 tinued day and night until there was not left a stump or even a 
 riding switch on one hundred acres. The busy workers in the 
 nightly scenes of song and fire would have led the ancient Greek 
 or Roman gentleman to exclaim in a voice of reverence and ad- 
 miration, "Ah ! the Holy Virgins are engaged in replenishing the 
 sacred fires in the temple of Vesta." 
 
 The dwelling, a two story structure with two rooms above 
 and two below, with all attachment for kitchen and dining room 
 was built of hewed logs ; in fact all the important houses were 
 built of faced timbers. To the north and west of the door-yard 
 lay the corn, hemp>, tobacco and wheat fields. On the south was 
 the one hundred acres wood pasture with its carpet of rich blue 
 grass on which were kept the work stock, milch cows and a small 
 herd of sheep. A pair of old fashioned draw-barrows connected 
 the pasture with the horse lot in which stood the corn cribs, stock 
 stables and tobacco barns. Adjoining this lot on the west was the 
 garden, the pride and special care of my sweet hearted mother 
 hedged about with gooseberry and currant bushes, blackberry and 
 raspberry vines. Here grew in riotous profusion all the old- 
 fashioned flowers, bright marigolds, larkspur, deep blue bache- 
 lor's buttons, and the tall, brilliant hollyhocks, the lordlings of 
 the place, blood red poppies and roses everywhere nodding in the 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 13 
 
 brteze; here also grew the silver skinned onions, sage for season 
 ing the sausage, tansy and mint for flavoring the "social glass," 
 'Tom Thumb" and crowder peas, in fact everything pertaining 
 to the garden grew in its proper place and season ; all divi JeJ< off 
 by broad, beautiful flower-lined walks (which were covered with 
 white gravel from the sand-bars), all so harmonious!) blended as 
 to stamp it as the work of delicate hands, guided by large order 
 and ideality such gardens are enchanted with the spell of by- 
 gone times and familiar faces, a place for day dreams, chivalrous 
 sentiment and castle building. Over the gate leading from the 
 garden into the door-yard, and over mother's bedroom window 
 was carefully twined that favorite of our grandmother's "Wash- 
 ington's Bower," while immediately in front of the window steed 
 a mulberry tree about 12 inches in diameter and about its base 
 she planted morning-glory seed and the vines spread themselves 
 all over its branches. This tree with its thousands of blue, pink 
 and white flowers glistening with dew drops in the morning sun 
 was the loveliest object in the way of door-yard ornamentation 
 that I ever beheld. 
 
 In the spring of 1852 father built of hewed logs on the bank 
 of the Missouri a large warehouse which two years later tumbled 
 into the river. Then a frame building was erected on rollers so 
 that it could be drawn back to a safe distance as the river drew 
 near by cutting the bank away. A wood yard was next started 
 so the steamboats could get good, hard wood at two dollars per 
 cord. The warehouse and wood yard was widely known as the 
 "Rushville Landing," where was stored all the produce such as 
 hemp, tobacco and bacon of the surrounding country for shipping 
 to St. Louis. The wagon road leading from Rushville to the 
 landing about two miles distant wound its way through a dense 
 forest to the corner of our pasture, thence north in front of our 
 house to the warehouse. During the boating season this road 
 was lined with teams hauling produce to, and goods from, the 
 landing to the inland villages. Little sister Ruth and myself soon 
 became great favorites with the teamsters, who bought her candy, 
 beads, coral rings and bright colored ribbon for her hair, for all 
 of which she sang sweet little songs ; while I was the happy re- 
 cipient of many sets of "bull's-eye" marbles, large red apples, tops 
 and other toys, that delight a well regulated boy and for which 
 I was expected to (good-naturedly) torment and criticise every- 
 body except the donor. 
 
 Frequently teamsters from Old Sparta and DeKalb were 
 obliged to stay over night with us and on such occasions were 
 entertained with music and dancing. Berriman played the fiddle 
 and John accompanied on the old banjo while Ruth and I danced 
 the "tobacco-hill-shuffle." At this time father was quite wealthy. 
 
14 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 kept fast horses, fighting cocks and a pack of hounds, all of 
 which, together with my mother's great hospitality, loving spirit 
 and brilliant conversational powers, coupled with the willingness 
 and the ability of her children to attract and amuse visitors, served 
 to give our family a widespread reputation for politeness and un- 
 affected generosity. And this popularity contributed to father 
 gaining a controlling influence over a large majority of Rush 
 Township, which, together with his fondness for making stump 
 speeches in behalf of his favorite candidate, attracted the atten- 
 tion of "office-seekers," who we're not slow in courting his politi- 
 cal preferment. Such men during the electioneering season per- 
 sisted in calling my father "Colonel," and who were, if of his 
 choice, cordially invited to visit the farm. If not to his liking, 
 they were obliged to extend the invitation themselves; at all 
 events a visit to the farm was inevitable and during the stay of 
 these aspiring gentlemen I was given a nice share of attention. 
 They patted me on the head, laughed heartily at everything I said 
 or did, and were unstinted in their praise whether deservedly or 
 not. On one occasion a candidate for Governor of Missouri ac- 
 companied by other gentlemen visited the farm, and almost the 
 first thing he did after entering the house was to take me on his 
 knee. He looked me over closely, gently stroked my black hair 
 and then turning to my father said, "Colonel, this is a promising 
 lad and he has a Webster head, therefore you ought to give him 
 a first-class education." "I shall spare neither money or pains in 
 the accomplishment of that end," was my father's hearty reply. 
 
 It is not my purpose to call in question the veracity of the 
 once beloved Chief Executive of my native state, yet I must say 
 that my head has undergone a great change or else the gentle- 
 man was a conscious flatterer or wholly ignorant of the shape of 
 Mr. Webster's head, which, if the picture I have of the great 
 statesman is a true likeness of him, was as unlike my head as the 
 apple is unlike the pear. 
 
 The compliment, however, whether genuine or affected, was 
 unnecessary in as much as father had already decided to cast his 
 vote and influence for the gentleman. Receiving so much of this 
 sort of praise and attention, and the fact that I could walk and 
 talk before I was one year old, made me a "precocious boy" in- 
 deed. 
 
 The Missouri, which was and is constantly changing its 
 channel by cutting away the bank on one side and making a cor- 
 responding fill or sand bar on the opposite side, had steadily en- 
 croached on the bank necessitating the moving back of the ware- 
 house each year, until it now (1856) stood on the corner of fath- 
 er's land, only a furlong or two from the dwelling in which we 
 Hved. 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 15 
 
 There was at this time, owing to the gold excitement, a steady 
 flow of emigration west. The river was lined with steamboats 
 and each one loaded to the extent of its capacity with passengers 
 for Omaha where they engaged passage across the plains with 
 some "ox train" or "mule outfit." The wood yard my mother's 
 enterprise was kept well supplied with choice, dry, hard wood 
 full measure; hence the boat captains made the "Rushville Land- 
 ing" a point for "wooding up." The "deck hands," too had a 
 special interest in stopping here for wood as mother never failed 
 to send Ruth and myself out to the landing with buckets full of 
 cold sweet milk which we gave to therm while taking on wood 
 and, when watermelons were ripe, brother John appeared on the 
 scene with a skid load and contributed them among "the poor 
 tired fellows," as my tender hearted mother called them, and 
 who, when the boat left the shore, united their voices in singing 
 "The Queen of the Wood Yards," a song composed in honor of 
 her many kindnesses to them. 
 
 While the deck hands were engaged in putting off, or taking 
 on freight, or wood, as the case required, the boat officers and as 
 many passengers as desired went out to the house to see my 
 father's fine stock and mother's well kept garden. Father when 
 at home (and in his absence I acted as guide) would first lead 
 them into the barn lot to see the great stallion "Black Hawk," the 
 fat hogs, sheep, and the large work oxen "Polk" and "Dallas," 
 which brother John had trained to lie down, also broke them to 
 ride. I rode everything, from the fat hogs up to the stallion, made 
 Old Dallas lie down that I might get on him, make him get up. 
 and then, standing erect on his broad back, rode him around the 
 lot like a circus clown. Sometimes the old ox in brushing at the 
 flies would strike me with his heavy tail and send me whirling 
 from his back. I usually lit on my feet, which, when the visitors 
 saw I was not hurt, caused a great laugh. Having carefully ex- 
 amined and thoroughly praised the stock and barns the visitors 
 were next led into the garden, which elicited much praise and ad- 
 miration. Father, too, was unsparing in his remarks on the beauty 
 and arrangement of the various vegetables and flowers and mani- 
 fested as much pride in showing the garden as he did in extolling 
 the fine qualities of his "blooded stock." The party now passes un- 
 der "Washington's Bower" into the door-yard; here I would 
 arouse the game cocks and battle with them until they were in 
 good fighting trim, then dash in among the visitors, out again in- 
 to the house, leaving them 1 to fight or run. After receiving a 
 stab or two in the legs with the spurs of the little warriors they 
 invariably chose the latter alternative. Once in the house they felt 
 safe and laughted heartily over their defeat while the cocks crowed 
 just as loudly over their victory. By this time mother had com- 
 
1(5 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 pleted her preparations for receiving the company by spreading a 
 lunch consisting of cake, pie, cold sweet milk, "still beer," and a 
 bottle of "old rye," in the center of the table for those who de- 
 sired it, and there were few men in those days who did not drink 
 whisky, and the person who refused to drink the "Mint Julep" 
 that my mother prepared was regarded as a "rara-avis." After 
 lunch the callers were conducted into the large sitting room where 
 they were amused for a few minutes with music and dancing, 
 Ruth and I sang for them such old songs as "Chicken Pie," "Com- 
 ing Through the Rye," "Old Dan Tucker," "Nellie Gray," "Poor 
 Lost Indian," and "Lazy Jackson," usually closing the entertain- 
 men with the clown song, "I kissed Josh and Josh kissed me, as 
 we went bobbing around, as we went b-o-b-b-i-n-g a-r-o-u-n-d." 
 Ruth was a natural "mimic," and could draw out the last two 
 words "bobbing around" with such artistic effect that she 
 never failed being greeted with hearty applause and a shower of 
 silver coin. 
 
 At this time we were in a most prosperous and happy condi- 
 tion. No family enjoyed life in a greater measure than did ours 
 We had everything that heart could wish for in the way of good 
 things to eat and wear ; there was not, however, much else to care 
 for except Yankee Robinson's Show which annually visited our 
 part of the country. 
 
 In the fall we were all out in the woods gath- 
 ering grapes, when a storm came upon us. Dark, 
 heavy clouds hung in the tree tops, the most deaf- 
 ening peals of thunder greeted our ears, and the rain fell in 
 torrents upon us, and the whole elements were ablaze with God's 
 mighty fire. We sought shelter under the largest trees, the most 
 natural, and certainly the most dangerous thing to do in the midst 
 of a storm. Ruth and I were standing by father, Berriman, John 
 and Sarah stood together, while dear mother, alone, leaned against 
 a large, forked elm. I was on my way to her when the tree was 
 split from the fork to the ground by a bolt of lightning and mother 
 fell forward as if struck dead. She was gently conveyed to the 
 house and the doctor summoned. When he arrived she was sit- 
 ting up in bed, and said, "I will be all right in a few hours." The 
 doctor thought so too, and returned to town. Next morning 
 father had scarcely reached his place of business when mother 
 came running from the barn to the house, fell headlong into the 
 room and expired almost instantly thus I lost my best and dear- 
 est friend. My mother was proud of her Indian blood which 
 doubtless heightened her sympathies for, and increased her de- 
 sire to relieve, as far as possible, the wants and suffering of the 
 Indian families living near her. She gave them much provision 
 and clothing ; and brother Berriman rarely went to mill without an 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 17 
 
 extra sack of corn to be converted into meal for "Old Ned's" 
 family. Our white neighbors were scarce, so Ruth and I were 
 obliged, for the most part, to accept the Indian children for our 
 playfellows. We built "Wicky-Ups" of paw-paw poles and elm 
 bark ; hunted the hare and opossum, painted our faces with poke- 
 berry juice, had our feasts and war dances just the same as "Big 
 Injuns." This great fun and friendly intercourse with the In- 
 dians was, so far as I was concerned, at least, cut short by the 
 death of my dear mother. She having been laid to rest, father 
 turned the farm over to the boys and took me with him to town. 
 
 Father now, when not otherwise engaged, amused himself 
 by exercising me in the manly art of self defense, and by giving 
 me lessons in "Poker" and "Seven-up." Being naturally inclined 
 toward the funny and reckless things in life, I soon became an 
 expert in the first law of nature self defense and quite profi- 
 cient in handling the cards ; and was up to the age of fourteen 
 at which time the latter was abandoned. I was then a creature 
 of impulse, the sport of chance, and the victim of my own imag- 
 inations and uncontrollable sensations, displaying at times a 
 heroic and to some extent a poetic temperament. There is some- 
 thing admirable in such a compound of emotions. Yet the one 
 possessing such a character is to be pitied for it will, most likely, 
 lead himi as it has me into serious trouble unless counter-balanced 
 by a strong will and an unswerving purpose to do right, "though 
 the heavens fall." However, there are phases in life that render 
 the doing of right, at all times, an extremely difficult thing to ac- 
 complish. 
 
 Early in the spring of 1858 father began courting the Widow 
 Fry, who lived near St. Joseph, and, as my presence was not 
 deemed necessary to his success, I was sent back to the farm, 
 which, together with the landing, my brothers had conducted 
 about the same as heretofore stated, with the exception that 
 steamboat passengers were not encouraged to visit the house. But 
 it was necessary for brother Berriman to go upon the boat to 
 transact business with the captain, so the children usually ac- 
 companied him to the landing at least. 
 
 Sister Ruth had become quite a ban joist, while I had learned 
 to play the violin remarkably well for one of my age and town life 
 had greatly increased my self reliance, therefore I was not long 
 in persuading Ruth to join me in a visit to a boat with our instru- 
 ments, which when the path was once opened,became a regular 
 thing and while the boys were in the clerk's office giving and 
 taking receipts for freight or receiving money for their work we 
 were in the cabin amusing the passengers with music and danc- 
 ing. We rendered with pleasing effect such old pieces as "Sally 
 Gooden," "Money Musk," "Drunken Hickups," "Devil's Dream," 
 
18 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 "Leather Breeches" and "Bald 'Possum" these were everywhere 
 the favorite tunes in "Ante-Bellum" days. 
 
 Our Indian neighbors were still living near us, and when a 
 boat landed they, with a score of owr former playmates, appeared 
 with willow baskets and beaded moccasins to sell to the passen- 
 gers. Having disposed of the ware, they .retired a few paces and 
 seated themselves on the ground. Ruth and I sang and danced 
 and having received our reward withdrew from the boat. I 
 would then enter the warehouse, strip off my clothes, tie on my 
 breech-clout, ready for a swim. The Indian boys were not 
 obliged to go through this preparation as they only needed to let 
 go of the corners of their blankets to fit them for the water. 
 When I emerged from the warehouse they would drop their 
 blankets and then with a shout we would dash down the stage 
 plank in single file across the deck and plunge head first into the 
 river. Here we would play at "ducking" until the boat started, 
 and then float on the waves like so many corks. On another oc- 
 casion a boat bound for Omaha stopped at the landing and while 
 Berriman was attending to his business Ruth and I were enter- 
 taining the passengers. We were playing the "Poor Lost In- 
 dian" a family favorite since the death of our mother, therefore 
 we always entered heart and soul into the rendition of this 
 pathetic piece when a noise as if someone had fallen downstairs 
 attracted our attention and caused us to cease playing. The next 
 moment a tall, handsome young fellow rushed from his room into 
 the cabin and exclaimed in a voice full of emotion, "Whence 
 came that sweet music ?" The gentleman had evidently been 
 reading or dreaming of the siren whose music is of such mar- 
 velous sweetness that they are first enabled to captivate those 
 sailing near their island, and then destroy them. Thinking the 
 boat's crew and passengers were under a spell of enchantment, 
 he was first charmed and then suddenly became apprehensive of 
 what the result might be. A lady, however, noting his perplex- 
 ity, dispelled his fears of evil consequences by inviting him for- 
 ward to investigate for himself the source of the music he had 
 heard. He immediately stopped in front of Ruth, and scrutinizing 
 her face and banjo, said, "My little miss, please favor me with 
 your, or at least my, favorite piece, 'Poor Nellie Gray.' She 
 sang it most sweetly, accompanying her voice on the banjo. He 
 was charmed by the music and highly pleased with my sister. 
 Presently I began sawing on my fiddle which I held in the style 
 of the Italian boy. For a moment he stared at me, then turning 
 to Ruth asked, "Is this little Italian your brother?" "He is my 
 brother, but not an Italian, sir." She put such emphasis on the 
 last word as to cause the young man to laugh heartily, and to 
 exclaim, "Good Heavens, what a spunky little duck you are." 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 19 
 
 Ever after this she went by the name of "Duck," but. I shall con- 
 tinue to call her Ruth. He next ventured to ask, "What is your 
 brother's name?" "Charles K. Polk Wells. He was named after 
 James K. Polk of Tennessee."' Answering this question put Ruth 
 in a good humor for she as well as myself regarded it an honor 
 to bear the name of the President of the United States. A big 
 name is pleasant, usually makes one vain, however, and at 
 all events amounts to but little in the way of saving one from 
 temptation or of helping himself to resist it. The next question 
 put to my sister was, "Is this banjo the only instrument you 
 have?" "No, sir, we have two violins and an accordion." "Do 
 you play the violin?" "Not yet, but my sister and brothers do." 
 The young man brought from his stateroom a handsomely 
 bound note book and a silver mounted guitar, which after playing 
 excellently two or three pieces he presented to Ruth. The bell 
 rang, the stage plank was drawn in and the boat swung out from 
 the shore. Some one informed the captain that I was still on the 
 boat. "Never mind, he'll get off when it suits him," said the 
 officer. The scene in the cabin prevented my taking the usual 
 collection and the captain, knowing it, called an old negro to 
 "pat" while I danced the "Tobacco-hill-shuffle," and then "cut 
 the Pigeon wing," in old Virginia style which pleased Mr. Taylor 
 the young man, not a little, who said, "Well, Captain, since I have 
 rewarded the girl for musical talent I suppose it is right that I 
 should give this little hero something." He shook my hand 
 warmly, gave me a beautiful penknife and the passengers filled 
 my "weezel-skin" purse with silver coin. By this time the boat 
 was some distance from the shore and above the landing, the 
 Captain said to me, "Git now, you little rascal, or I'll take you to 
 Council Bluffs and sell you to the Mormons." Another instant 
 and I had disappeared over the side of the boat and amid hearty 
 cheers I swam toward the landing. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 In November my father married the Widow Fry heretofore 
 mentioned. She had five children, four boys and one girl; the 
 three eldest boys were grown, and the fourth, Joe, was twelve 
 years of age, and the girl, Sis, was ten years old. The two latter 
 were brought home with our new mother who was a large, power- 
 ful and warm hearted woman, in fact she was of so warm a dis- 
 position that the atmosphere about the old home became so heated 
 that my brothers found it necessary to emigrate to a more con- 
 genial clime. Sister Sarah soon married and left home also, thus 
 leaving little Ruth and myself to hoe a row that proved to be 
 an unpleasant one. A change was soon effected. Our hunting 
 and playing with the Indian children was strictly forbidden. Our 
 music too was interdicted ; in fact our new mother interfered with 
 everything we had been accustomed to, besides her children for 
 awhile lorded it over us. They having spent several years at 
 school in St. Joseph were fairly well educated, and were especially 
 fond of reading ancient history and solving mathematical prob- 
 lems, in a knowledge of which we were deficient, except the little 
 gathered from father's reading of Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of 
 the Roman Empire," and the ability to repeat by heart the mul- 
 tiplication table, which we learned from the lips of our own dear 
 mother. We rather looked up to them on account of their superior 
 knowledge in these matters, and loved to sit near and listen to 
 their reading Virgil and Homer. This self acknowledged inferi- 
 ority led them to look upon us as their servants. We implicitly 
 obeyed them and meekly submitted to their taunts about our ig- 
 norance and "countrified ways." They had no words of praise 
 or commendation when we did things to please them, but when 
 we happened to do wrong which frequently occurred since they 
 were hard to suit and constantly on the alert for something about 
 which to complain they hesitated not to scold us. "Familiarity 
 breeds contempt," and tyranny, hatred and indifference; hence we 
 drifted further and further apart as time progressed. When 
 threats and scoldings no longer sufficed to insure compliance 
 with their demands, or to appease their wrath, corporal punish- 
 ment was resorted to. The atmosphere seemed to hatch excuses 
 for mother to whip us ; Joe and Sis pinched our arms and slapped 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 our faces whenever they chose to do so. We were taught to re- 
 spect the aged and to obey those older than ourselves, and father 
 id given special orders to comply with all the wishes of our new 
 mother. We tried to follow father's instructions but compliance 
 seemed to add new wants and, of course, increased the demands. 
 Presently, however, this unjust treatment awakened the voice of 
 reason which marshalled in battle array the instinct of self-preser- 
 vation and justice, so we began to meditate on the situation. We 
 asked oui selves, "Who are these children that we should serve 
 them and submit to their indignities? Are they any better than 
 we are? Who gave them authority over us? What right have 
 they to command us without a reasonable protest on our part?" 
 This sort of reasoning resulting in our resolving to defend our 
 bodies, and protect our rights at all hazards. An opportunity to 
 test the firmness of our resolution was not long delayed, a hand 
 to hand fight ensued and we were severely punished. 
 
 Ruth and I, previous to the arrival of our stepmother and 
 her children, never had a cross word, or the slightest ill feeling 
 toward any one. We were the pets of the familv and neighbors 
 and were strangers to acts of violence and feelings of hatred. It 
 is true I had been in the habit of saying naughty things to, and 
 throwing sticks at the teamsters but this was done in fun and was 
 so understood by all concerned. Father and mother had always 
 addressed Ruth and myself as, "My little man" and "My dear." 
 They were as dignified in our presence and as courteous to us as 
 if we were English potentates on a visit. Father, or anyone of 
 the family occupying his place at the table, always filled his place 
 (old Virginia style) and exchanged it for ones with the same 
 degree of politeness that he showed the Governor of the State. 
 Had I been permitted to remain in this atmosphere of courtesy, 
 kindness and parental consideration, I should, no doubt, have con- 
 tinued to be of a gentle, sweet, lovable disposition; but the en- 
 vironments changed and I changed with them. 
 
 I was born like all other children with a latent germ of sav- 
 ajery in my little breast, consequently the loss of a mother's care 
 and love, and a father's pleasant greeting and protection on the 
 one hand, and cruel treatment and opposition on the other caused 
 the beastly in my nature to rapidly develop. Thence forward, the 
 tiger being loose, the pinching and face slapping which hither- 
 to had been permitted without ill feeling on our part since they 
 were accompanied with, "Oh ! I was only in fun and didn't mean 
 to hurt you" were resented with a vengeance and to the utmost 
 of our ability. We became stubborn and unfaithful servants, con- 
 stantly plotting mischief and fought the foe at every turn in the 
 road. We were sometimes roughly handled but whipping us was 
 out of the question and to conquer us quite as impossible, since 
 
22 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 we had, as it were, imbibed the spirit and pluck of OUT game cocks 
 and like therm, though temporarily defeated were always ready 
 for another battle. 
 
 The road this spring (1859) was lined with teams hauling 
 produce to the landing. Ruth and I disobeyed orders by riding 
 with some jolly fellows to the warehouse, or becoming weary of 
 hearing the "don't do that," "stop your noise," and "you must 
 not handle those books," we would make a visit to the hut of 
 "Old Ned" a stalwart brave of the Kickapoos and have a romp 
 with the Indian boys and girls. Mother, not being satisfied with 
 punishing us nor with her wholesale prohibition, put a stop to 
 our music by destroying the strings of the instruments. This ar- 
 bitrary treatment and unjust inhibition of everything dear to us 
 served only to increase our desire to say, or do, something which 
 would aggravate our persecutors. Ruth was commander in chief 
 of our force and her resource of comparison, vituperation and in- 
 ventive might well have been the envy of Senator Ingalls. When 
 piqued, and not feeling especially angry but desirous of doing 
 something really exasperating, she would seize a clabboard. 
 broom, or anything that could be used as a "make believe" guitar 
 then singing at the top of her voice, keeping time the while by 
 striking her finger nails against the improvised instrument, while 
 I accompanied her on my corn-stalk fiddle. This performance, 
 though amusing to any one else, put the Kentucky blood into a 
 perfect rage. 
 
 Father rarely visited the farm, and when he did his stay was 
 so short, mother so good to us and remained so close to him that 
 we had no opportunity to tell him of our troubles. One 1 day he 
 appeared at the warehouse, having come down the river bank by 
 a bridle path instead of following the road past the house as usual, 
 so that mother was not aware of his arrival. We had just had 
 an encounter with the enemy, in which. Ruth and I were badly 
 hurt and were on the barn shed lamenting our sad fate, when 
 father was seen riding up to the landing. We hastened to him 
 and he patiently listened to our "tale of woe," but instead of sym- 
 pathizing with us and trying to heal our bruises and wounded 
 feelings whipped us both and drove us back home. We were too 
 badly hurt not by the punishment (though in itself severe enough) 
 to cry at first, but on the way to the house our anguished souls 
 found relief in tears, for where we expected succor we received 
 only stripes, and threats of much worse treatment should we re- 
 peat the offense of claiming paternal protection. The most nat- 
 ural inference to be drawn from this extraordinary conduct on 
 the part of our father extraordinary because it was the first time 
 he ever whipped or spoke angry to us would be that Ruth and 
 I were completely subdued. Nay, verily, it served to increase our 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 23 
 
 energy and to strengthen our determination not to be abused with 
 impunity, but I draw the veil of charity and silence over the 
 events that followed and simply say that the miserable warfare 
 was brought to a close by the family moving to Rushville. 
 
 : This village owes its beginning to William Henderson who 
 erected on Mud Creek a water power saw mill of the "Muly" 
 type, i. ., the saw was a straight, stiff blade, making a perpendic- 
 ular stroke. All the settlers within a radius of a dozen miles pat- 
 ronized this mill. In the winter they hauled their logs on "liz- 
 ards" tree forks which served the same purpose as the modern 
 bob-sled to mill, while the ground was frozen or covered .with 
 snow. During the summer Saturday was the all important day 
 (grist day), which usually lasted over Sunday and sometimes 
 until Monday morning. While the grists were being ground the 
 men gathered in groups under the beautiful shade trees near at 
 hand to discuss the neighborhood affairs, such as the 
 condition of the hemp and tobacco crops, the latest wedding and 
 its charivari, cock-fighting, shooting matches, log-rollings, corn 
 huskings and house raisings were topics of absorbing interest to 
 those hardy pioneers of Rush Township, so called by reason of 
 the immense growth of "bull rushes," which grew to the height of 
 ten or twelve feet literally covering the river bottoms. The suc- 
 cess of the little mill was a guarantee of the success of the black- 
 smith shop in which the farmers could get their "bull-tongues" 
 (single shovel cultivators) and turning plows sharpened. The 
 grocery came next, then the hemp press with its lofty screw in 
 which the hemp was pressed into bales for shipping to St. Louis. 
 It was at this period (1844) of Rushville's development that 
 father started his sixty gallon still and tobacco press, but now 
 (1859) the population of Rushville was between twelve and fif- 
 teen hundred; the water power saw mill, "cross roads" grocery, 
 blacksmith shop and single hemp press had given place to a 
 splendid steam circular saw and flour mill combined, seven hemp 
 presses, half a dozen blacksmith shops and instead of father's 
 one sixty gallon still he was operating three one hundred and 
 sixty gallon stills. The log grocery had been superceded by a 
 dozen general stores in which could be found anything in the way 
 of hardware from a cambric needle to a sorghum mill, and in the 
 line of dry goods anything from a "shouting Methodist minis- 
 ter's" white cravat up to silk and satin. And there were several 
 saloons, three shoe shops, a photograph gallery, a lawyer, several 
 doctors, a drug store and a confectionery whose proprietor, Mr. 
 Schultze, was very friendly toward me for awhile. I could not 
 pass the candy store until my pockets were filled with good things 
 Being used to receiving such presents I took no notice of it nor 
 thought of questioning the motives of their generous donor, but 
 
24 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 one day I stopped in front of the store and was surprised to hear 
 Mr. Schultze call out, "Oh ! you Polk Wells, you vas von schwind- 
 ler." The trouble was that Mr. Schultze was in love with a Miss 
 Cunningham whose brother John was an exact image of myself 
 and the sweetmeats given to me were intended for him in order 
 that he might speak a good word to "Doozen" (Susan), for the 
 Dutch candy maker. 
 
 The old log school house had been torn down and a neat 
 frame building erected at the base of "Grave Yard Hill." This 
 was a one story structure, unpainted and without ornament of any 
 kindj long, high backed wooden benches served as seats for the 
 pupils and worshippers as this building was not only a place for 
 learning worldly wisdom but in it was dealt out spiritual food 
 with a lavish hand. Preachers rode what were called "circuits," 
 so that each Sunday in the month we had a different Minister 
 who proclaimed the gospel from a different point of view to that 
 of his predecessor. The Second Adventist told us "the Savior 
 would soon come to claim his own ;" the Campbellite declared that 
 "the righteous should inherit the earth and the fullness thereof ;" 
 the Hardshell Baptist terrified us by saying, "There are infants 
 in hell not a span long ;" and Uncle Joe Divorce, a representative 
 ol "The Shouting Methodist," consigned the ungodly to a "laKv 
 of fire and brimstone prepared for them before the foundation of 
 the world." 
 
 My step-mother was handsome, a charming conversation- 
 alist, a model housekeeper, an excellent cook, and for a time kept 
 her promise to treat Ruth and myself more humanely. During 
 this armistice, Joe arid I became warm friends and when occasion 
 required would fight for each other. The previous winter's train- 
 ing I received from my father in the manly art of self-defense, 
 coupled with my late conflicts with Joe, had so agitated the fac- 
 ulty of combativeness that my once gentle, playful disposition 
 gave way to a pugnacious feeling and in consequence I was for 
 some weeks continually fighting I had many a hard tussel with 
 the boys before the title of "Leader" was accorded me. Nothing 
 to do, restless and full of curiosity, I, with kindred spirits, roamed 
 from hill to hill, played "fox" and "conquer" games that all 
 boys are familiar with went swimming in the river, and did 
 many other things which healthy, ambitious boys are capable of 
 doing. I never tired of playing in the woods where the birds 
 sang merrily from morn till night and loved to gather May apples 
 and feast on wild fruits. Huckleberries and gooseberries were 
 plentiful and blackberry vines spread over many acres, covering 
 the ground in the spring with their delicate white blossoms, and 
 brightening it in the autumn with their gayly tinted leaves; the 
 honeysuckle waved in the crevices of the .rock and wild bees feast- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 25 
 
 ed unmolested on the honey of its tiny cells; sheep-sorrel and 
 water-cress grew along the banks of every stream, and the wild 
 cherry bloomed and ripened its fruit in every pasture, so that 
 there was no lack of food for the body or of interesting things for 
 the intellect to feast upon. 
 
 While these excursions to the river along the creeks and into 
 the woods were pleasant and profitable both to body and mind, 
 there was much in town to enfeeble the one and debauch the 
 other. Many a night I spent in my father's saloon keeping tally 
 for gamblers and carrying whisky to them. This was* injurious to 
 soul-life and a special bar to physical development, therefore I at- 
 tribute my slender form to these nightly, unholy practices. While 
 my association with sporting men tended to dwarf the body, there 
 was another class of men assiduous in their efforts to befog and 
 corrupt the mind by picturing scenes of sensuality and telling foul 
 stories with which I soon became disgusted; since then obscenity 
 has been to me both loathsome and unbearable. These men did 
 not corrupt my morals further than to put me into a state of 
 excitement and ugly temper whenever we met. I shunned them 
 as much as possible, but there were times wften I could not avoid 
 them. Father bought all his family supplies of Fenton Bros., 
 and it was in their store that these men gathered every night to 
 tell tales, talk politics and tease any boy who happened in. John 
 R. Moberly was the leading light of the tormentors of boys. He 
 was cross-eyed, near-sighted and constantly wore a pair of gold 
 rimmed spectacles and when he wished to be especially aggravat- 
 ing would look over them at one. Mother sent me to the store one 
 night for a spool of thread. The clerk being busy, I was, of course, 
 obliged to wait. This gave Mr. Moberly an opportunity to pro- 
 voke me. He continued his beastly harangue until I was unable 
 to control my temper longer, and stepping in front of him I plant- 
 ed a stinging blow between his eyes which broke his spectacles 
 the glass cutting his face, and the blow causing his nose to bleed 
 freely. The joke being turned on him, and that too in the pres- 
 ence of a score of men who laughed at him, he became furious, 
 and though a deacon, swore by all the gods ancient and modern 
 that he would "annihilate" me. I made a dash for the door, but 
 a gentleman who did not approve of tormenting boys had shut 
 and locked it to prevent my escape, and hoping, as he afterwards 
 said, that I would "get hold of the scale weights and give Mr 
 Moberly the thumping he so richly deserved." I certainly would 
 have used the weights had I first seen them, but seeing my en- 
 raged pursuer falling over chairs and barking his shins on nail 
 kegs, I joined in the laugh and once in a good humor no longer 
 desired to harm him. Mr. Harry Fowl, father's foreman and my 
 staunch friend, was on his way home and hearing the boisterous 
 
26 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 laughter in the store came in and seeing me fleeing- before the in- 
 furiated deacon asked what it meant. Having received a reply he 
 seized Mr. Moberly by the arm, telling him to desist his pursuit 
 of me or he would "himmediately put ha 'ead hon 'im." Next 
 day Mr. Moberly reported the affair to my father and intimated 
 that unless the spectacles were replaced he would institute suit for 
 damages. Father refused to pay for them and having previously 
 been informed of the difficulty by the foreman, said, "In my opin- 
 ion Polk served you right." He nevertheless punished me for 
 the act. Instead of having a restraining influence this served 
 rather to make me more desperate, as a few days later I struck 
 another man, who was teasing me, in the mouth with a stone. 
 Knocking out several of his front teeth for which father unmerci- 
 
 Father Wells thrashes Polk for Striking Storekeeper. 
 
 fully whipped me. I cursed him, he whipped me again, and 
 again I cursed him and threatened to retaliate if he attempted to 
 lay violent hands on me again. We were in the back yard at 
 home. I stood still with a stone in eachhand ready to execute 
 my threat. For a moment, like two game cocks, we stared at 
 each other both bent on victory. At first I thought he would 
 spring at me and in that event I should have struck him, but his 
 face changing from an expression of sternness to one of consider- 
 ation assured me that I had achieved a victory without a blow. 
 Various emotions were quickly written in his countenance. He 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 27 
 
 thought such insubordination to paternal authority should be 
 punished and his large blue eyes protruded as he noted my de- 
 fiant attitude, but before he could make up his mind to act in ac- 
 cordance with this rule benevolence put a restraining hand on 
 combativeness. While these faculties were struggling for the 
 mastery the voice of reason was laboring with paternal love, 
 which, joining benevolence, quickly ended the strife. He became 
 calm, the expression of his eyes changed and seemed to smile his 
 approval of my pluck ; then he felt remorse of his treatment of 
 me, a feeling of pity and compassion for me took possession of 
 him and without a word he turned and walked into the house 
 When I saw his tears my own stubborn heart melted, my hands 
 relaxed and the stones fell to the ground. I prostrated myself 
 under the big plum tree from w r hich the switches, with which I 
 was punished, were taken and cried myself to sleep. 
 
 I sometimes felt that the whole world were against me. Even 
 the foreman looked cross and spoke unkind at times I thought, 
 yet there was one (my dear sister Ruth) who never forsook me. 
 She stooc by, invariably, always ready to defend, to pity and 
 comfort me. 
 
 Again trouble arose between Joe and myself, resulting in a 
 desperate fight. I ran away and arriving at the crossing of the 
 river at Doniphan, Kansas, was in that state in which the body 
 exerts itself, apparently without the control of the mind. I soon 
 divested myself of a straw hat, cotton shirt and tow linen pants, 
 all of which I cast into the river, and then plunged head first into 
 the water as if I would forever hide myself from view, but soon 
 came to the surface and struck out for the Kansas shore. I landed 
 some distance above the ferryman's house and the bluffs being 
 close there was scarce room between them and the river for a 
 wagon road. This I crossed and hid myself in the hazel and 
 black-jack bushes on the hillside. A few moments' reflection 
 brought me face to face with my helpless and melancholy condi- 
 tion. Here I was alone, naked and in a strange land. "I can- 
 not," I thought, "in this nude state present myself at the house 
 of any stranger." My brother Berriman lived within a few miles 
 of Doniphan, but in which direction I did not know. With my 
 heart almost bursting with grief, and longing for a word of sym- 
 pathy I threw myself on the ground beside a log and unconscious- 
 ly wept aloud. Presently I was startled by hearing approaching 
 footsteps. I sprang to my feet and was on the point of a^ain 
 rushing into the river, when a tall dark visaged man came into 
 view and greeted me with "My Little Man, what brought you 
 here in that condition and why do you weep?" The pleasant 
 smile which spread itself over his countenance, together with 
 his soothing words, assured me that T stood in the presence of a 
 
28 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 Swimming the Missouri River, leaving Home. 
 
 friend ; besides his face seemed familiar to me as that of one whom 
 I had always loved and who had petted and favored me in other 
 days. I unhesitatingly approached and held out my hand which 
 he grasped with the tenderness and sympathy which characterized 
 a great soul when it beholds a fellow creature in distress. Thisr 
 gentleman was Mr. Tom Sweeten, an old friend of our family, 
 who now lived near my brother. He wrapped me in his long 
 linen coat, carried me to the road, set me on his horse and spring- 
 ing into the saddle galloped to my brother's house, where the 
 ladies soon dressed me in a suit of new clothes. 
 
 New 'environments, peaceful neighbors and loving friends 
 soon put me in a happy state of mind and several weeks passed 
 pleasantly to me. I had been at my brother's about three weeks 
 when he went over to Rushville and with surprise and a troubled 
 air received the sad intelligence of my disappearance and sup- 
 posed death. Father had searched diligently, inquired along the 
 river wherever a skiff was kept, and after two weeks hard rid- 
 ing, without receiving the slightest clue as to my whereabouts 
 and mourned me as dead. He was heart-broken and poor little 
 Ruth grief-stricken. It was a great task for brother to withhold 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 29 
 
 from them his knowledge of me and he would not have done so 
 had it not been for Mr, Sweeten, who thought it would be a just 
 punishment for father to remain in ignorance as to my happy 
 condition. I was not then capable of comprehending the extreme 
 agony of my father nor the anguish endured by sister Ruth on 
 account of my mysterious disappearance and absence or I should 
 have hastened to them. 
 
 Ever since my first encounter with Joe I have always been 
 ready too reaJy, perhaps to fight when there was a reasonable 
 excuse for so doing, but never had it really been in my heart to 
 kill a fellow creature with one exception many years after this 
 event consequently I felt glad when brother informed me that 
 Joe was not seriously hurt by the blow I gave him. 
 
 Two or three weeks after brother's return from Rushville. 
 my friend, Mr. Sweeten, went there on business and called to see 
 my father who asked me if brother had heard anything concern- 
 ing me. He at first gave a negative reply, but noting the intense 
 sorrow depicted in the face of his old friend, could no longer 
 keep from him news that was like ''pouring oil on troubled wa- 
 ters." He told father my story, how I had been treated, why I 
 ran away, and then severely censured him for not doing a father's 
 duty toward a son by protecting him from the cruelty of a step- 
 mother and her unfeeling children. Father frankly confessed that 
 he had allowed a press of business to occupy his mind to the ex- 
 clusion of his domestic affairs, that his conduct was somewhat 
 premature and that he had acted very unwisely in not investigating 
 matters before dealing so harshly with me. While he was willing 
 to acknowledge his error to. a friend, he would not condescend to 
 ask my forgiveness or allow his dignity to bend in my presence. 
 When he came the following day to take me home he looked just 
 as stern and spoke just as harsh to me as before, which led me to 
 expect a repetition of what I had received under the big plum 
 tree. After dinner he placed me behind him on the horse and 
 started for home. His first words were, ''When we get to the 
 bridge where I can get a suitable switch, Til teach you the folly 
 of running away from home." The bridge was across a deep 
 slough which two or three hundred yards distant connected with 
 the Missouri, and along its banks near the bridge were to be had 
 dogwood switches, several feet long, so that my apprehension of 
 the terrible thrashing I was about to get forced a determination 
 upon me never to reach the bridge. I said nothing, however, and 
 we rode along in silence. When within a hundred yards of the 
 dogwood swamp, I began to work myself over the horse's rump 
 and at the right moment dropped to the ground, sped through 
 the brush toward the slough and was half way to the water's edge 
 before father missed me. He spurred his horse in pursuit, his 
 
30 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 high silk hat was knocked off, the overhanging limbs rudely 
 combing his hair ; he paid no attention to these mishaps but urged 
 his horse the faster. When he reached the slough bank, where 
 he last saw me. I was sitting on the opposite shore. The approach 
 to the water being miry, he was obliged to retire and go around 
 by the bridge. I allowed him to come within fifty yards of me 
 when I again plunged into the slough water and mud and swam 
 to the other side. This was a veritable ''slough of despond" to 
 my father and he looked after me as did Pliable after Christian 
 for a moment and then rode leisurely away. When I heard the 
 horse's feet strike the bridge, I again crossed the slough. I sat 
 on the bank, meditating on what course to pursue when I was 
 suddenly disturbed by the clatter of horse's hoofs on the bridge, 
 and at the same time saw my brother emerge from bushes on the 
 opposite shore. This, in my perplexity, was a ruse I had not 
 
 Escapes from Father by Swimming the Creek. 
 
 contemplated, and for a moment my capture seemed inevitable. 
 But I was equal to the occasion, as it was but the work of a mo- 
 ment to discard my clothes and get into the slough, and I was in 
 the center swimming toward the river when father reached the 
 spot where my garments lay. There was a smile of triumph on 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 31 
 
 his face as he contemplated my speedy capture, but his (sup- 
 posed) victory was turned into defeat. He told brother to swim in 
 after me but he refused to do so on the pretext of having re- 
 cently been sick. Father, then, told him to throw sticks at me and 
 drive me out of the slough. Brother obeyed this order, but when 
 the missiles left his hand I disappeared, and hearing them strike 
 the water would come up for breath. Whether under or on the 
 surface of the water I was swimming toward the river all the 
 time. Father saw I was bound to get away despite their efforts 
 to prevent it, so he called out, "Polk, if you will come out and go 
 home with me I will never whip you again." I stopped swimming 
 long enough to shout, "Honest Injun, won't you whip me any 
 more?" "Yes, Honest Injun," he replied, "I won't do so myself 
 nor allow anyone else to do so." According to my knowledge of 
 human nature at this time it was not possible for a man to violate 
 a promise to which he had prefixed the words "Honest Injun," 
 besides, my father's voice bore a ring of sincerity. I swam ashore, 
 put on my clothes, bade brother good-bye, mounted behind father 
 and resumed my homeward journey and arrived there about sun- 
 down. All my playmates were present to welcome me. Even 
 mother, Joe and Sis seemed to be glad at my return and dear sis- 
 ter Ruth shouted with joy. 
 
 My school experience was rather peculiar and of short dura- 
 tion. Miss Cleary of St Joseph, came to Rushville and inaugur- 
 ated a subscription school for three months. Father signed for 
 four pupils, Joe, "Sis," Ruth and myself. I learned rapidly, and. 
 owing to my musical talent soon became a favorite with the 
 teacher who was daily expecting her piano on which she promised 
 to teach me to play and which, together wtih another incident, 
 was the cause of breaking up the school. She received word that 
 her piano would arrive on the morning train, and, before dismiss- 
 ing the children that evening, announced "No school tomorrow." 
 The train arrived on time but no piano. This was a great disap- 
 pointment, but gave the children another day for gathering wal- 
 nuts. 
 
 Lish Watson (my chum, who was a timid little fellow en- 
 dowed with large secretiveness, so that what he lacked in courage 
 he more than made good by his cunning and wisdom), and myself 
 took our wagons to the woods and having filled the boxes with 
 hulled nuts we started home. Just below the creek bridge we 
 came across "Limber" John Yocum, whose front teeth I had ex- 
 tracted, lying drunk aha asleep by the roadside, and stopped to 
 tease him. He recognized me, and after many efforts succeeded 
 in getting on his feet, took after us. Lish left his wagon and ran, I 
 clung to mine and in trying to escape with it sprained my ankle. 
 T stopped and began pelting our pursuer with walnuts, there be- 
 
32 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ing nothing else at hand, but they were so light that all efforts to 
 check his progress served only to increase it and make him more 
 furious. Seeing I could not stop him I abandoned the wagon and 
 followed the example of my chum, but my ankle was so painful 
 that I could not .run. When "Limber" John who was really lim- 
 ber by this time, came to my wagon he gave it a whirl over his 
 head, scattering the walnuts like one sowing wheat, and then 
 brought it down on the ground, smashing it into slivers. He now 
 pressed forward after me and gained so rapidly that I left the 
 road, and like Zachaeus, climbed the sycamore tree. The enemy 
 came up, and not being able to climb after me, lay down at the 
 base of the tree to wait my descent. The situation was not only 
 serious but laughable. The broad, white face and the large bald 
 head of my besieger were dotted all over with walnut stain, and 
 reminded me of the boiled hams touched with the pepper box 
 my mother prepared for her corn huskings and log rollings on the 
 old farm. Lish, noting my dilemma, hastened to the still-house 
 three or four hundred yards distant and sent the foreman to 
 my rescue. "Limber" John began snoring loudly. Of course, I 
 thought he was asleep, and not knowing what Lish had done, I 
 began my descent and had scarcely touched the ground when a 
 strong hand seized me. I was now at the mercy of an enraged, 
 whisky-soaked demon, who soundly cuffed my ears and would, 
 perhaps, have killed me but for the timely arrival of the foreman. 
 The teacher's instrument had arrived during our absence, 
 and a large crowd gathered at her boarding place to hear and see 
 her operate on the "pianer," the first one in Rushville, and hence 
 the great curiosity manifested. When Lish and I reached the 
 house the teacher was playing, "Wake up Jake, steam am up and 
 the engine smoking," and with one stroke she drew her pretty 
 fore finger across the keys producing a sound something like 
 "tra-lah-la-lee-ee-e," then, whirling around, waited for comments, 
 which were plentifully bestowed. By this time Lish and I had 
 reached the instrument, and, while the teacher was receiving 
 complimentary remarks on her music, began to finger the keys 
 Our hands were colored with walnut stain yet were clean, but the 
 teacher thought differently, for when she saw them she indignant- 
 ly requested us to keep our "black paws off those keys." We were 
 grossly insulted, and immediately left the room, vowing vengeance 
 on the "stuck-up thing," as my chum styled her. If an oppor- 
 tunity had, at that moment, presented itself, I would have assisted 
 him in any "trick" he might have proposed, but my feeling of re- 
 sentment soon subsided and I was willing to let the matter drop. 
 Not so with my friend. The longer he brooded over the indignity 
 the worse it appeared to him. The more remote it became the less 
 desire I had to resent it. Mrs. Doctor Saunders once wounded 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 33 
 
 our feelings and on the spur of the moment, while smarting un- 
 der the offence, we scared her so badly with a hawk's claw that 
 she was compelled to keep her room for several days. I had felt 
 sorry about the results of this trick, and reminded Lish that 
 we had done it out of revenge. He knew I could not hold a 
 grudge against anyone, and, after discussing several of his pro- 
 posed tricks against the teacher, dropped out of the elements of 
 revenge, and suggested that it would be "great fun to frighten 
 her just a little so the folks could laugh at her." When he ap- 
 pealed to the funny side of my nature I soon yielded to his de- 
 sires. The teacher was a delicate little woman, and the trick we 
 played on her so unsettled her nerves that she went home, thus 
 ending the school. 
 
 My next teacher was a large, cross-grained, vulgar, brutal, 
 one-armed man, named Young, whose severity was the cause of 
 his being dismissed. Then Tom Bracken, a small, red-headed 
 irascible fellow, took charge of the school, continuing it until 
 June of the following year, 1861. Father paid for nine months 
 schooling for me but I did not attend more than one-fourth of 
 the time, preferring to listen to the men talk war, and tell how 
 one southern man could whip a dozen "Yankees." My father 
 was a strong "Union Democrat," and had many a fierce argu- 
 ment with the rebel element of Rushville. He was a large, pre- 
 possessing individual, fluent and eloquent, and held at his com- 
 mand all notable events of sacred as well as profane history 
 therefore his opponents were silenced, if not convinced of his 
 logic. He told them they were too "hot-headed," and advised 
 them to put "ice in their hats." When they boasted of the super- 
 iority of southern men over those of the north he would quote 
 scripture to them, and tell themi that God had always used the 
 barbarians of the north to subdue and discipline the wicked, stiff- 
 necked, idolatrous Israelites ; that the Roman Empire, the great- 
 est government ever erected by man, was overrun and conquered 
 by the hardy, savage hordes of the north and that the people of 
 the south would "be conquered in the event of their seceding 
 from Union," but they laughed and said, "You'll be with us be- 
 fore long. Colonel." 
 
 Father was opposed to slavery, and also to freeing the slaves, 
 unless the government paid their masters at least two-thirds ot 
 their valuation; so, when General Fremont on August 31, 1861. 
 issued his famous proclamation, and attempted military emanci- 
 pation of the slaves in Missouri, he himself rebelled, and, believ- 
 ing that Fremont was acting under orders from Washington, im- 
 mediately raised a company of one hundred and twenty men and 
 set out for "Pap" Price's army, which he and his men joined at the 
 battle of Lexington, Missouri, and with which he remained until 
 
34 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 peace was declared. Father took with him two of my step- 
 brothers Joe and Richard and "Black Joe," our colored man. 
 as his servant. I was determined to go, too, and followed the 
 company three days before father heard of me. I was captured 
 by Black Joe, taken to father's quarters and informed that I must 
 return. Black Joe was sent home with me, and with orders to 
 return to his post, which he did. Two months later mother re- 
 ceived a letter from father stating that he would not be home un- 
 til the war ended. Upon receipt of this information she immedi- 
 ately wrote her married son, Pance Fry, requesting him to come 
 and live with her during father's absence. He responded at once 
 to the invitation and this new acquisition to the family made it 
 very hard on Ruth and myself. We were treated worse than ne- 
 groes am! punished if we complained about it. Our new task- 
 masters were so unreasonable, tyrannical and cruel that we could 
 not endure our lot, and both ran away. Ruth going to live with 
 sister Sarah, while I found a home with Mr. James Wilson, who 
 owned a splendid farm, legions of hogs, cattle, sheep and honey 
 bees, but his greatest wealth consisted of a most excellent wife, 
 one son and five beautiful daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were 
 really father and mother to me, and I remember my short stay 
 with them as being among the happiest days of my life. They 
 were full of sympathy, kindness and generous to a fault. They 
 called me "My Dear" and "My Honey" and nothing they had 
 was too good for me, not even one of their daughters. Mrs. Wil- 
 son said I should have for my wife, the fourth daughter, Nora. 
 who was two years my junior and who was straight as a poplar, 
 beautiful as Hebe, pure as a lily and could sing equal to our own 
 "Mary Anderson." Nora and I walked and talked together, built 
 play-houses, carried water from the river to make coffee, and to- 
 gether rode "Old Buck," an old sway-backed, piebald horse, the 
 only one Mr. Wilson had at the time, the soldiers and jayhawkers 
 having taken the others. In short we became fast friends, which 
 ripened into love, or, as Rev. Joseph Cook would say, "a supreme 
 affection," which has, though our lives have been fraught with 
 many trials and bereavements, remained pure and steadfast and 
 is as warm today as when we made "mud-pies" and rode "stick 
 horses." 
 
 About the first of July (1862) mother came to Mr. Wilson's 
 and succeeded in persuading me to go home with her. Pance had 
 repaired the still-house and was ready to begin making whisky 
 hence my labor and especially my knowledge of the business 
 would be valuable to him. 
 
 Soon after my return home Captain Floyd, a boy about my 
 size and age, and living in Doniphan, Kan., came over to Rushville 
 to get a doctor to visit his sick brother. His father made the 
 
EXCITING DAYS -AND DARING DEEDS 35 
 
 original one hundred tubs for the still-house, had since done all 
 my father's cooper work, and through him the Captain and I had 
 become acquainted with each other's antecedents. We met on this 
 occasion and were having a pleasant time when some large boys 
 came along and got us into a quarrel. The chip was placed on 
 my shoulde'r but he declined to knock it off, saying, "I will bring 
 my friends next Sunday and will fight you single-handed or one 
 company against the other." On the day appointed for the bat- 
 tle I was engaged in riding a wild horse for a neighbor. All my 
 friends were present, and on receiving the message from Captain 
 Floyd, who, with twenty companions, was at the depot, awaiting 
 my pleasure, I had little trouble in selecting an equal number to 
 meet him. My company, of course, was composed of rebels, while 
 the Captain and his followers were what we called "Black Aboli- 
 tionists." I proudly marched at the head of my warriors, who, 
 like myself, had nothing but their hands to fight with. We were 
 surprised, and somewhat disconcerted, on seeing the enemy when 
 we were within a hundred yards of its line, display hickory clubs 
 but marched forward. The railroad company had intended build- 
 ing a brick depot at Rushville, but abandoned the idea and, in re- 
 moving the brick, a large amount of bats were left on the ground 
 When we saw the clubs there passed along the line the words "let 
 us make for the brick bats," which we did, and, on reaching them 
 we were within twenty paces of the Captain's lines. I asked 
 "Are you ready?" "We are," was the Captain's emphatic reply. 
 Instantly the air was filled with clubs and brick bats, and both 
 sides seemed determined to win, but presently the Union boys 
 began to waver, and later made a precipitate flight through 
 woods and fields for "Doniphan's Point." The boys, on both 
 sides, ranged from ten to sixteen years of age, and not one of the 
 whole number escaped unhurt. They were variously wounded 
 from broken fingers to cut heads, and one poor fellow lost an eye 
 as the result of this boy battle, which was widely commented on 
 at the time. 
 
 Mr Floyd, like my father, had impressed his youngest son 
 with a Von Moltke, or Napoleon ambition, and, during his stay 
 at our house while working at his trade for my father, told me 
 much about the bravery and heroism of this boy, who possessed 
 
36 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 the gift of leadership in a marked degree, and had established 
 his authority or the privilege to rule his comrades by a mixture of 
 kindness and severity. Those whom he honored with his confi- 
 dence were deeply attached to him, and there never was a King 
 who had more absolute sway over his subjects than the Captain 
 exercised over his followers, nor one who was more sincerely 
 courted and admired than was this brave, noble boy ; and I accord 
 him the distinction of being a worthy foe. What I have said of 
 the executive ability of Captain Floyd might be said with equal 
 force and candor of myself, for the boys of Rushville looked up 
 to, and admired me as their leader and hero. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Pance, having learned all I knew about making whisky and 
 finding it necessary to employ a man to do the heavy work, and 
 also finding it to his pecuniary interests to get rid of me, com- 
 menced to abuse me with that end in view. I left home and went 
 to live with sister Sarah during the fall and winter, intending to 
 start for the plains in the spring. On Saturday Ruth and I were 
 sent to Atchison for some groceries and while in town made the 
 acquaintance of Bill and Rolen Darth, the former a young man 
 and the latter a boy about my age and size. Rolen and I started 
 out to see the sights of the city. We entered most of the busi- 
 ness houses on Commercial street (especially saloons and bake- 
 shops), and bought whisky, beer, candy and pies. On Market 
 Square we found Old Man Black, a Missouri farmer and negro 
 hater, with a load of apples for sale. Rolen invested five cents 
 and while receiving change for his twenty-five cents city script, 
 a lady's hand encased in a black kid glove was thrust into the 
 wagon, followed by a musical voice, "What are apples worth to- 
 day, Mr. Black?" Without raising his head he replied, "Six bits 
 a bushel, ma'am." In making change he discovered she was a 
 negro woman and raising his hands in holy horror exclaimed, 
 "Bless God, if I didn't say ma'am to a nigger." The old man 
 threw his shoulders back and his capacious stomach forward in 
 order to draw out the words, "Ma'am to a nigger," with a sort of 
 jerking scream, or as it were the peroration of the bray of Uncle 
 Jim Canter's jack. The exhibition was so ludicrous, the idea 
 that a man should be so shocked at bein^ civil to a colored woman 
 so amusingly absurd that Rolen and I laughed until the tears 
 coursed down our cheeks. 
 
 There came to our ears, in a tone indicative of excitement 
 and earnestness, these words, "Gentlemen and fellow-citizens." 
 We hastened around the corner and beheld Mr. Lang beginning 
 his regular Saturday evening- harangue to the negroes of Atchi- 
 son. He was a disciple of John Brown, therefore a zealous "Black 
 Abolitionist." He came early to town every Saturday morning 
 and drank "Touse" whisky until noon, when he was ready to ad- 
 dress his "enslaved, down-trodden," sable audience. He was 
 about seven feet high with a shock of red hair which Moses might 
 
38 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 have mistaken for the "burning bush." We listened awhile to 
 Mr. Lang-, then returned to the ice cream parlor where we found 
 Bill and Ruth eating cake and ice cream ; after taking a dish our- 
 selves and another glass of whisky we all started for home. On 
 boarding the ferry boat Bill and Ruth went up to the cabin, while 
 Rolen and myself both pretty drunk remained on deck and got 
 into a dispute as to the justness of Mr. Lang's remarks relative 
 to emancipating the slaves. Rolen was in sympathy with the 
 speaker and labored to justify all he had said, while I took an op- 
 posite view of the matter. This difference of opinion, coupled 
 with an overdose of bad whisky and a score of drunken Mis- 
 sourians to agitate our already inflamed minds, enabled us finally 
 to get into a fight. Rolen, of course, got the worst of it, and 
 brought his brother who was about as drunk as ourselves, to 
 whip me. Bill came down with Ruth at his side begging him not 
 to bother me, but her entreaties served to increase his rage and 
 desire to punish me. I heard his threats and seizing a double- 
 barrel shotgun, ordered him to halt, but he heeded not the warning. 
 
 Wells' First Shooting Scrape on Old Pomeroy Ferry at Atchison, Ks. 
 
 At the crack of my gun he fell as if dead, but scared worse than 
 hurt, for the gun happened to be loaded with quail shot, a number 
 of which lodged in Ruth's breast. Next morning I reviewed the 
 scene and saw what would have been the result had the gun been 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 39 
 
 loaded with heavy shot. I then and there made a solemn pledge 
 to my sisters that I would never drink any more whisky and with 
 one or two exceptions have kept my vow. 
 
 Monday morning I returned to Atchison and hired to drive 
 an ox team to Denver. The train would not start the foreman 
 said, until the following Sunday morning, so I put up at the 
 "Jansen House," and during the week won seventy-five dollars 
 at poker. With this addition to my funds I had sufficient means 
 to purchase a plainsman's outfit, viz : two Colt's revolvers, a gen- 
 erous supply of ammunition, blankets for bedding, and a large 
 whip the pride of all teamsters. I dressed myself in the plains- 
 man's garb of the period which consisted of a combrero, a 
 blue flannel shirt embroidered down the front, buckskin coat and 
 beeches with long fringe dangling at the outer seams, black silk 
 handkerchief for a necktie, and a red silk sash Mexican style 
 which passed several times around my slender waist, crossed in 
 front with the ends tucked under at the side to allow the long 
 fringe to hang over the hips. The sash suspended the ivory 
 handled pistols. On the right side hung my long Spanish knife, 
 also my beaded bullet pouch and powder flask, the latter sus- 
 pended by a silk cord passed over the left shoulder. 
 
 Mother received from father another letter stating that he 
 expected soon to be at Rushville. His last words to her were 
 that she should "keep the children at home and send them to 
 school every day if an opportunity is afforded." This instruc- 
 tion was given amid a shower of tears, and mother, having violat- 
 ed her promise, felt uneasy and fearful as to what father might 
 do on finding his children absent, and hearing too of my near 
 departure for the plains she came to Atchison with the hope of 
 persuading or forcing me to return with her. I was indulging in 
 my favorite game of poker when she entered the hotel, and, on 
 hearing her request, flatly refushed to comply; whereupon she 
 seized me by the arm, saying, "I will compel you to go home." 
 I freed myself, however, and escaped. By a circuitous route 
 through alleys and back yards I finally reached the edge of the 
 precipice overlooking the ferry-boat landing. Here I seated my- 
 self to watch the boat in order to see mother when she boarded 
 it on her way home. Policemen, or boy-catchers, were not so 
 plentiful then as now, so mother after vainly searching for me 
 two or three hours, gave up in despair and started for home. I 
 could see down the road to where it turned into Commercial 
 street and as the captain of the boat tapped the bell for the last 
 time on his last trip for the day, I saw mother come around the 
 corner waving her handkerchief at the captain, who kindly waited 
 for her. She stood on the front deck looking: toward where I 
 sat. I rose and waved my hat in triumph. She gazed steadily 
 at me for a moment, then putting her handkerchief to her face 
 
40 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 walked around the engine room out of my sight. There was 
 something about my step-mother, a sort of magnetism or bewitch- 
 ing influence, that made me love her notwithstanding our many 
 difficulties and her present sorrow touched me deeply; and had 
 it been possible at that moment to have transported myself to 
 the boat, I should have done so, but not having that power I was 
 compelled to return to the hotel, where the card tables, the click 
 of poker chips, and the allurements of the plains soon faded all 
 thought of mother's sorrow and utterly effaced any real desire I 
 may have had to return home. 
 
 By daylight next morning '(Sunday), the train was rolling 
 toward Denver. Bill Sapp, a giant of a Dutchman, whom I nick- 
 named "Dutchy," was foreman of the outfit. I was given charge' 
 of the "Mess" wagon and consequently had to drive the hindmost 
 team 1 , which, owing to my chasing birds, rabbits, snakes and other 
 small animals peculiar to the prairies of eastern Kansas, would 
 drop behind, thus affording me the opportunity of using my big 
 whip which I could wield in the most approved style as I had had 
 much practice in handling the whips of the hemp haulers who 
 came to the old warehouse. I was now in a new world. The 
 beautiful hills, valleys and wooded streams, with clouds of quail 
 and prairie chicken constantly rising along the road, were to my 
 youthful mind enchanting and always interesting. The only thing 
 that worried me was the slowness of our progress, as I was ever 
 anxious and always in a hurry to reach the summit of the next 
 hill that I might see what lay beyond. I was following a veritable 
 ignus fatnus a sort of Utopia, as it were that eluded my gaze, 
 and yet I saw my ideal every day in the lovely country, the clear, 
 running streams with their pretty little fish and ducks, and breath- 
 ed in it the virgin atmosphere, but did not so understand it then. 
 The same long, level seemingly level of sunburned prairie (for 
 the grass had turned yellow), which, further away, changed into 
 a low, dark, blue ridge, which seemed to sink into the ground at 
 night, and rise again in the morning with the first light, but never 
 otherwise changed its height or distance. At the base of, or be- 
 yond, this blue-line, I expected to find lovely cities, inhabited by 
 giant-like, yet pure and generous people. Hence, I traveled on 
 by night as well as day, hoping to reach the wonderland of my 
 boyish imagination, which seemed no nearer at sunset than at 
 sunrise, and in consequence of this illusion I experienced a sense 
 of always moving with an indefinite purpose, and of halting at 
 night at the same place for all the camping grounds presented 
 the same appearance, since they were strewn with the same sort 
 of rubbish, such as cast-off garments, pieces of rabbit skin and 
 empty fruit cans with the same, yet different surroundings, a 
 chalky taste of dust, and an all-pervading smell of cattle. Thus 
 the days passed slowly but surely and with an increased anxiety 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 41 
 
 on my part to reach Maryville on the Big Blue. With such a 
 beautiful name I expected to see a lively town, but was surprised 
 to find only a stone barn, a blacksmith shop and a saloon. 
 
 Having crossed Big Blue we were really on the "great plains ' 
 with the uncivilized west lying before us. At the west end of 
 "Nine Mile Ridge" is a long, steep hill requiring the wagons to 
 be locked in order to safely descend it. On reaching this point my 
 team was some distance behind with but two or three teams in 
 sight. I started my cattle in a trot to catch up and before reach- 
 ing the locking place the last team had disappeared. I could not 
 stop my team to lock the wagon, therefore it made a wild dash 
 down the rocky hill. I stood breathless, watching the flying 
 team, expecting every moment to see the wagon upset, scatter 
 and smash things generally, but the cattle kept the road and did 
 not stop running until my leaders had their heads against the rear 
 wag-on. "Dutchy," who was riding at the front of the train, and 
 who had frequently cautioned me about, and even threatened to 
 whip me for running my team, and who had already whipped two 
 young men with his blacksnake for disobeying orders, now dashed 
 up the hill to meet me, and, with his whip drawn in a striking 
 manner, said, "I've a mind to cut the skin off of you, you little 
 rascal." "The sooner you commence the sooner you'll get 
 through," was my impudent reply. I had struck a defensive atti- 
 tude with ready hand on my pistol, which, coupled with his 
 knowledge of my shooting the Swede on the ferry-boat, warned 
 him to consult his own safety by compromising the matter. He 
 hung his whip on his saddle horn, and extending his hand said, 
 "I admire your pluck. Come, jump up behind me and we will 
 soon catch the train." "Dutchy" talked very kindly and told me 
 how to treat my team so it would love and obey me instead of 
 running every time I approached it. "I want you," he said, "to 
 be a man, not a little boy. Stop chasing snakes, lizards, toads and 
 bugs and attend to your team, and I'll let you ride 'Brigham' 
 his horse on day herd." Surely "soft words breaketh the bones/* 
 and "kindness stilleth wrath." Just a moment before I was ready 
 to shoot "Dutchy," but in the next would have fought for him 
 henceforth he and I were excellent friends. I did, promptly, 
 whatever he required of me and made myself as agreeable to my 
 companions as the nature of the circumstances would permit. I 
 had been quite disagreeable and complained, justly, perhaps, of 
 many things to which the average teamster attached but little or 
 no importance. The food was coarse and less skilfully prepared 
 than that to which I had been accustomed, and there was a reck- 
 less freedom and roughness in the intercourse of my comrades 
 that shocked and sometimes angered me ; a speech untranslatable 
 and a rudeness and haphazardness in their domestic arrangements 
 that almost bordered on nastiness. The cook was the only one 
 
4:2 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 who made any pretensions to cleanliness and he sometimes did 
 not wash his face for a week. This state of affairs was horri- 
 fying to me, but I had to accept the situation and meekly follow 
 "Dutchy's" advice "when on the great plains you must do as 
 plainsmen do." While I reluctantly adopted the habits of my fel- 
 low-travelers, and cheerfully complied with "Dutchy's" orders 
 concerning the management of my team, while the train was in 
 motion, I felt that I had a right when it made a halt for dinner 
 or at night to occupy my time as best suited me ; therefore I wan- 
 dered over the hills, along the streams, and shot at everything 
 from a grasshopper up to a buffalo, and by the time we reached 
 Old Julesburg on South Platte, was accorded the distinction of 
 being the best marksman in the outfit. We camped at Julesburg 
 for dinner and I, as usual, went out shooting. Prairie dogs were 
 as numerous as moles in a Missouri bottom corn field, and my 
 rapid firing at them attracted the attention of a lady and gentle- 
 man who were standing in front of the station, and who were no 
 less personages than the famous stage robber, Alf Slade and his 
 wife. They came out where I was and after complimenting my 
 marksmanship for I had killed several dogs, a difficult thing 
 to do, as an evidence of it Slade drew his pistol and showed me 
 how to shoot without taking aim. This mode of handling fire 
 arms is similar to throwing a stone from the hand. The eye, of 
 course, plays part, but the elevation and range, or direction of the 
 muzzle of the gun is wholly the work of the mind. I readily saw 
 the advantages of this style of shooting and adopted it in prefer- 
 ence to that of taking sight, or as Slade termed it, "Hoosier 
 shooting." Mrs. Slade was a tall, sprightly woman, with the 
 most pleasing, or insinuating, manner I ever beheld and it was, 
 perhaps, owing to this characteristic that I was led to regard her 
 as handsome and to almost reverence her as a superior being. 
 She read my thoughts or estimation of her as she would the pages 
 of a book and having heard me say I had no relations with the 
 outfit, proposed that I leave it and make my home with her and 
 her husband. Of course I would go to live with people who 
 would be kind to me, furnish me with an "abundance of good 
 things to eat, a fine horse to ride, and breech-loading guns with 
 which to hunt buffalo." Mrs. Slade and I having sealed the 
 bargain with a kiss, Slade then told me to go to the train, get my 
 things and come to the station for dinner. I hastened to the 
 corral and informed "Dutchy" of my agreement. He raised his 
 hands in horror and exclaimed, "Good heavens. Polk, my boy, 
 that is Slade and his wife, and you shall not go with them if I 
 can prevent it." He need not have added the latter clause, as the 
 mere mention of Slade was sufficient to change my mind, and 
 fill my soul with loathing for that "lady and gentleman." 
 
 John Fry, my step-brother, had rode on the "Pony Express 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 43 
 
 Line," and on his return from the West, stopped over night at 
 our house, and Slade was the hero of his many tales of frontier 
 life. Being thus made familiar with Slade's crimes, committed 
 against the general public, and his fiendish cruelty toward his 
 associates in wrong doing, it needed only the mention of his name 
 to produce a sudden and violent revulsion of feeling toward him 
 and his to me accomplished wife. Slade suspected that the 
 foreman had persuaded, or compelled, me to break my engage- 
 ment with his wife, and came out to the camp to inquire if such 
 was the case. He stepped up close to me and asked, "Why did 
 you not come to the station for dinner as you agreed to?" "Be- 
 cause," said I, "you are Slade, the stage robber." His cold, steel 
 gray eyes flashed fire as he asked, "Who told you that ?" I point- 
 ed to "Dutchy," who took on a cadaverous look as Slade drew 
 his pistol and said, 'I have a mind to crop your ears" a thing he 
 had frequently done to those who had offended him. I drew a 
 pistol and said, "Harm him and I'll drop you in your tracks." He 
 replaced his pistol in its holster, turned and walked leisurely 
 toward the station. , 
 
 There was one extraordinary incident in the wild career of 
 Slade that is worthy of mention here and that is the fact that he 
 made himself such a terror to overland travelers that Ben Holla- 
 day, proprietor of the stage line, personally made a treaty with 
 him and appointed him special messenger over the Julesburg divi- 
 sion. Slade was faithful to his employer and did his work so 
 effectively that stage robbing along that part of the route became 
 a thing of the past. He knew all the "free-booters" in that sec- 
 tion of the country, and wherever, or whenever, he met one, shot 
 him dead. Having killed and dispersed the lawless fellows, he 
 was, of course, of no further use to the sagacious Ben, who it was 
 said, gave him a sum of money for peacefully resigning his com- 
 mission as agent. Shortly after I saw Slade he went to Virginia 
 Qty, Montana, and organized another band of robbers. He was 
 so bold and his stage robberies so frequent that the vigilants took 
 his case in hand and in the early part of 1864 hung him. He had 
 many friends at the execution and it was thought there would 
 have been trouble between him and the vigilance committee had 
 his brave, faithful wife appeared on the scene a little sooner. Mrs. 
 Slade, riding man-fashion, with two large Colt's navies strapped 
 to her slender waist, dashed through the crowd and up to the 
 gallows. For a moment she gazed upon the suspended remains 
 of her husband ("the proud monarch of the prairies"), then 
 wheeled her horse and sped away to parts unknown. She was 
 a cultured woman and the favorite daughter of a wealthy and 
 influential gentleman of New York City, and it was thought by 
 some that she had made her way back to the parental roof; others, 
 who were familiarly acquainted with her and Slade, believed she 
 
44 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 returned to St. Joseph, Missouri, where they were married; but 
 the probabilities are that she committed suicide and furnished a 
 meal for hungry coyotes, or became the wife of a brave or some 
 lonely trapper. 
 
 The next interesting point was, "Fremont's Orchard," in 
 which I expected to gather all manner of rich fruit, but was dis- 
 appointed, as the famous orchard proved to be nothing more than 
 a grove of scrubby cotton-wood on the Platte bottom. We reach- 
 ed Denver, the village of small log cabins, unloaded the train and 
 returned to Leavenworth, and owing to my faithful service and 
 friendship to "Dutchy," I was given the cattle to herd that winter. 
 Niext spring (1863) the train was loaded at White Cloud, Kan- 
 sas, with corn, oats, bacon and flour, for the soldiers at Fort 
 Laramie, Wyoming Territory. At Fort Kearney "Dutchy" in- 
 troduced me to the noble Kit Carson, and patting my head, said, 
 "This is the boy who prevented Slade from shooting me last fall." 
 "That's a fact," said the scout, "for the saloon keeper at Jules- 
 burg told me that Slade said he would have pierced your ears 
 had the boy not looked so fearless and determined." Mr. Carson, 
 after praising my conduct in the Slade affair and complimenting 
 my marksmanship, gave me some good points on Indian warfare, 
 how to handle a gun, and, presenting a fine buckhorn handled 
 knife, with beaded scabbard, said, "Put this on your belt, and 
 when you get into close quarters, which is certain to befall you 
 if you stay out west very long, use it; it will never miss fire if 
 you handle it right. Learn to use your gun as rapidly as possible. 
 One second may save your life." 
 
 There has been much said and written about prairie dogs. 
 One authority says, "they are not overly fastidious in their choice 
 i. e., if they have any choice in the matter of companions, for 
 rattlesnakes and demure little gray owls with a large, white ring 
 around each eye, and with wise, grave countenances, occupy the 
 same hole with the rightful owners, though, on what terms they 
 live together I could never ascertain." Of course he. could not 
 collect substantial data of a domestic relation which does not 
 exist, for the simple reason that the owl, snake and prairie dog 
 belong to the class carnivera (more especially the two former), 
 hence are mortal enemies, the one to the other. Another writer 
 says, "Prairie dogs have a public well, to which the whole popu- 
 lation of a village go for water." I have seen "dog towns," as 
 they are called, on table-land where it would require a thousand 
 feet of digging to reach water, and, if the above statement be 
 true, there would have been thrown out of the "public well" an 
 immense pile of earth, but I never saw such an accumualtion. 
 On the contrary, the mounds ar-jnnd the holes are of as uniform 
 size as the peas in a single pod. I account for their water supply 
 on the theory that they require but little moisture and that little 
 
EXCITING D'AYS AND DARING DEEDS 45 
 
 is obtained from the ants, insects and grass roots on which they 
 subsist. On approaching their village they conne out and perch 
 themselves on the little mounds, hold up their little paws in a 
 supplicating attitude, and bark most vehemently at their intruder, 
 whisking their bushy little tails all the while. When shooting 
 these little p.nimals, it they stand on the mound next to the gun- 
 ner and are hit, the force of the ball knocks them back into the 
 hole, and in their death struggles work themselves down until out 
 of reach, from which fact arose the erroneous idea that the dogs 
 inside came out and dragged their dead comrade into the hole. 
 But if they sit on the opposite side of the hole, and are hit, the 
 ball forces them over the mound and they can be secured if 
 wanted. The flesh of these little creatures is very tender and 
 pleasant to the taste, and makes a delicious pot-pie, which 
 "Dutchy" called "Plainsman's Delight," and it was for this pur- 
 pose I killed so many of them. 
 
 After unloading the train at Fort Laramie the wagons were 
 coupled up so as to make twelve teams instead of twenty-four. 
 By this arrangement half of the cattle got a rest every other day. 
 The loose cattle were called the "Kavy-Yard," which the extra 
 men took turns in driving. My day came. to drive "Cavy-Yard," 
 and "Dead-Heads" (lazy cattle), as they are called, gave me 
 much trouble straying from the road, first on one side and then 
 on the other. One of these exasperating old sinners annoyed me 
 all the forenoon. The more I whipped him and twisted his tail 
 the slower he seemed to go. Continual hard labor becomes ex- 
 haustive, and at times in the best of families, "patience ceases to 
 be a virtue ;" therefore, while taking the noon rest, I studied out 
 a plan whereby "Old Tex" could be made to travel a little faster 
 than during the morning. Shortly after resuming our journey 
 the old "Dead-Head" began to lag behind. I cut a prickly pear 
 as large as a dinner plate, and put it close up under his tail, which 
 closed down on the thorny appendage with a vise-like grip ; the 
 worse the thorns hurt the tighter he held his tail. He commenced 
 bellowing and dashed in among the loose cattle, causing them to 
 stampede. The teams also stampeded, some running into the 
 Platte and overturning the wagons and others out on the 
 prairie also upsetting. 
 
 Our next trip was also to Fort Laramie, and having crossed 
 the South Platte, we camped for breakfast. A buffalo was seen 
 out on the prairie, and "Dutchy" told me to go after him. With 
 my Henry rifle in hand I got into a draw, leading toward my 
 intended victim, and having approached within one hundred yards 
 of him, raised and fired, the ball striking a little too high to 
 prove fatal. This was an old bull, who had lately been wounded 
 and was still angry, so that my shot merely increased his rage. 
 He tossed his huge head in the air so that his "Langtry bangs" 
 
46 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 fell away from over his eyes, which afforded him a view of his 
 enemy. He snorted loudly and viciously, then made toward me. 
 I now had an opportunity of testing my courage and of putting 
 into execution the edvice of my friend Kit Carson. Holding my 
 gun against the shoulder with my left hand and working the 
 lever with the right, I fired five shots into, or rather against, the 
 head of the beast without in the least slacking his pace. It then 
 occurred to me that "he who shoots and runs away will live to 
 shoot another buffalo," so I made tracks two to the rod 
 toward the corral five hundred yards distant. The situation was 
 a critical one and I was forced into a desperate act. I saw a 
 large wolf hole on the opposite side of the conlie, in which I had 
 approached the buffalo, and made directly for it. Throwing my 
 gun to one side, I drew my trusty blade and plunged head first 
 into the wolf den. The infuriated monster was close behind roe, 
 so close in fact that I felt his hot breath, and the next instant his 
 head struck the earth at my heels. He turned a semi-somersault, 
 thus leaving his short tail pointing toward several of my com- 
 panions who were coming to my rescue. The bull rose quickly, 
 gazed about wonderingly, but triumphantly, and in the language 
 of the juggler seemed to say, "presto-change, now you see him, 
 and now you don't see him." While exulting over his temporary 
 victory the boys got close enough to pour their leaden messengers 
 into his side, killing him instantly. His huge body lay partially 
 across the wolf hole, shutting out most of the air, but I was quick- 
 ly rescued from this unpleasant situation. We then examined 
 the buffalo's head and found five bullets imbedded in the heavy 
 mat of hair and sand that covered his skull, which flattened them 
 as though they had been shot against a rock. 
 
 At Cherry Creek, about twenty miles east of Fort Laramie, 
 we camped for three days in order that other large trains might 
 unload and get out of our way, besides we had several wagons 
 to .repair, a number of lame cattle to shoe, and Cherry Creek af- 
 forded better facilities for this and better grass for the cattle than 
 nearer the Fort. A large number of Sioux Indians were camped 
 on the Platte some distance below us and were holding a pro- 
 tracted "pow-pow." I attracted their attention by my bold horse 
 back riding and accurate shooting. "Dutchy" allowed me the 
 use of his horse, from whose back while running at full speed I 
 could pick off the ground a hat or lasso with perfect ease, which 
 pleased the Indians, who, by reason of my long black hair, con- 
 ceived the idea that I was a girl. Therefore, they regarded my 
 feats of shooting and riding with awe, for such reckless exploits 
 as I performed were unheard of among the Indians, at least so 
 far as children and women were concerned. "Dutchy" took great 
 pleasure in passing me off as his daughter and refused many 
 fabulous offers for me from young braves who wanted me to 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 47 
 
 make their moccasins, cook their venison and adorn their lodges 
 generally. Just before noon on the third day of our stay at 
 Cherry Creek a young warrior, whose name was "Antelope," and 
 who was the finest looking Indian I have ever seen, came to the 
 camp and exhibited a paper, stating he would soon be elected 
 chief of a tribe. I shall have considerable to say about this fel- 
 low, whose tout ensemble was about as follows : His head was 
 large and well, or proportionately, developed; blood red streaks 
 were drawn on the scalp, and from the braid of shimmering, 
 black hair dangled several eagle feathers and the tails of a num- 
 ber of rattlesnakes ; his cheeks were daubed with vermillion and 
 his ears adorned with heavy, metal rings ; a collar of grizzly bear 
 claws, a token of strength and courage, surrounded his neck, and 
 a necklace of wampum hung on his broad breast. His manner 
 at once stamped him as a man of note in his nation. He was 
 fully six feet high, gracefully and strongly built; his hair hung 
 down his back, and at the base of the braid was attached, by way 
 of ornament and talisman the "mystic whistle," made of the wing 
 bone of the war eagle, and endowed by the various occult virtues. 
 The braid was also adorned with a line of highly polished brass 
 plates tapering from the size of a silver dollar to that of a dime. 
 With the exception of the ornaments his body was naked from 
 the waist up, his red blanket having fallen about his loins, and 
 confined there by a broad, beaded belt. The buckskin leggings 
 and gaily beaded moccasins added grace and some measure of re- 
 finement to this picturesque individual; his arms consisted of a 
 short Ballard carbine, a quiver of beaver skin full of arrows at 
 his back, a strong bow in his hand, and a large knife and the 
 awful tomahawk stuck in his belt. "Dutchy" could speak the 
 Sioux language and was conversing with the young warrior when 
 I, having been on the herd, returned to the corral to get my din- 
 ner. He immediately offered five ponies for me, and said, pat- 
 ting himself on the breast, "Antelope make great chief with pale- 
 face squaw." He was informed that all the horses in the Sioux 
 nation could not buy me, which greatly exalted me in the mind 
 of my dusky admirer, who then proposed to give me a pretty 
 pony if I would sit on his knee and allow him to kiss me. 
 "Dutchy" acquainted me with his proposition and told me to go 
 to him and see what he would do. I walked up to him and put 
 my hand on his arm. "Dutchy" said something to him and he 
 caught me in his strong arms and almost smothered me with 
 kisses ; I slapped him in the face and ran away. He thought he 
 had offended me and immediately offered an apology for his 
 rudeness. Chastity, though not generally believed to exist among 
 the^ Indians, is by them highly esteemed, and the modest, chaste 
 maiden is a joy to her family and the pride of her tribe. They 
 are, however, without exception as fond of kissing as was Gen- 
 
48 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 eral Sherman. Antelope after being satisfied that I was not 
 angry, sprang upon his noble war-horse and rode rapidly toward 
 this camp. He soon returned, leading the loveliest black pony I 
 ever beheld, and, handing the hair lasso, which was looped on its 
 under-jaw to "Dutchy," said, "Me give him to white chiefs 
 daughter." I thanked him for the handsome gift and he rode 
 away chanting an Indian love song. 
 
 Having unloaded our train we started for home. "Dutchy" 
 secured for me a saddle at the Fort, and excused me from duty 
 with the understanding that I should furnish the men with fresh 
 meat. I now had no fear of buffalo, as I could ride my pony 
 into a herd and shoot down such animals as I chose. 
 
 We arrived at the company's farm near Leavenworth and I 
 remained with the herd until a few days before Christmas, when 
 there took possession of my thoughts an overwhelming desire to 
 see my sisters. After buying a new suit for myself and a fine 
 saddle and bridle for my pony, I bade "Dutchy" good-bye and 
 started for home. As I rode onto the ferry boat at 
 Atchison, a waggish fellow shouted, "Here comes 
 Santa Claus." Well might he say that, as my pony 
 was loaded with all sorts of presents for the dear ones 
 whom I had not seen nor heard from for eighteen months. When 
 I appeared at the yard gate to Sister Sarah's house, Ruth and 
 the children were out in the yard playing, while Sarah was pre- 
 paring a Christmas eve supper. Ruth and her little playmates 
 stared at me, then at the tin horns, drums, china dolls and bundles 
 of dry goods, but I was not recognized until I asked, "Does Mrs. 
 Myers live here ?" Then came from Ruth the glad shout of recog- 
 nition, which brought Sarah to the door. I was dragged from 
 the pony and carried bodily into the house while dear little Mary 
 (Sarah's eldest child), led my pony up to the front door where 
 it was unpacked, and put in the stable. Oh, what a joyful meet- 
 ing that was. 
 
 All the able-bodied men had either gone into the war, or 
 fled to the mountains to avoid "Uncle Sam's" draft, so that 
 most of the ladies of Rushville had to be their own "drawers of 
 water and hewers of wood." My step-mother had been de- 
 serted by her son, Pance, and was destitute of the common 
 necessities of life, and when I reached home she was weaving 
 carpet, by which she meagerly supported herself and daughter 
 "Sis." They were glad to see me and surprised me with em- 
 braces and kisses, a manifestation of good will that I was not 
 prepared for. I enjoyed it, however, and accepted it as genu- 
 ine. They "had used the horse-lot fence and the siding from 
 the ice-house for fire wood and bad commenced on the frame- 
 work of the latter, and when I entered the house the ends of 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 49 
 
 half a dozen rafters were sticking in the fire-place. As the ends 
 burned off the ends were pushed further into the fire. 
 
 Having plenty of money and not afraid to spend it, I was 
 making life pleasant and comfortable for mother and "Sis," 
 when one day about the eighth of January, 1864 the town 
 was panic-stricken by the entrance of a company of Kansas 
 jayhawkers who plundered every house in it. They knew my 
 father was in the Confederate army and therefore took special pains 
 pains to strip his house of everything in the shape of silverware, 
 jewelry, fine bed-spreads, etc., and even took the rings from 
 mother's and "Sis's" ears. Having satisfied themselves, or rath- 
 er loaded themselves, they left the house and joined their com- 
 rades at the public well and, after breaking the stocks and 
 twisting or bending the barrels of a score of old guns, mounted 
 their horses and rode out of town. They had not been gone 
 more than two hours when my step-brothers, accompanied by 
 the James boys, all direct from "Quantrel's Band," and well 
 armed, arrived. We succeeded in getting together twenty-one 
 men, including ourselves, and followed the enemy. Gearrie 
 City, Kansas, a small town on the Missouri, some five miles 
 distant, was the headquarters of the jayhawkers, and about 
 daylight the next morning we dashed across the river on the 
 ice, and, leaving our horses under the bank in charge of three 
 old rrien, proceeded to the work in hand. The conflict was 
 brought to a close by the jayhawkers fleeing into the hills and 
 hollows back of the town which we burned, or at least the 
 business portion of it. John Hart, captain of the jayhawkers, 
 and two of his men were killed and several others seriously 
 wounded. Our captain, Uncle Tom Irving, was shot through 
 the shoulders and two or three others slightly hurt, while my 
 clothes were in several places pierced by the enemies' bullets. 
 We failed to recover any of the stolen property, but succeeded 
 in teaching our Kansas neighbors a lesson which to some ex- 
 tent checked their forays in Missouri. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 May first I divided what money I had with my step- 
 mother and sisters, gave my pony to Ruth, went to Atchison 
 and engaged to drive a team to Salt Lake City, Utah. The 
 trip was pleasant until reaching Fort Kearney, but from there 
 to the base of the mountains the road was almost impassable 
 on account of rain, besides every mile of it was beset with 
 dangers. Fierce and barbarous Sioux warriors lurketi behind 
 the hills and in the hollows, ever on the alert to surprise and 
 kill the men and plunder and burn the trains which toiled 
 wearily through the unhospitable lands. For extent and sever- 
 ity the perils by day and dangers by night along this route 
 were without parallel in the history of human events. Owing 
 to the small number of troops held at Forts Laramie and Kear- 
 ney, the Indians were enabled to do about as they chose, there- 
 fore sudden death or cruel and prolonged torture stared us in 
 the face at every step. The wayside was lined with new 
 graves and bleaching bones the latter having been stripped 
 by the hungry coyotes of unfortunate men, women and chil- 
 dren, who had fallen in the hands of the "noble red men." 
 
 A mule train of eight teams was traveling with us for safe- 
 ty and having crossed the South Platte we camped for break- 
 fast. It was my day to herd and I drove the cattle out on the 
 prairie where there was better grass than near the ford. A 
 young man came out with the mules and we got together and 
 were having fine sport shooting prairie dogs. I had emptied my 
 pistols and sat down to reload them, when suddenly the cattle 
 and! mules stampeded and my companion dashed pa'st me shout- 
 ing, "Indians, Indians." I was surprised and to some extent dis- 
 concerted at the suddenness of the attack, which proved con- 
 clusively to my mind the correctness of the warning I had received 
 from Kit Carson. "Danger," he said, "is never so near as when 
 you are unprepared for it never so remote as when you are on the 
 alert to meet it at any moment." He also said that a bold front 
 and an apparent indifference to present danger would command 
 the respect and admiration of the most hostile Indians. These 
 thoughts with lightning rapidity flashed through my mind and 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 51 
 
 by the time my friend had breathed his last I was as calm as 
 a summer morning, and prepared to meet the consequences 
 whatever they might be. A powerful warrior, painted in the 
 most hideous manner, and riding an American horse, dashed 
 up to me. I instinctively saw that I was to be taken captive 
 and that resistance was useless or equivalent to suicide. I 
 stretched out my hands toward my captor, who seized my arm, 
 seated me on the horse behind him, and spurred on after the 
 herd and his companions. I had frequently contemplated mak- 
 ing my home with the Indians for the purpose of learning their 
 language, observing their customs and studying their religious 
 ceremon-es, so I was not averse to going with them on this 
 occasion, and my apparent willingness to do so prevented their 
 tying me as expected. They took my pistols, but otherwise 
 treated me with marked attention and kindness. This consid- 
 erate gentleness on the part of my captors was owing to the 
 fact that I was recognized as the daughter of "Dutchy," and 
 therefore a capital prize to present to ''Antelope/' who was now 
 chief of his tribe. 
 
 My captors left the cattle, but pushed the mules and horses 
 as fast as possible, and by midnight reached their camp on the 
 Dismal River, about sixty miles north of North Platte. Here 
 about seventy-five families were camped while the main body 
 of the nation was quartered on the Middle Loup River still 
 further north. On arriving at the camp I was given in charge 
 of an old woman, who, perhaps, was the mother or some near 
 relative of the chief, took me to her lodge which was occupied 
 by herself and a girl about my own size and age, and being 
 very tired I stretched myself on the buffalo and wolf robes and 
 soon passed into the land of forgetfulness. Next morning I was 
 promptly called to breakfast which consisted of a stew of jack- 
 rabbits and prairie-dogs, molasses, hard-tack, sugar and coffee. 
 I ate heartily of all that was spread before me which seemed to 
 pleased my entertainers not a little, for Indians love to see 
 their guests eat with a relish. 
 
 While the young and thoughtless members of the camp 
 were enjoying themselves with their various sports, the war- 
 riors and medicine-men appeared to be deeply concerned about 
 something, as was indicated by their hog-like grunts, gestures, 
 and serious faces and by their continual looking southward. 
 "Antelope" was the only word I understood, and their frequent 
 use of it, coupled with their glances in my direction, convinced 
 me that they were discussing the meeting of the chief with 
 myself, and anxious looks showed that he was soon expected 
 to arrive. I was immediately thrown into a train of thoughts 
 
52 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 of the most apprehensive nature, feeling sure that "Antelope" 
 would claim me as his wife which would result in my exposure, 
 and as a natural consequence he would take my life for having 
 deceived him on a former occasion. Various modes of escape 
 flashed through my mind but before arriving at a definite plan 
 of action "Antelope" and his band of warriors reached camp. 
 Our recognition was mutual and our hands met in a friendly 
 grasp. I was really glad to see him as my manner indicated, 
 and his actions showed that he was equally pleased by my pres- 
 ence. However, he made no improper advances, and in this 
 proved himself a gentleman though he were an Indian. He 
 could speak English sufficiently well for me to understand him 
 and at once inquired about "Dutchy," whom he styled the 
 "White Chief," and who, I told him, had gone to fight in the 
 pale-faces' war with which he was familiar. 
 
 I was permitted to go about camp at will and seemingly 
 unwatched. This privilege, coupled with the gentlemanly man- 
 ner in which "Antelope" greeted me, and the confusion occas- 
 ioned by his arrival, caused me to forget all about escaping. 
 I inferred from the listless tranquility into which the adult 
 members of the camp had fallen after dinner that there was no 
 danger apprehended from their white enemies, so I secured a 
 lariat and ventured out among the boys and girls whom I soon 
 had gyrating about to prevent my lassoing them which they 
 enjoyed as much as myself. 
 
 The chief and his party had captured a mule train, and 
 after killing the men, loaded their horses with such things as 
 they wanted, set fire to the wagons and brought the mules and 
 horses away with them. A number of the Indians were wound- 
 ed, showing that the white men had defended themselves as 
 best they could. Among the wounded was a brother of the 
 chief, who was shot through the shoulder with a gun of large 
 caliber. I dressed the wound for him as tenderly as if he had 
 been my own brother and am free to confess I felt sorry for 
 him. This party had made a rich haul and the plunder was 
 thrown together in a pile from which everybody helped himself 
 or herself, a "all-things-in-common" sort of way of doing busi- 
 ness. I selected such things as I wanted and set to work pre- 
 paring dinner for "Antelope," his brother and myself. I took 
 the wounded man some hot pancakes, fried dog and a cup of 
 excellent coffee, which he devoured with the utmost satisfac- 
 tion. The chief was highly pleased with my attentions toward 
 his brother, and, after satisfying his own appetite, he and his 
 wise men seated themselves in front of the "council lodge" to 
 talk over the late events and boast of their individual achieve- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 53 
 
 ments. While "Antelope" and his generals were exulting over 
 past and planning future victories, the poor old women were 
 busy carrying fuel for lighting up the dance ground, which 
 was about the size of and similar to a circus ring, and which 
 was encircled by the lodges of the principal families. After 
 dark a fire was started in the center of the ring and the dance 
 commenced, in which everybody who was able to jump and 
 howl took part. The old women kept the fire going, while the 
 marriageable girls, children and dogs furnished the music for 
 the warriors and young men to dance by. This dance was 
 given in praise of, and a thank-offering to the "Great Spirit," 
 to whom they attributed their recent success in plundering 
 the "pale faces." From early morning until night of the next 
 day the whole camp was kept in an uproar. The boys and girls 
 shouting and laughing; the old women bringing fuel ; the war- 
 riors busily engaged in burnishing up their weapons, and plum- 
 ing themselves for the war-dance 1 . Just before sundown Chief 
 "Antelope" appeared in full dress, in the hour of his glory, with 
 the whole tribe out to admire him as he swept around the camp 
 on his mystic war-horse. His head dress was adorned with a 
 crest of war-eagle's feathers, which rose in a waving ridge 
 above his shapely brow, and almost sweeping the ground be- 
 hind him ; a round, white shield with feathers and stained por- 
 cupine quills alternately attached and radiating from the center 
 'ke a star, hung from his breast ; his bow and quiver of arrows 
 at his back, while in his hand he held a fine needle-gun, whose 
 bright bands flashed against the declining sun ; and from his 
 belt fluttered the scalps of his enemies together with the scalp- 
 ing-knife and terrible tomahawk. Thus arrayed he rode around 
 and around the circle of lodges, balancing himself gracefully to 
 the free movements of his noble horse, while, with an air of 
 reverence depicted in his handsome face, he rendered his song 
 praise and gratitude to the "Great Spirit." Young warriors 
 looked askance at him, vermillion cheeked skirls gazed in ad- 
 miration, boys shouted in a thrill of delight, and old women 
 yelled forth his name and proclaimed his virtues such, no 
 doubt, as were bestowed on the shepherd boy from lodge to 
 lodsre, while I, motionless and silent, looked upon the scene 
 with reverential awe, and wondered what the magnificent dis- 
 play of horsemanship, finery, trinkets and charms portended. 
 I subsequently learned that this exhibition was intended to in- 
 spire the young warriors with confidence in their chief, and fill 
 them with patriotic ambition. 
 
 The most conspicuous and the most curious things about 
 the chief as he rode around the camp were his charms, which, 
 
54 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 to me, were merely pretty and curiously devised ornaments, 
 but, to the Indians, they spoke in terms more eloquent and 
 impressive than would, to the school boy, the utterances of 
 Wendell Phillips, or the eloquence of a Depew. The wearing 
 of charms is a common characteristic among the red men of 
 every tribe and nation. They all have a tutilary spirit and 
 wear badges representing it and their gods ; they also wear 
 various charms for divers purposes, some to ward off sickness, 
 others to shield them from harm, and still others to promote 
 success in their undertakings. After dark the dancers began 
 circling round and round, each figure brightly illumined by the 
 fire in the center of the ring, and on each warrior's breast was 
 an emblem denoting his character. I saw nothing indicating 
 the wolf or the coyote, for the reason that these animals are 
 considered mean and cowardly ; but the fox, hare, buffalo, bear, 
 horse, antelope and war eagle all had representatives at the 
 dance. When the first dancers became tired and withdrew 
 from the ring a startling yell was given, fresh warriors leaped 
 into the circle and with faces toward the moonlit sky, stamped, 
 whooped, jumped stiff-kneed, brandished their weapons and 
 went through all the motions that were likely to engage them 
 when in actual conflict with the enemy. 
 
 I have seen some wonderful things in my time, but nothing 
 half so fantastical, nothing so awe inspiring as the "war dance/' 
 Many men have endeavored to give an intelligent pen picture 
 of it, but all have failed. It arouses the motions that cannot 
 by word or pen be conveyed to another. One may see it for 
 himself in order to feel its charm, appreciate its artistic merit 
 and fully understand its terrible significance. The dance was 
 continued until midnight, when the heavens were pierced with 
 a loud, shrill and peculiar note from a whistle, horn or the 
 throat of a warrior. From whatever it proceeded it had a mag- 
 ical effect upon the spectators, as well as the dancers, as the 
 ring was instantly vacated, the watchers and musicians dis- 
 persed, and in less than ten minutes the entire camp was 
 shrouded in a deathlike stillness. I was left alone to find my 
 way to my quarters the best I could, and on my way to the 
 tent discovered Chief "Antelope" in, what I thought, a strange 
 attitude for an Indian. He was on his knees in front of his 
 lodge with face upturned and his eyes riveted on something" 
 invisible to me in the heavens. I waited until he was through 
 with his prayer or communion with the "Great Spirit," which 
 seemed an hour, and then approached him. He motioned to me 
 to sit down on the buffalo robes at his side, which I did, and 
 after talking sometime, ventured to ask what he was doing on 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 55 
 
 his knees, and his reply was, "Me love Great Spirit heapmuch." 
 He then pointed to various bright stars, muttered something in 
 Indian about each of them, and then turning his eyes and finger 
 toward the silver moon, said, "Great Spirit up there, me all 
 time see him face." This pagan philosopher, magician and as- 
 trologer deeply interested me as he had much to say about the 
 planets, the "Great Spirit" and the "Happy Hunting Ground." 
 He was so wrought up by the dance, his prayer or communion 
 with the unseen, and I was so struck with wonder and admira- 
 tion at his devotion and faith in the Heavenly Master that we 
 were unaware of the time until there appeared the beautiful 
 morning star to which he pointed and said, "Me call him little 
 moon," then patting my head he added, "Me call you little 
 moon too." I told him my name was Charles K. Polk, and that 
 I was named after one of the "great fathers" at Washington, 
 but he insisted that I should bear the above name and said, 
 "Maybe one snow, maybe two snows, little moon go to wig- 
 wam with Antelope." Then leading me by the hand to within 
 a few rods of my lodge he said, "Go, little moon must sleep, 
 Indian heap sleep, much good." With this he wheeled and 
 walked rapidly to his own lodge and having seen him enter it I 
 retired myself. 
 
 The only occupants of my lodge were the same old woman 
 and girl. I lay down on some buffalo robes but could not sleep 
 for thinking of the peril and strangeness of my situation, be- 
 sides the peculiar "thumpty bang" of the tom-tom and the aw- 
 ful war whoop continued to ring in my ears, and the chief's 
 remarks about my going to the lodge with him threw me into 
 an apprehensive and thoughtful mood. He had formally post- 
 poned our marriage for at least one year, but this temporary 
 delay did not relieve me from the dangers and probability of 
 exposing myself when asleep, or from the chances of my sex 
 being discovered by the lynx-eyed girls, who, like Mary's lamb, 
 persisted in following me wherever I went. My father taught 
 me that a liar under any circumstances is loathsome to honest 
 white men, and a most abominable wretch in the eye's of an In- 
 dian, therefore exposure simply meant death, or still worse., 
 prolonged torture, and I knew that it was only a matter of time 
 when my deception would be discovered. From the harrowing- 
 consequences of an exposure I turned to contemplate the scenes 
 painted on the walls of my lodge. I had not previously noted 
 these paintings, but now when a little blaze from the fire in 
 the center of the lodge would shoot up, they attracted my at- 
 tention and I carefully studied them. On the right was a scene 
 of a battle between the Sioux and the the warriors of some 
 
56 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 other nation. On the left were various designs of peculiar di- 
 mensions which were no doubt calculated to represent the gods 
 of the owners of the lodge. Between these two scenes was one 
 of a white man bound to a stake and undergoing the torture of 
 fire. The figures of the former pictures were imperfectly drawn 
 if the design of the artist was clearly seen; while the latter 
 painting was executed by a master hand and one no doubt that 
 had participated in the scene in its horrible reality. I looked 
 upon this picture as foretelling my own fate. Horrible as it 
 was, I could not help admiring it, and finally dropped into sleep 
 with the whole scene rushing through my mind, and dreamed 
 that the old woman had discovered my character and reported 
 same to the chief, who ordered me to the stake. I saw the 
 women as they placed the brush and wood around me ; the boys 
 and girls spit in my face and tread on my fingers as I lay bound 
 and helpless. The old woman was appointed master of cere- 
 monies as a reward for her cunning and, when all was ready, 
 chief "Antelope," whose hitherto noble countenance now had 
 the appearance of a fiend and having given the order to com- 
 mence the torture, she plunged a fine splinter, with its outer 
 end on fire, into my side. This was so real that I awoke, and 
 rushed out of the lodge with the determination to escape the 
 first opportunity afforded me. 
 
 The forenoon was half spent, but I saw no preparations 
 being made to send out a war party as I had understood "An- 
 telope" to say he intended doing. He was waiting for rein- 
 forcements, and the delay thus occasioned was highly favor- 
 able to my plans. The war party, of course, would go south 
 in order to strike the emigrant and fighting outfits, and I 
 knew that if it started before I did I would be obliged to await 
 its return, or take the chances of meeting it after I had left the 
 camp. I boldly accosted "Antelope" and said : "Great Chief is 
 not going on the war path today." "Maybe so, yes, some 
 young man pointing to the north coming to go with "An- 
 telope," one sleep, maybe not." It was evident from his 
 restlessness that he was momentarily expecting the young 
 warriors, which convinced me that I must act promptly or 
 not at all, and I said, "T do not like white men, and will shoot 
 them so "Antelope" can take many scalps." Drawing my 
 pistol ^and pointing to a buffalo skull, I said, "See pale face," 
 and fired a ball through it, which pleased the chief very 
 much. He patted mv head and said something in his own 
 language which I did not understand. 
 
 Mr. Thompson, our wagon foreman, and half owner of 
 the train, had once traveled with a circus in the capacity of 
 a horse trainer, and had taught many tricks to his fine sad- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 57 
 
 die mare, who, owing to my kindness to her, performed as 
 readily for me as for her master. I have always loved horses, 
 and naturally put in many an hour petting and rubbing this 
 noble animal, and for which gentle care I was allowed to ride 
 her on my regular herd day, therefore on the day of my cap- 
 ture she was driven off with the other horses. She was a 
 bright bay, with white legs and face, and in Indian phrase- 
 ology was called "Pale Face Squaw Horse/' All the horses, 
 including those taken from the white men, were kept on the 
 stream some distance below camp, and not having seen the 
 mare since my arrival, I had not thought much about her, 
 besides my mind had been fully occupied with the strange, 
 fascinating scenes of Indian life, but on the morning in ques- 
 tion the whole herd was brought near camp. The mare and 
 a few of the American horses were picketed on the grass by 
 long lariats to prevent their running away. When I saw her 
 my soul leaped for joy. I felt certain that once on her back 
 I would be perfectly safe. , 
 
 After the chief finished his, to me, unintelligible remarks, 
 I said, pointing to one of the men, "Pale face squaw horse is 
 mine. I will ride her and go with 'Antelope' to fight the 
 white men." He replied, "Little moon heap good shoot, heap 
 much brave, heap much stay at camp. 'Antelope' bring heap 
 pale face scalps." I inferred from this courteous but em- 
 phatic answer that I would not be allowed to accompany him 
 on the war path, nor did I want to, my object being to get on 
 the mare through his permission, and his prompt refusal to 
 acceed to my wishes put me out a little, but I rallied to the 
 charge again, and I told him I wished to ride her and catch 
 for him a wild pony with a lasso. He readily agreed to this 
 proposition, and started a young man to bring her to camp. 
 I stopped him, and, stepping out so the mare could see me, 
 put two fingers in my mouth and gave a shrill whistle. She 
 recognized the familiar note and answered me with a loud 
 and prolonged whinny. I, in my eagerness and forgetting 
 she was staked out, whistled again, and this time she saw me 
 and came bounding toward me. The force with which she 
 came against the picket rope caused it to part, thus setting 
 herself free. She dashed up to my side and put her nose 
 against my cheek as if she would kiss me. After fondling her 
 a minute, I made her lay Jown, roll over, then get up and 
 stand on her hind feet. If the Indians were surprised by 
 former feats of shooting, lassoing and horsemanship, they 
 were now dumbfounded with the performances with the mare. 
 They regarded me with that speechless awe and wonder which 
 characterizes the ignorant and superstitious of all peoples, of 
 
58 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 whatever color. Having, as it were, hypnotized the spec- 
 tators through the tricks of the intelligent animal, I then put 
 Mr. Thompson's saddle and bridle on her my pistols already 
 having been restored to me by the chiefs order and, with 
 lasso in hand, sprang into the saddle and asked "Antelope"" 
 which pony I should catch for him. He pointed to a white 
 one on the outskirts of the herd, and said, "Little Moon heap 
 catch white pony." At a touch the mare sprang forward and 
 at the right moment I cast the lasso, the loop of which set- 
 tled gracefully over the pony's head, whereupon an enthusi- 
 astic cheer from the Indians rang out on the air. I was now 
 out of range of their guns and free to act, yet I hesitated to 
 betray such implicit confidence as the chief had reposed in 
 me, but, thinking of the fate awaiting me should my sex be 
 discovered, I hesitated no longer, and turning the mare's head 
 from the camp I dashed away toward Platte River. 
 
 When the Indians saw that I was actually deserting 
 them a terrible commotion ensued. The women and children 
 set up a terrible howl, while the warriors, a dozen or more, 
 with "Antelope" at their head, started in pursuit. I let them 
 gain on me for a while, then gave the mare the rein and she 
 left them so fast that they became disgusted with their short- 
 legged ponies and stopped the chase, at least I saw no more of 
 them. About half past eight o'clock, and before the men had 
 had their supper, I rode into the corral and was greeted with 
 cheers and compliments from my comrades, while Mr. Thomp- 
 son shed joyous tears as he looked at me from the mare's 
 back. 
 
 The men of the mule train buried their unfortunate com- 
 panion on the spot where killed, now the site of Ogalalla, Ne- 
 braska. They recognized the futility of undertaking to re- 
 cover their stock and my friends had abandoned all hope of 
 ever seeing me again. Another large ox train had joined 
 Mr. Thompson's, and between the two there were enough 
 cattle spared to haul the wagons of the distressed and sor- 
 rowing mule men, and when I returned they were all camped 
 together the combined force of the two trains numbering 
 eighty-five men and three boys, including myself. The next 
 day at noon, while I was out playing with the mare, Mr. 
 Thompson was interviewing the other proprietors, who 
 agreed with him to employ me at one hundred dollars per 
 month to act as scout and hunter for the whole company. Mr. 
 Thompson called me to him, and, after acquainting me with 
 their decision, said if I would undertake the dangerous task I 
 should have the "pale-face squaw-horse" to ride. I accepted 
 the proposition with all the zeal and heartiness of which 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 59 
 
 youthful ambition and a daring nature are capable, and after 
 dinner I saddled the mare, and, with rifle laying across my 
 lap, as was the custom of frontiersmen, started out on my 
 first scouting expedition. The mare, Molly, and myself, ow- 
 ing to our late dash of about eighty-five miles, with but one 
 stop for a few minutes on North Platte, were quite stiff, and 
 for a few days I did not venture far from the .camp, but hav- 
 ing worked off the effects of that terrible ride, I dared to go 
 as far from the road as I chose. One day as we drew near the 
 mountains I wandered some five miles from the road in search 
 of game, but failed to find anything, and becoming hungry, 
 I turned the mare toward camp again. The noble animal had 
 several times warned me that Indians were near us, but I paid 
 not the slightest attention to her for the reason that I had be- 
 come foolhardy and insanely reckness. I had, perhaps, ridden 
 two or three miles in the direction of the camp, when the 
 
 Entirely Surrounded by Indians Fights His Way Out. 
 
 mare suddenly snorted, struck the ground viciously with her 
 front feet and tried to run. "Perhaps I had better take a 
 view of the surrounding country," I thought ; so I rode out 
 of the coulie which I had been following in the hope of find- 
 
60 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ing a buffalo or deer at one of the pools of water along its 
 course onto the high prairie, and behold I was almost com- 
 pletely surrounded by Indians. They had heard of my es- 
 cape from "Antelope," and were bent on recapturing me 
 alive. By drawing a line of warriors around me they hoped 
 to fill me with consternation and awe me into an immediate 
 surrender. The line was fast closing on me, an<f one of two 
 things must be done meekly give myself into their hands and 
 suffer the consequences, or make a bold dash through the line 
 for liberty. I chose the latter alternative, and slipping my 
 rifle into a loop kept on the horn of the saddle for that pur- 
 pose, dropped the bridle reins, and guiding the mare by simply 
 pressing her with the knee, drew both pistols and dashed to- 
 ward the line of warriors, who rushed from the right and left 
 to cut me off. I dropped four of them from their horses, thus 
 making a gap through the line, through which I passed un- 
 harmed, though the fringe on my buckskin shirt and pants 
 was cut off in several places by their shots. In the start my 
 hat blew off and my long black hair waving in the breeze- 
 disclosed my identity to a certainty, which made the Indians 
 doubly anxious to capture me, and about fifty warriors chased 
 me to within half a mile of camp, when they suddenly stop- 
 ped, viewed the situation, and rode away toward their com- 
 rades. Two days later the train entered the mountains, the 
 home of the Utes, who, up to that time, had been peaceable 
 toward the whites, but were inveterate enemies of the Sioux, 
 hence the latter did not dare to follow us into the dominion 
 of the former. 
 
 While on the plains, owing to the marauding bands of 
 Indians, game was extremely scarce, and I often had to carry 
 my belts of cartridges and my disappointment (which was 
 much heavier) back to camp. I had killed a goodly number 
 of sage hens, prairie dogs and jack rabbits, but these were in- 
 sufficient to appease the appetites of so large a party; be- 
 sides when able bodied men in that country sit down to eat, 
 fresh meat vanishes before them like dry grass before a prairie 
 fire. But after entering the mountains I had no trouble in 
 furnishing the entire party with all the fresh meat it could 
 consume. Elk, deer and mountain sheep were very plentiful, 
 and the Laramie plains were literally alive with antelope. 
 These fleet-footed, timid little creatures are as full of curi- 
 osity as a woman and are as easily beguiled. A necklace of 
 precious stones and gold bracelets have lured unnumbered 
 scores of the latter to ruin, while a red silk handkerchief, or 
 other red flag, has enticed thousands of the former to an un- 
 timely end, and they have been known to follow a covered 
 wagon for miles, while the wily red man, standing erect, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 61 
 
 wrapped erect in his red blanket, never fails to draw them 
 within reach of his deadly arrow. On one occasion near the 
 crossing of Medicine Bow, and while seated behind my red 
 silk handkerchief, I shot down five of these beautiful animals, 
 and could, no doubt, have killed the whole herd had I so de- 
 sired, for they not only gazed intently at the decoy, but grad- 
 ually approached it until I arose to my feet, when they 
 wheeled and scampered away. I disemboweled those I had 
 killed, and, by attaching my lariat to the neck of one, then to 
 the saddle horn, drew them, one by one, with the mare to the 
 road, where they were picked up when the train came along. 
 By this process I delivered at the road most all my game, but 
 when far away I cut off the "saddle" (hind quarters) and car- 
 ried it in front of me to the road or tent. 
 
 The plains, with its pretty little animals, great herds of 
 buffalo, immense clouds of quail, prairie chickens, sage hens, 
 grouse, and beautiful streams, was very pleasing and inter- 
 esting to me. My imagination kept me in an intoxicated 
 state, so that I was constantly anticipating scenes that never 
 appeared. I well remember with what eagerness and delight 
 I rode with "Dutchy," when on our first trip to Fort Laramie, 
 the five or more miles across the hills to the famous "Court 
 House Rock," on North Platte River. I also remember my 
 disappointment on arriving at this immense pile of sand-stone, 
 for I had expected to see a great castle which it resembled 
 from the road with its internal belongings complete. Hun- 
 dreds of names were carved in the soft stone, so "Dutchy" 
 and I followed the example. Climbing up its side as far as 
 any one had been, I stood on his shoulders and cut our names 
 above all others in the face of this famous landmark. 
 
 While I was ever charmed and pleased with every turn 
 in the road while on the plains, I was as certainly doomed to 
 disappointment in my ideal, which was fully realized in the 
 mountains, whose snow-capped peaks filled me with wonder 
 and whose lofty sides were covered with a dense forest, which 
 impregnated the air with the odor of pine and cedar, giving 
 it a bracing and exhilirating influence on the physical system ; 
 while the magnificent scenery of mighty cliffs, terrific walls, 
 huge rocky towers and pine shaded glens, beautiful sweet sing- 
 ing birds, the sleek elk, the pretty cotton-tail and the sprightly 
 big horn all presented at one view, often held me in the em- 
 brace of enchantment for hours at a time on the summit of 
 some sky piercing peak. I never tired of looking at these 
 wondrous beauty scenes of God's mighty work. I rode up one 
 canyon and down another, from mountain top to mountain 
 top, always feasting my eyes on the beautiful pictures of 
 nature; and when I came to a place too steep to ride, I dis- 
 
62 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 mounted and, leaving Molly (my mare) to graze on the rich 
 bunch grass, would clamber to the top of some shattered, 
 splintered crag to see what lay beyond. 
 
 On reaching Elk Mountain (so called by reason of the 
 abundance of elk to be found on its broad sides and in its deep 
 canyons) I rode "Molly" to the extreme top of it, which is 
 far above the timber line. Here I had a magnificent view of 
 the surrounding country. I could see Laramie's Peak and the 
 Black Hills, the Laramie Plains, the Medicine Bow Valley, 
 through which flowed the Medicine Bow River, the latter, as 
 it wound it way toward the North Platte, resembling a thread 
 of silver drawn through a field of gold. 
 
 Echo Canyon, through which the road lay, was a marvel- 
 ous curiosity to me. On the left, going west, is a high moun- 
 tain ; on the right a perpendicular wall, two or three hundred 
 feet high, and along the edge of this mighty precipice ten or 
 fifteen miles long, and at. the base of which lay the wagon 
 road Brigham Young had placed, by his followers, huge 
 boulders, with which he intended crushing the army of Gen- 
 eral Johnston. I found my way to the top of the precipice, 
 and with feelings of awe contemplated the terrible purpose 
 of the sagacious and determined Mormon leader. I was hor- 
 rified by thought of the destruction of life had Mr. Johnston 
 walked into the trap, and filled with admiration by the inge- 
 nuity of the bold commander, and readily recognized the 
 practicability of his monstrous scheme. One of those heavy 
 boulders, falling hundreds of feet, striking on solid rock, must 
 have burst like a bomb-shell and, doubtless with as deadly ef- 
 fect. Passing down this wonderful canyon the teamsters 
 shouted and popped their big whips, while I fired my pistols 
 in rapid succession, for the purpose of hearing the echo, which 
 was a conglomeration of peculiar yet fascinating sounds. 
 
 On the morning of our last drive, before reaching Salt 
 Lake City, I rode to the top of a high mountain, from which 
 I obtained a full view of Salt Lake City, Utah Lake, Salt 
 Lake, Utah and Tooele Valleys. All I have said of the scenic 
 qualities and attractions of the Rocky Mountains and of the 
 loveliness of the plains sinks into insignificance when com- 
 pared to the picture of surpassing beauty I beheld on this 
 lovely August morning. The city was shrouded in foliage, 
 part forest and part fruit trees, and nothing could be seen 
 but the tops of the houses. The great Salt Lake, from which 
 the city derives its name, and from the blue depths of which 
 spring majestic island mountains, was visible for many leagues 
 to the northwest, while along the banks of the Jordan, once 
 so barren and pronounced worthless and useless by Old Jim 
 Bridger, who proposed to the first Mormon settlers to take all 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 63 
 
 the wheat they could raise at ten dollars per bushel, were 
 many happy homes, with broad fields covered with shocks 
 and stacks of golden grain. As I, in a sort of bewilderment, 
 gazed upon this indescribable and unequal loveliness of the 
 lakes and valleys, bordered by the grandeur of lofty moun- 
 tains and the entire panorama set off by a city whose mani- 
 fold charms and attractions have few equals and no superiors 
 in the American continent, I felt, if I did not utter, the senti- 
 ments so beautifully expressed by Byron : "Truly there is no 
 scene on earth that equals this," and which might with rea- 
 sonable appropriateness be denominated the "promised land." 
 When I saw the train emerge from Emigration Canyon 
 and file out across the "bench," of plateau, on which Salt Lake 
 City is situated, and which was once the shores of a great 
 inland sea, I came down from my lofty prospect, joined Mr. 
 Thompson, and rode on ahead of the train with him to the 
 city. I decided to remain in the city and, after receiving my 
 pay, went up town, bought me a suit of new clothes and gave 
 a barber five dollars for the privilege of bathing in a tub of 
 cold water in his back room, and for his services in cleaning 
 and combing my hair, which hung in ringlets on my shoul- 
 ders. Having thoroughly cleansed myself of sand, alkali dust 
 and parasites, so universal with plainsmen at that time, and 
 having arrayed myself in "purple and fine linen," started out 
 to find my uncle, Leonard I. Smith, who, having been a 
 member of the Mormon church since 1850, was a respected 
 and prominent citizen of Mormondom, and who, being a 
 United States mail contractor, and proprietor of two stage 
 lines, was, of course, Quite wealthy and well known, even to 
 the laymen of his faith. I found him in Lawrence and Kim- 
 ball's grocery store on Main street, and, after making myself 
 known to him, was taken in a carriage to his home and intro- 
 duced to his wife and children. Next morning I went down 
 to Emigrant Square to see my friends off for Missouri, and, 
 like King Agrippa, was "almost persuaded" to accompany 
 them, and would have done so perhaps had Uncle Leonard not 
 excited my curiosity by his wonderful accounts about the city 
 "ball-room" and "theater" and other attractions. He said if 
 I would remain over winter, or longer, his house should be 
 my home ; that he would take me with him and family to the 
 dance-hall at that time a Gentile could not enter a ball-room 
 without a friend or relative to secure his ticket or vouch for 
 him where I should have the extraordinary privilege of danc- 
 ing with President Young's daughters. With these promises 
 of pleasure and distinction ringing in my ears I was enabled 
 to withstand the appeals of my late comrades to return with 
 them. The train being about ready to depart, I proposed buy- 
 
64 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ing "Mollie," the "pale-face squaw-horse," from Mr. Thomp- 
 son. He said she was virtually mine already, as he had not 
 expected to see her again after being driven away by the In- 
 dians. "Therefore," said he, "I present her to you as a ma- 
 terial token of my respect for you personally, and further as 
 an evidence of my appreciation of the valuable service you 
 have rendered me." Of course, I accepted with appropriate 
 thanks this excellent gift from one whom I had learned to love 
 and respect as a very dear friend. With what propriety he 
 used the expression "valuable service," may be inferred from 
 the fact that I had, on several occasions, at the risk of my own 
 life, prevented the train from being surprised and, perhaps, 
 utterly destroyed by the Indians, besides furnishing the men 
 with fresh meat, thus saving him several hundred pounds of 
 bacon, which at that time was worth in Salt Lake City sev- 
 enty-five cents per pound. After bidding the boys good-bye 
 and giving Mr. Thompson's hand a friendly shake, I led the 
 mare away amid shouts of "Farewell, Charlie," and "God be 
 with you till we meet again." Well, God has been with me 
 or I should not be penning these incidents of my boyhood 
 days. 
 
 Uncle informed me that theatre going and dancing were 
 the principal amusements of the period. Each ward was sup- 
 plied with a large, one-story school house, in which the hum- 
 ble, confiding saints "tripped the light fantastic toe" once or 
 twice each week, while the city's elite gathered at the "hall" 
 for the same purpose. "Now, Charles," said my uncle, "you 
 ought to have a good time this winter." "Yes, sir ; that's what 
 I live for." "Well, the first thing you must do is to cut off 
 that hair." "Why so?" "Simply because our people do not 
 approve of long haired men nor short haired women ; besides 
 it makes you look like a desperado and robber, the president's 
 daughter would not dance with you." I was very proud of 
 my hair, but desiring to shun the appearance or suspicion of 
 evil, and abhorring the thought of dishonesty, uncle's refer- 
 ence to my looking like a "robber" was sufficient to stifle my 
 pride in long hair, which I had cropped short, and have never 
 since worn it otherwise. With short hair, and uncle to buy my 
 ticket, I was readily admitted to the ball-room, where I not 
 only had the pleasure of dancing with Brigham's daughters, 
 but also the honor of dancing in the same set with that much 
 married man. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 On March 1st, 1865, I hired to drive a mule team to Atchi- 
 son, Kansas. The mules being fresh, the wagons empty and 
 the roads good, we therefore made good time. At Maryville. 
 on the Big Blue in Kansas, we met a large ox-train, belong- 
 ing to Messrs. Johnson and Stratton, who were conducting 
 it themselves, and were bound for Salt Lake City. Three of 
 the boys with whom I crossed the plains the previous year 
 were with this train, and they easily persuaded me to take the 
 team of a fellow who wanted to return home. Mr. Stratton, 
 after being informed that I was the hero of the many tales 
 told by my former companions, readily consented to the 
 change. Messrs. Johnson and Stratton were Christian men, 
 and would not move their train on Sunday. They allowed 
 the boys to get breakfast every morning before starting, a 
 privilege no other freighter, so far as my experience on the 
 plains is concerned, would permit, except in the case of a 
 break-down or some other misfortune. This outfit made bet- 
 ter time, had less trouble among the men and fewer mishaps, 
 thouhg harassed and often attacked by the Indians, than any 
 other train with which I traveled, and always attributed its 
 rapid progress and general success to the religious rites prac- 
 ticed by its God-fearing owners. Every Sabbath Mr. Stratton 
 delivered a good old Methodist sermon, and all the boys joined 
 in singing those familiar hymns, "Am I a Soldier of the Cross" 
 and "There is a fountain filled with blood," etc., etc., after 
 which we knelt on the grass while Mr. Stratton besought for 
 us all the special favors of the God who rules and directs the 
 universe. 
 
 On arriving at Fort Kearney the commanding officer in- 
 formed Mr. Stratton that the Indians were out in full force 
 on the war path, and advised him to employ an experienced 
 person to act as scout and hunter for his train. He also ad- 
 vised, or rather commanded, him to wait for reinforcements 
 during which time he could select the scout. There were 
 several old plainsmen at the fort, but Mr. Johnson objected 
 to employing any of them for the reason that they were drink- 
 ing men, and he had "no confidence in such fellows," and as 
 
66 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 none of his own men (excepting myself) had had any ex- 
 perience in scouting, I volunteered to act in that capacity. 
 Mr. Stratton thought I was too young and reckless for such 
 a responsible position, and said that in case anything would 
 happen to me he could never forgive himself. My reckless, 
 daring disposition was the strongest point in my favor, as a 
 man with large cautiousness would make a very poor scout; 
 and as for any harm coming to me, I told him that God would 
 protect me when alone as well as when in camp, and this ex- 
 pression of faith in the Lord's goodness and power secured 
 for me the position of scout. 
 
 An ox-train of thirty teams, bound for Salt Lake City, 
 having joined us, the post commander thought we were suf- 
 ficiently numerous to defend ourselves and permitted us to 
 depart for the land of dangers. After crossing the South 
 Platte, I came in contact with bands of hostile Indians almost 
 every day. They made frequent attempts to surprise and 
 capture me, but my faithful "Molly" always warned me of 
 their near approach, thereby frustrating their designs. After 
 crossing Lodge Pole Creek I hastened one day to inform Mr. 
 Stratton of my discoveries and conclusions, viz : that an at- 
 tack would be made on the train that evening or the next 
 morning. We camped an hour earlier than usual, turned the 
 cattle out to grass with the yokes on, and after supper they 
 were driven into the corral, coupled together and chained to 
 the wagon ; the small gaps were made secure, and chains were 
 stretched across the front and rear gaps, thus forming a solid 
 enclosure. 
 
 That night there was on duty a double watch, Mr. Strat- 
 ton and myself remaining up with them all night. He and I 
 took a stand near my mare, so that we could watch her move- 
 ments, as I knew that an Indian could not approach within 
 shooting distance without attracting her attention. During 
 our long vigil I gave my grave companion a brief sketch .of 
 my childhood history. I told him that my dear mother was a 
 devoted Christian, a brilliant conversationalist, and that she 
 had taught me "Lord's Prayer, "Mary had a little lamb," and 
 other choice pieces of the time ; and that father was an orator 
 of local repute, and who had taught me to repeat rare speeches 
 from Calhoun, Polk, Clay and Webster. He was well ac- 
 quainted with my vocal powers, having heard me sing the 
 "Texas Rangers" and other frontier songs, and had also heard 
 me recite portions of the "Declaration of Independence" and 
 "The boy stood on the burning deck." Being familiar with 
 these recitations and songs, and having heard my story, he 
 declared I was a born orator and must make a speech to the 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS G7 
 
 boys ; "and tell them," he said, "of our true situation and in- 
 spire them with confidence in themselves. You can do it, as 
 they have great faith in your judgment and courage." This 
 was a compliment of which a more staid, older individual 
 might have been more proud. It doubly repaid me for the 
 hard rides and dangers I had passed through, and to say that 
 it encouraged, strengthened and filled me with a sense of my 
 own worth, would not be saying too much ; for where is the 
 normally constituted boy who can be unaffectedly praised 
 without having his soul filled with devotion and loyalty to 
 those from whom the words of praise come, and without feel- 
 ing a justifiable pride in himself? I felt the fire of this worthy 
 element coursing through my veins, and when the men were 
 collected at the front end of the corral, and after Mr. Stratton 
 had introduced me by saying, "Friends and gentlemen, our 
 little scout wishes to say a few words to you before our fun 
 commences," I mounted the rostrum, which was the broad 
 end of the tongue of the lead wagon, whose white canvas 
 cover served as a sort of illuminating background, enabling 
 my hearers to see every gesture I made and to note every 
 expression of my countenance. In front of me, sitting on the 
 grass in a circle four deep, were the teamsters and night herd- 
 ers, on my right were Messrs. Johnson and Stratton and the 
 other proprietors of the outfit, while to the left, leaning on 
 their "three-band needle guns," were the two old mountaineers 
 who joined us the evening before. I felt deeply impressed 
 with the gravity of the situation, yet I was as full of enthusi- 
 asm as was John Randolph when he delivered his famous 
 speech against the "Yazoo Land Grant," and as determined 
 as the noble patriot, Patrick Henry, when he uttered the world 
 renowned sentence, "Give me liberty or give me death," and 
 I looked out over my audience with a self-important air that 
 would have excited the admiration of a Demosthenes or arous- 
 ed the envy of a Cicero. My father when talking to political 
 gatherings was very emphatic, made very many gestures ; and 
 regarding him as I did as being one of the ablest men of the 
 age, it was quite natural that I should try to imitate him on 
 this auspicious occasion. It is over thirty years since I de- 
 livered that speech, into which I wove pert sayings of eminent 
 men, and portions of the "Declaration of Independence." I 
 bowed to the thoughtful, earnest, upturned faces, and said, 
 "Gentlemen and fellow travelers, when in the course of human 
 events it becomes necessary for our people to rise in their 
 might for the purpose of redress, and of opposing the tyranny 
 and rapacity of another, it is their duty to do so without hesi- 
 tation, and in a manner most" effective and becoming brave, 
 Christian men. Believing- you will acquit yourselves as such, 
 
68 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 it is, therefore, my duty, painful as it is, to inform you that 
 we are at this moment as the actions of my mare indicated 
 being approached by at least three hundred, perhaps more, 
 powerful Sioux warriors. Some of them are armed with guns, 
 others with strong bows and swift flying arrows, and still 
 others are provided with the fearful war club, while every one 
 of them carries at this side the awful scalping knife and the 
 death-dealing tomahawk." I continued in this strain for some 
 time, and, as I proceeded, grew more eloquent and impressive, 
 and, in referring to my journey with them across the "mighty 
 plains," used the Henry Clay gesture, with outstretched arms 
 sweeping the heavens from the eastern to the western horizon, 
 and with the "sledge hammer gesture" of Webster, closed with 
 "whoever fails to do his duty this morning ought to lose his 
 life." As I stepped from the wagon tongue the men arose, 
 with hats in hand, as if to cheer me, but a wave of Mr. Strat- 
 ton's hand checked them. He then invited them to kneel with 
 him in prayer. All the men fell upon their knees, even the old 
 mountaineers bowed their heads in a reverential manner, 
 while the man of God most fervently petitioned our Heavenly 
 father to speedily deliver us from the hands of the Philistines 
 and aid us in teaching them a lesson they would not soon for- 
 get. Just over the brow of the hill the army of red men had 
 been engaged in a similar worship. Chief "Antelope" had, no 
 doubt, spent the entire night in imploring the "Great Spirit" 
 to lead him to victory and give him "heap much pale face 
 scalps." Here then were two men, each in earnest, each bent 
 on the destruction of the other, and each devoutly engaged in 
 beseeching aid from the same God, the source of all power. I 
 have studied much on the worship of these two men, whom 
 I believe to have been honest in the expressions of their faith, 
 strictly sincere in the manifestations of their individual con- 
 victions, and, reviewing their conduct from the point of self- 
 preservation, they were both certainly justified in -seeking aid 
 that would enable the one to overthrow the other. 
 
 Mr. Stratton was conscientious in the belief that it was 
 his duty to help open up the great West and bring it into a 
 state of civilization, while the noble chief "Antelope" was just 
 as conscientious that it was his duty to defend the hunting 
 grounds, homes and lives of his people. The former, with the 
 spirit of progression, helped to force the wedge, whose point 
 had been entered many years previous, to the bursting asunder 
 of the ancient hills and valleys of superstition and retrogres- 
 sion, giving the beautiful land over which they held for many 
 years absolute sway an opportunity to "blossom as the rose" ; 
 while the latter was stricken down in the prime of his man- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 69 
 
 hood, and his people forced to retire, or silently observe the 
 usurpation of their country by their more enlightened and 
 civilized (?) white brothers. I question that doctrine which 
 holds it right to appropriate the property of others under the 
 specious pretext of "the greatest good to the greatest num- 
 ber." ^ 
 
 "Night, sable goddess, from her ebon throne, in rayless 
 majesty, now stretches forth her leaden sceptre o'er a slumber- 
 ing camp." While Mr. Stratton was engaged in prayer, the 
 hitherto bright stars seemed to recede, drawing with them 
 their peaceful lustre, and leaving us in Egyptian darkness. 
 My noble mare became more restless, and the poor cattle, as 
 they stood chained to the wagons, keeping up a continual faint 
 
 A Fearful Early Morning Charge. 
 
 lowing, as if fully conscious of the approaching storm of lead 
 and arrows, while the men were silent, thoughtful, and anx- 
 iously awaiting the appearance of light, which would bring 
 about a crisis, and thus terminate the terrible suspense. The 
 situation was awfully impressive, and calculated to inspire 
 
70 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 one with fear, rather than a feeling of combativeness. The 
 glorious sun was marching steadily on, and the first rays of 
 light that shot across the extended plains revealed a long line 
 of mounted bronze statues, real, life-size, pulsating statues, 
 and each holding in his strong right hand a weapon of death. 
 Each warrior was gorgeously painted, and his body, with the 
 exception of charms and ornaments, naked from the waist up. 
 Beautiful charges, with heads erect, stood as motionless as 
 Pike's Peak, and as ready to obey their riders as is the prop- 
 erly adjusted vane to obey the wind. The riders themselves 
 were as motionless as their ponies, and were gazing as intent- 
 Iv toward us as we were toward them ; though we, being in 
 the bottom, while they were on the ridge, saw them at least a 
 minute before our camp became visible to them. Although 
 there was death to some of us in that line, yet it held us, as 
 it were, transfixed on the spear of admiration, as it was a mag- 
 nificent picture and one that would have delighted a Meyer- 
 heim, and taxed the skill of a Raphael to produce on canvas. 
 There were between three and four hundred warriors, who 
 were not more than that many yards from us, and they seemed 
 perfectly confident that a single dash around or through the 
 corral would be equivalent to a coup de grace in their favor. 
 O'ur camp was wrapped in a deathlike stillness ; even my mare 
 had become silent, the cattle ceased their mournful lowing 
 and hugged closer to the wagons, as if to shield themselves 
 from the impending danger. The suspense and silence was 
 terrible, but it was soon broken up by the soul-piercing war 
 whoop, and the Indians came pouring down the hill like a 
 Nevada snowslide. Thev rode around and around the cor- 
 ral, shooting and shouting, by which they hoped to terrify 
 the men and thus render them an easy prey. Seeing that they 
 had underestimated the courage of the "pale-faces," now col- 
 lected and made a straight run for the corral, intending to ride 
 through it, stampede the cattle and kill a number of our boys 
 as they did so. One of the old mountaineers shouted, "This 
 way, lads." The order was promptly obeyed, and a solid line 
 formed across the mouth of the corral. With our long-range 
 rifles we opened a deadly fire on the bold warriors, some fall- 
 ing to the right and some to the left, while those unharmed 
 pressed forward with renewed determination. "Now the shot- 
 guns," called out our self-appointed commander. They were 
 discharged with a fearful slaughter of the enemy, yet the sur- 
 vivors advanced on us and were within fifty yards of our line, 
 when the old mountaineer's voice was again hear, "Draw your 
 revolvers." Chief "Antelope," as I had anticipated, was lead- 
 ing the warriors, and was several yards in advance of them, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 71 
 
 making directly toward where Mr. Stratton and myself were 
 standing, and at the crack of my pistol fell from his horse and 
 died within ten feet of me. His followers now fled, leaving on 
 the ground fifty of their dying and dead companions, and be- 
 sides these the fleeing host carried away with a number of dis- 
 abled warriors. When the Indians reached a safe distance 
 they halted for a review. One brawny brave came sweeping 
 back toward the battle ground in quest of a companion, broth- 
 er, or most likely a son. It was with difficulty that Mr. Strat- 
 ton prevailed on the old mountaineers not to shoot the bold 
 warrior, as he came nearer and nearer in search of his friend. 
 When the noble fellow saw the object for which he was risk- 
 ing his life, he dashed up to it, leaned forward, seized the belt 
 around the dead man's waist with his right hand, and, with 
 Herculean strength, raised the body and laid it across the 
 horse in front of him, and, with triumphant shouts rode rap- 
 idly toward his cheering and admiring comrades. This was 
 one of the grandest feats of heroism I ever witnessed, and was 
 as neatly performed as a Hector or an Achilles could have 
 done. 
 
 Seven of our men, one horse (belonging to one of the old 
 mountaineers) and four or five steers were killed, and quite 
 a number of both men and cattle wounded. The poor cattle 
 having been turned on the grass, our wounded friends cared 
 for and our dead comrades buried, Mr. Stratton and I went 
 out to inspect the dead Indians, who were left as they lay so 
 their friends could get them when we broke camp. Mr. Strat- 
 ton delivered a very touching address on the sad fate of our 
 friends, and at my request briefly eulogized the great chief 
 "Antelope." He had the reputation of being the youngest 
 chief, the most successful leader of his nation, and had clothed 
 and fed from his own resources more widows and orphans 
 than any other warrior, and had stolen a greater number of 
 horses and taken more of the enemy's scalps than any other 
 man of the day. He was also credited with being a most de- 
 vout worshipper of the "Great Spirit," whom he consulted on 
 every occasion, and no doubt acted according to the inspira- 
 tion or revelation vouchsafed to him. The .star, like that of 
 Napoleon's, which led him to many victories, ceased to shine, 
 or misdirected him, on this fatal morning, and when he fell 
 Mr. Stratton explained, "There, Charles, you have done the 
 one thing needful." He persisted in giving me credit for turn- 
 ing apparent defeat into victory, but I resolutely disclaimed 
 the honor of killing the chief. A burly Missourian, named 
 Howard, to whom I shall have occasion to allude hereafter, 
 contended that he fired the shot that killed the bold leader. I 
 
72 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 was perfectly willing he should bear that distinction, as it was 
 sufficiently painful to me to look on the cold, handsome face 
 of the great chief "Antelope," without feeling myself respons- 
 ible for his demise. I respected and warmly admired this 
 young chieftain, and felt sorry that he was now cold in death, 
 notwithstanding my knowledge of his character and the fact 
 that had he lived to effect my recapture would have merci- 
 lessly put me to the stake. 
 
 Mr. Stratton, though a very pious man, was a jolly, 
 boisterous fellow, who ordinarily would be suspected to en- 
 gage in a fight at any time, while Mr. Johnson, his partner, 
 was a quiet, unassuming man, and one would naturally expect 
 him to shrink from the very thought of shedding blood. But 
 on the plains, as elsewhere, modestly reserved men are often 
 those who in the presence of eminent danger show themselves 
 best qualified to hold their own, and once thoroughly aroused 
 will fight with cool ferociousness that is terrible to witness. 
 Such was Mr. Johnson. Although a rifle ball had passed 
 through his left shoulder, yet he faced the shot and arrows as 
 only a brave man can, without a tremor. Having had our 
 dinner, the cattle were driven in, yoked and hitched to the 
 wagons and the train was set rolling away from this camp of 
 death and unpleasant scenes. 
 
 I rode far from the road in search of game and Indians. 
 I saw none of the former except jack rabbits and prairie dogs. 
 but saw many of the latter, and was several times chased into 
 camp by them. It is a well-known fact that Indians, of what- 
 ever tribe or nation, will not harm a demented or simple- 
 minded person, hence I may attribute the sparing of my life 
 to the fact that they either regarded me as a simpleton or 
 recognized me as "Little Moon/' and therefore wanted to 
 capture me alive, as they certainly had many opportunities to 
 kill me had they so desired. I did not then so regard my 
 escape, but rather ascribed it to my own courage and boldness 
 and to the swiftness and sagacity of my faithful mare. Mr. 
 Stratton often cautioned me about being so reckless, but his 
 warnings only served to make me more venturesome. I 
 courted the most hazardous positions possible for the very love 
 of it, and was extremely proud of the wonder I excited, and 
 delighted in the comments my daring evoked from my com- 
 panions. 
 
 In 1865 I was employed as scout and hunter for the large 
 freighting outfit belonging to Messrs. Johnson & Stratton, 
 bound for Salt Lake City, Utah. We were traveling up the 
 north side of South Plate and having crossed Pawnee Creek, 
 camped for dinner. Another large train corralled on the east 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 73 
 
 side of the creek and between the two large trains on the west 
 side of the creek was an emigrant outfit of two teams, the 
 family consisted of an old man and his wife and three chil- 
 dren, the eldest being a handsome girl about eighteen or nine- 
 teen years old. I had warned the old gentleman of the great 
 danger to which he was subjecting his family by camping 
 alone and my employers had kindly invited him to corral 
 with their train, but he preferred to take the risk, saying, "The 
 Great God whom we serve is able to deliver us." 
 
 Both trains were attacked simultaneously by the Sioux 
 under the leadership of Chief Rain-in-the-Face, who was then 
 in his prime. There was a terrible slaughter on both sides and 
 the emigrant outfit was literally annihilated. Two young war- 
 riors whose horses had been shot from under them, and who 
 desired to win the applause of their comrades, attacked the 
 emigrants single-handed, killing the old lady, boy and the 
 smaller girl instantly. The old man was tomahawked and 
 scalped, but did not die for several days. The young braves 
 next fired the wagons, then seized the young woman and tried 
 to carry her off, but she fought them like a tigress, compelling 
 them to deal severely with her. She was knocked down, one 
 of the fiends grasping a handful of her long black hair and 
 the other caught her by the ankle and in this condition began 
 dragging her across the prairie toward the North Platte. More 
 than one hundred shots were aimed at the bold abductors with- 
 out effect; I, myself, fired twice at them, emptying my gun. 
 There is a chained incipient Calibou, a germ of savagery, in 
 the bosom of every human being and the piteous screams of 
 that poor girl loosened the tiger in my breast, therefore I turned 
 to "Smoky Bill" (a boy about my own age, but larger and 
 stronger) and said, "Bill, let us rescue the girl." "Agreed, 
 pard," was his laconic but resolute reply. We soon overtook 
 the savages and a fierce hand to hand fight with knives against 
 tomahawks ensued. Well, to make a long story short we not 
 only slew the Philistines but carried the unconscious girl to 
 camp amid the cheers of our companions, followed by the ter- 
 rible yells, bullets and arrows from fifty or more mounted war- 
 riors who chased us to the very mouth of our corral. Poor 
 "Smoky Bill," the bravest of the brave, was riddled with bul- 
 lets and arrows and died an hour later while I escaped without 
 a scratch, though several shots and arrows passed through my 
 buckskin shirt and pants. 
 
 The Indians being repulsed, Mr. Stratton, accompanied 
 by some of his teamsters, went over to the emigrant wagons 
 which were enveloped in flames, and, finding the old man 
 still alive, brought him to camp. By this time the girl had 
 
74 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 regained consciousness, but late in the afternoon died in her 
 father's arms, and a few days later the old gentleman himself 
 gave up the ghost and was buried on a knoll near the banks of 
 the beautiful Cache La Pondra river. The last words uttered 
 by this unfortunate, broken hearted old man were words of 
 praise, expressions of gratitude and blessings upon my head 
 for doing what he termed "an act of heroism worthy of Old 
 Hector." 
 
 Most boys are ambitious and their actions, according to 
 their susceptibility, more or less tempered by praise. Being 
 largely endowed with approbativeness I readily yielded to the 
 goddess of vanity, or as Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland would 
 say, 'There was in the fresh, young years of my life a facility 
 of feeling, a readiness of devotion, and a reckless expenditure 
 of love for the hazardous things." I ventured into places that 
 men of large cautiousness and matured judgment would not 
 and hence gathered information that made us victorious over 
 our red brothers, who, under the leadership of Chief Rain-in- 
 the-Face, attacked us once more and killed two of our men 
 while we retaliated by sending a number of warriors to the 
 "Happy Hunting Ground." 
 
 Our last days travel in the hostile country was in the foot- 
 hills bordering the majestic Rockies, and as the sun descended 
 behind them there appeared on the prairie a scalloped line of 
 alternate shade and sunshine, which was very beautiful and 
 more than once I paused to let Molly nip the grass in the shade 
 of some peak taller than its fellows, while I breathed the fresh, 
 pure air, laden with the odor of pine and cedar. On entering 
 the mountains the combination w r as dissolved so that the lesser 
 outfits of three and four wagons might push ahead as rapidly 
 as they chose. 
 
 Mr. Stratton being short of men, now asked me to take my 
 team again. Recognizing the justness of the request and hav- 
 ing a strong desire to please and accommodate him, I readily 
 consented to resume my old position. Howard (the "burly 
 Missourian," to whom I referred on a previous page) and his 
 son had all along been jealous of my success and envied by 
 reason of the confidence which Messrs. Johnson and Stratton 
 reposed in me. The Howards prided themselves on being 1 
 "ring-fighters," or, in the phraseology of Missouri, "the rec- 
 ognized bullies of their neighborhood." I had a quarrel with 
 these men the first day of my connection with the train at 
 Maryville, Kansas, and another when Mr. Stratton accepted 
 me as a scout in preference to young Howard. No matter what 
 might be the subject of conversation, it was sure to remind 
 them of some brilliant achievement or act of their power and 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 75 
 
 prowess, and then would follow a blood-curdling story to 
 which all must listen, or subject themselves to their displeas- 
 ure which meant for the rash individual taunts, insults, and, 
 in some cases, blows in the face. Most of the men delighted 
 (or pretended to) in hearing their stories, yet there were a 
 few, including myself and young Clark, to whom I was de- 
 votedly attached and who was my bed-fellow, who had the 
 temerity to treat their vulgar yarns with contempt by absent- 
 ing ourselves from the circle when they were commenced. 
 Mr. Clark was a small, courageous fellow, yet preferred to 
 submit to the indignities heaped upon him by these men rather 
 than "lower" himself as he said "to the level of bar-room 
 bully." He was no match for the Howards in physical strength 
 or size, and had no desire, not even in self defense, to use his 
 pistol which was at that time, anywhere west of the Missouri 
 river, the only arbiter of disputes between men, and a man 
 was respected and admired in proportion to his ability to 
 handle, and his readiness of resorting to that all-powerful 
 equalizer. The late Mr. Nasby said that "the invention of the 
 pistol and the production of the spelling book made all men 
 equal." When I started out, at the age of eleven I did so with 
 "nemo me impune lacissit" written in letters of fire in my 
 countenance. With this motto stamped upon my brow, armed 
 with two big revolvers, the ability to handle them and the nat- 
 ural courage to do so on proper occasions, I was, therefore, 
 prepared to and did forstall Mr. Nasby's statement by an ac- 
 tual experience. 
 
 However loathsome and detestable a man may become, 
 there are times when his company cannot be avoided ; especial- 
 ly is this the case in soldiering and driving a team on the 
 plains. So after resuming my old place as teamster I was of 
 necessity thrown into close association with the Howards. I 
 was fond of playing the fiddle and singing comic songs by 
 which I attracted a good share of the attention which had 
 hitherto been monopolized by the Howards, and frequently 
 silenced them in the midst of a vile, or bombastic narrative by 
 playing a lively tune. My music was as disgusting to them as 
 their boastful fighting stories were loathsome to me. They 
 frequently made satirical remarks about my fiddling, and com- 
 pared my singing to the "scream of an overcrowded sorghum 
 mill." I, in return, retaliated by referring to their inhuman, 
 brutal treatment of drunken men at home. Mr. Clark was 
 raised in the same neighborhood with these men. He gave 
 me their full pedigree and forgetting nothing I heard, I was 
 able to give them dart for dart. The power of self restraint 
 gradually weakened and finally relaxed altogether, allowing us 
 
76 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 to collide with a violence as painful and beneficial to them as 
 it was pleasing and interesting to our fellow travelers. For- 
 tunately neither of them were seriously hurt though both of 
 them were shot, one through the arm and the other through 
 the shoulder. This affair, though in itself a deplorable one, 
 had a most salutary effect upon the language and conduct of 
 the two big Missourians. The self-conceit was completely tak- 
 en out of them, and from that time they were as pleasant and 
 agreeable companions as one could wish for. They were well 
 educated and prepossessing in appearance, capable of attract- 
 ing attention and qualified to entertain a company with some- 
 thing better than obscene stories and "ring-fighting" narra- 
 tives. 
 
 Having crossed Medicine Bow we camped for the night. 
 I had frequently told Mr. Stratton of the great herds of elk, 
 deer and mountain sheep that were to be found on the Medi- 
 cine Bow range of mountains, and of the large droves of ante- 
 lopes in the valleys ; and there being at this camp ground such 
 a plenty of wood, water and rich grass, he decided to remain 
 here two or three days, in order that the cattle might rest and 
 to give the men an opportunity to do some repairing such as 
 making bow keys, setting loose tirf s and shoeing lame cattle, 
 etc., etc., and while this was being done I was expected to fur- 
 nish the boys with all the fresh meat they wanted. But, alas! 
 they were sadly disappointed as their expectations of elk steak, 
 roast mutton and broiled venison were not realized, unless 
 antelope meat could be said to take the place of the above. This 
 disappointment was not due to a scarcity of game, but wholly 
 chargeable to a rosy cheeked, bright eyed maiden. 
 
 A mile or so east of our camp was the junction of the 
 North Platte road and the California route, the former being 
 more popularly known as the "Mormon Trail/' and the latter 
 as the "Overland Route." Mormon immigrants traveled up 
 the North Platte, therefore we had expected, at least hoped, to 
 meet a Mormon train i t this camping ground, and our hopes in 
 this case were fully realized for half an hour after striking camp 
 ourselves, a large Mormon outfit literally alive with new converts 
 to the Mormon faith, rolled up and corralled on the east side of 
 the river. This train was being conducted through to "Zion" 
 by an elder, whom I had met at my uncle's house in Salt Lake 
 City during the previous winter. After supper I got out my old 
 fiddle and commenced playing. Presently some one behind me 
 called out, "give us 'Lazy Jackson/ " which was familiarly 
 known in my native state as the "Rye Straw," and which 
 was, and is yet, no doubt, a special favorite with the Mor- 
 mons. I looked up to see who had thus addressed me, and 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 77 
 
 behold it was the elder. He invited us over to his camp to 
 have a friendly dance. About a dozen of our number, includ- 
 ing myself and employers, accompanied him to his camp. 
 There was soon prepared a spot on which to dance, the fiddlers 
 took their places on the platform, which was erected by laying 
 ox-yokes on top of one another until the necessary height 
 was reached, then the end gates of wagons was placed on 
 them. Everything being in readiness the elder read a chapter 
 in the Bible, closing with the words, "let all things be done de- 
 cently and in order" ; then said, "let us pray." After an elo- 
 quent and impressive prayer the elder, being a Virginian, 
 called out in stentorian tones, "partners for old Virginny reel." 
 The brightly illumined ring was quickly, but silently, filled 
 with stalwart young men and merry lasses, the music started 
 up and the dance commenced. My comrades declined to par- 
 ticipate, but I, having been introduced by the elder to the 
 bright-eyed maiden referred to, danced several times. About 
 eleven o'clock the merry-making was brought to a close with 
 "Old Dan Tucker," after which we sang, "Marching to Zion," 
 then a short prayer by the elder and the people retired. 
 
 Darwin says that "instinct teaches the bird, while wooing 
 his mate, to plume his pinions to their highest gloss," and a 
 similar feeling now took possession of me, for I was smitten 
 with the perfect physique and sweet smiles of my dark-eyed 
 partner. So, the next day, after killing three antelopes and 
 bringing them to camp, I resurrected a seamless sack the 
 common wardrobe of all plainsmen containing a new suit of 
 buckskin, neatly fringed, and with embroidery work about the 
 pants pockets, vest front and cuffs of the coat ; beaded mocca- 
 sins, black silk handkerchief, blue flannel shirt, in the front 
 of which was worked vines and leaves of bright colors. I 
 brushed the dust off my sombrero, put new strings in my moc- 
 casins and, after dinner, dressed myself and went over to the 
 Mormon camp. By this time my deeds of daring and shooting 
 were known to every member in the party, also my relation- 
 ship to "Brother Leonard I. Smith." The latter fact was, of 
 itself, sufficient to make me an honored and welcome vistor, 
 and, perhaps, served to elevate me in the estimation of a certain 
 young lady, who was also dressed much more elaborately, 
 smiled more sweetly, and therefore looked handsomer than the 
 evening before. I was not at all backward about talking to 
 her, and promptly invited her to take a horseback ride with me, 
 and she as promptly accepted the invitation. 
 
 There was among the Mormons a young Lamach, a two- 
 ply plygamist courting this young lady with a vengeance, in 
 the hope of making her number three in his household, and on 
 
78 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 returning from our ride we found him in a perfect rage about 
 her "sweeping wildly over the prairies with an accursed Gen- 
 tile," as he was pleased to call me. That night, before the 
 dance commenced, he told her if she danced with me it would 
 be at the risk of exciting his displeasure with her, and of sub- 
 jecting myself to a terrible thrashing. Hattie (that being t ; ;e 
 young lady's name) immediately informed me of the conse- 
 quences awaiting us should we presume to dance together, 
 sweetly adding, "I told him you were perfectly capable of de- 
 fending yourself." The elder was not aware of this flirtation 
 or he would have stopped the dance at once, but I told Mr. 
 Stratton all that had been said, and after half an hour's close 
 observation of the girl and her lover, he warned me against 
 having anything more to do with them. He was a student of 
 human nature and prided himself on being able to read one's 
 thoughts through the flashing of the eye and the curl of the 
 lip, and I believe he could, as his diagnosis of the character of 
 Miss Hattie and her Mormon friend was so perfect as to be al- 
 most equivalent tx> a mathematical demonstration. Just be- 
 fore starting for the camp he came to me and said, "Charles, I 
 beseech you for your soul's welfare and the peace of your mind 
 to shun, as you would the presence of a leper, the wiles of that 
 girl for she is a consummate and unscrupulous coquette." He 
 saw that my attentions toward the girl were born of admira- 
 tion and a love of the beautiful for I had not in the slightest 
 degree forgotten the little Nora back in Old Missouri ; and he 
 also saw that if the flirtation was continued it might lead the 
 Mormon lover, through a fit of jealous rage, into a treacherous 
 attempt on my life "for he'll do nothing openly and above 
 board," Mr. Stratton had said and thus force me through self- 
 defence into committing an act that might result in the death 
 of my adversary which of course would trouble my mind. I 
 felt the force of my friend's counsel but did not accompany 
 him to camp as he so much desired I should. Though in no 
 sense in love with Miss Hattie, yet I was captivated by her 
 beautiful face, soul-stirring smiles and winning ways, and was 
 exceedingly proud of the preference she paid me over the 
 other fellow, besides I was not sufficiently endowed with that 
 forbearance and Christian virtue which, when the gauntlet is 
 tossed up, enable their possessor to quietly withdraw from the 
 scene; therefore Mr. Clark and I and two or three other com- 
 rades remained at the dance until it closed by the elder's pray- 
 er. Having, so far as the field of honor is concerned, quit the 
 Mormon camp with a clear conscience, my affections not seri- 
 ously disturbed, and being free from any feeling of malice or 
 hatred toward the love-sick Lamach, I rolled myself up in the 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 79 
 
 blankets and soon went to sleep. Not so with my enemy. He 
 slept not, for his heart was bleeding with jealousy and hatred, 
 and being devoid of manhood and knowing of my intense 
 pride in, and affection for my noble mare, he determined to 
 strike through her at me. The Mormon train had with it a 
 large, vicious bull that had to be kept chained to prevent it 
 fighting other stock ; so the would-be three-ply polygamist, 
 when sufficient time had elapsed for both camps to be fully 
 embraced by nature's law, sleep, untied the ferocious beast, led 
 him across the river and turned him loose near my mare (who 
 was tied alongside of my wagon in which Mr. Clark and I 
 slept), and he rushed upon her and gored her to death. While 
 on the plains in the midst of perils I slept lightly, as the least 
 noise or jar would instantlv wake me in possession of all my 
 faculties and reasoning powers and under such circumstances 
 I might have saved my poor "Molly's" life, but being in a 
 country where human foes were not thought of and having so 
 energetically participated in the dance, a "Rip Van Winkle" 
 appetizer so far possessed me that I naturally slept sound, yet 
 I felt the first jar of the wagon and heard the one piteous 
 scream of my poor mare but before I could collect my thoughts 
 and get out of the wagon the bull had finished his deadly work, 
 accomplished the work of his jealous master and was on l.'s 
 way to the herd. By the time I had got my cartridge box and 
 gun from the wagon Mr. Stratton appeared on the scene and 
 seeing that I was bent on killing the bull, said, "Charles, stop, 
 the poor brute is not to blame because your mare is a victim 
 of a dastard's revenge." I promptly returned to his side weep- 
 ing like a heart-broken child, and expressed a desire to call 
 the man out and shoot him down, but Mr. Stratton, having 
 allowed his sympathy for me to cause him to utter one indis- 
 creet expression, and recognizing his error as a peacemakei 
 and knowing how easily I was wrought up to a fighting mood, 
 now sought in his most pleasing and persuasive manner to 
 pacify my ill temper and soothe my wounded feelings. He 
 thought there was a possibility that the bull had escaped by 
 breaking his chain, "but even if he did not and you knew he 
 had been let loose for the express purpose of killing your mare 
 it would still be wrong to kill the man, for by so doing you 
 would bring upon his innocent family a greater sorrow and in- 
 injury than the loss of the mare is to you." Thus argued my 
 good friend and believing him to be right and just I readily 
 acquiesced in his better judgment and Christ-like way of set- 
 tling the matter. He seemed perfectly satisfied with' my de- 
 cision, individually, yet he feared the other boys who had 
 learned to love "Molly" oy reason of her great intelligence and 
 
80 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 playfulness, might incite me to avenge the sad fate of my faith- 
 ful mare, herefore he sent word to the night herder to corral 
 the cattle as soon as it became light enough to see to yoke 
 them, and the train was for the first time put in motion before 
 getting breakfast. Up to this time I had never been present 
 at the death of a dear friend or relative, except when my 
 mother died and I was then too young to fully realize what 
 death meant, yet the cruel fate of my mare produced the most 
 sorrowful feeling in my soul, as she had almost become a part 
 of myself, hence this modern Lamach inflicted upon me a 
 greater punishment by killing her than he could possibly have 
 done by threshing me as he at first proposed in his heart. Al- 
 though I deeply mourned the death of "Molly" and regretted 
 her loss, not so much for her intrinsic value as for her compan- 
 ionship, yet the occasion of her death has been of incalculable 
 service and benefit to me, and taught me a lesson that has been 
 a guiding star on my moral pathway, a lesson that was as bit- 
 ter to bear and cost me as much sorrow as it has been correc- 
 tive and profitable to me, and pointed out an error (flirtation) 
 I have ever since been very careful to avoid, an error that 
 taught me to recognize the fact that the power to love was and 
 is the greatest blessing, the greatest gift that God has bestowed 
 on mankind, and he who abuses it by trifling with the affec- 
 tions of another not only brings sorrow and shame to his vic- 
 tim, but will, sooner or later, ensnare himself in the toils of 
 merited grief and perhaps destruction. 
 
 On reaching- the eastern border of the Bitter Creek coun- 
 try a treeless, grassless, and, with the exception of salt and 
 alkali springs, waterless, sandy desert some sixty-five miles in 
 length, lying between the now beautiful cities of Rawlins and 
 Green River, Wyoming Territory we camped a few hours for 
 the purpose of filling our kegs and casks with pure water, and 
 to collect a supply of dry sage brush and buffalo-chips for 
 cooking purposes. In this region the nights were quite cool, 
 while the days were made loathsome with thick dust and with- 
 ering heat, and the man who presumed to travel through it in 
 the day time was sure to be loser, for the cattle, being exces- 
 sively heated by their toil and almost maddened with thirst, 
 would, when turned loose, rush to the pools and fill themselves 
 with alkali which would kill many and render others unfit for 
 service for sometime ; so this part of the road, by reason of 
 foolhardy travelers, was strewn with bleaching bones of pois- 
 oned cattle. I informed Mr. Stratton of the nature of this 
 part of our route and pointed out to him the necessity of doing 
 most of our traveling over it in the night. He readily recog- 
 nized the advisability of so doing, accordingly we were on the 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 81 
 
 road late and early, resting during the heat of the day. About 
 midway of the desert were two springs known as the "Salt 
 Wells," which we reached about eight o'clock in the morning 
 of the second day on this barren, inhospitable road. In the 
 evening, while the cattle were being driven to the corral, they 
 became frightened and fled over the prairie in every direction. 
 They were, however, soon collected and corralled but on yok- 
 ing up it was found that five head were still missing and I vol- 
 unteered to go after them while the train proceeded. I had 
 been out about an hour when suddenly there arose, in the 
 northwest, an ominous looking cloud of dust and sand which 
 soon reached me and was so thick that an object fifty yards 
 away could not be distinguished. The trail of the strays grew 
 dimmer and finally disappeared altogether, then I thought of 
 returning to the train to get a horse on which to follow the 
 cattle but, behold, before traveling a hundred yards I found 
 that my own tracks were thoroughly obliterated by the falling 
 dust and sand. I did not at first think I was lost but was, for 
 the radius of my horizon was not above fifty yards, and not a 
 living thing to be seen or a sound of any kind to be heard ex- 
 cept the rushing wind. I was simply in a little world of my 
 own which accompanied me over hill and vale and which grew 
 no larger or smaller, hence my solitude was as intensely com- 
 plete as that which befell the man on the "Island of Patmos," 
 or the shipwrecked mariner. Not feeling alarmed by the situ- 
 ation I walked along as rapidly as possible in what I believed 
 to be the direction of the road. The elements were fully im- 
 pregnated with dust and sand over which floated dense clouds 
 which rendered my little world dark as Erebus as soon as the 
 sun disappeared behind the snow-capped mountains. Finding 
 myself thus cut off from further progress I stopped short and 
 began shouting at the top of my voice, then fired my pistol 
 several times in rapid succession, but no answer came to greet 
 my ears. I passed a dreary, lonesome and almost sleepless 
 night, and next morning as soon as light enough appeared to 
 see the ground on which I stood I set out again toward the north. 
 Some writer on physiology has made the statement that 
 "every person is so constructed that one side is more active 
 than the other. In one it will be in the right and in another 
 the left side, so that if a man be blindfolded and started to a 
 given spot, he will walk either to the right or left of it and, in 
 proportion to the increased strength of one side over that of the 
 other, in that proportion will his circle be greater or smaller." 
 If this theory be true (and I believe it is) it is 
 a wise provision of nature ; for if a man has pow- 
 er to walk in a straight line, but unable to choose 
 
82 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 the right direction when lost which is invariably the 
 case, and I say this advisedly and from experience he would 
 get so far away from his starting point in three days' travel 
 that it would be next to a miracle if he ever found his way 
 back. I spent two days more in this envelope of dust and sand 
 and about ten o'clock of the third night the storm ceased and 
 the clouds dispersed, revealing to my delighted gaze the twink- 
 ling stars and the bright silver moon. For some time I lay on 
 my back admiring these heavenly beauties and speculating in 
 a boyish fashion as to what might be in or beyond them. I 
 thought of my angel mother, of God, and whether He now saw 
 me in my lonely, desolate, starved condition and whether He 
 would direct me out of it if I asked Him. Mother often told 
 me no matter where or in what state I might be, His eye 
 was ever upon me and His ear always open to receive the 
 smallest petition from the humblest of his creatures. It is 
 easier to follow a trail than to create one, and I so found it in 
 the matter of prayer. I might have substituted those mother 
 taught me or those I had repeated as they fell from the lips of 
 Mr. Stratton, but none of these seemed appropriate for the pres- 
 ent occasion and while I believed in a vague sort of way all 
 that mother had told me, yet I was unable to address the Om- 
 nipotent in words, but my prayer or the desire of my heart 
 was answered for there (fame, as it were, a voice from Heaven 
 saying, "Arise, search out the north star, it will lead you to 
 the road." I am not given to talking in my sleep, nor to my- 
 self when awake, yet I may unconsciously have uttered the 
 above words, but whence came the thought? It was not the 
 result of reflection, or of intelligent consideration, but rather 
 of spontaneous origin ; in short it was the voice of God. I 
 promptly acted upon the suggestion, easily found the north star 
 and knowing myself to be south of the road, traveled in its 
 direction. About eight o'clock I was agreeably surprised by 
 finding the lost cattle which were quietly and contentedly feed- 
 ing on the green, wiry grass that sprung up around a spring of 
 cold, sparkling water, which trickled along in a tiny stream 
 for a hundred yards and then disappeared beneath the sun- 
 baked earth. This was the first green spot I had come across 
 and the only water I had seen during my three days travel. The 
 water was so clear and inviting that I did not think of ascer- 
 taining its nature, but unhesitatingly threw myself at the edge 
 of the spring and drank to satiety without raising my head 
 from the beautiful fluid, whose cool, clear and sparkling at- 
 tributes were its only virtues, its evil essence consisted of be- 
 ing strongly impregnated with salt and alkali. In less than 
 five minutes I was in the condition of the old Irishman, "striv- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 83 
 
 ing to live and couldn't die." Poor little Josephs in "Never 
 too late to mind," could not have been much sicker than I 
 was or less capable of helping himself while in the hands of his 
 implacible enemy, Governor Hawes. 
 
 My first thought after getting on my feet again was to kill 
 an ox and satisfy the cravings of hunger, but abandoned this 
 idea and instead, after many efforts, managed to get on the 
 back of the steer I had intended butchering and started him 
 toward the road with the other cattle following close behind. 
 On reaching the summit of the ridgre I saw straight ahead of 
 me a long train of dust arising from a large ox-train which 
 soon corralled for breakfast. I reached the camp by the time 
 the meal was ready and was at first too sick to eat. but after 
 drinking a little good coffee, such as the teamster alone can 
 make, was able to eat a dish of cold stewed apples and a bis- 
 cuit. The foreman had heard from the stage driver of my be- 
 ing lost which aroused his sympathy for the "wandering boy," 
 and he received me in the most cordial manner, did all he could 
 to make me comfortable, sent a note by the west bound stage 
 to Mr. Stratton informing him of my arrival and that I would 
 reach Green River by noon of the following day. Early the 
 next morning I took my strays and pushed ahead, and by ten 
 o'clock reached our camp at Green River. As I came in sight 
 the boys wildly cheered me and shouted themselves hoarse for joy 
 over the return of the prodigal. Mr. Stratton had been very 
 anxious about me but was powerless to do anything as it 
 would have been folly to have started out in search of m*e while 
 enveloped in that cloud of dust and sand, but when the storm 
 ceased he saddled his horse and started back to look for me. 
 On meeting the stage he inquired about me and receiving the 
 foreman's note returned to camp with the glad tidings. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 At Salt Lake City I bade Messrs. Stratton and Johnson 
 and my late comrades good-bye and started for Helena, Mon- 
 tana. One day I stood watching the cook on his knees stir- 
 ring a pan of flour. The perspiration from his brow and the 
 drippings from his nose fell into the dough which aroused my 
 indignation to< an uncontrollable pitch, and, springing in front 
 of him, I kicked the pan and its contents into his face. With- 
 out rising he struck me a backhanded slap in the mouth send- 
 ing me whirling headfirst into the sage brush a rod away. I 
 quickly rose with pistol in hand and shot him in the shoulder. 
 For this act of violence I was highly praised and received ex- 
 pressions of gratitude from every man in the outfit. The fel- 
 low soon recovered from his wound but did no more cooking 
 on that trip. 
 
 Arriving at Helena I immediately engaged myself to Mr. 
 Casper, proprietor of the St. Louis Restaurant, to wait on the 
 tables. An easterner would imagine that a rentaurant in a 
 wild mining camp at this period must necessarily be a poor 
 affair, but the contrary of this is true since the palates of the 
 patrons of the St. Louis Restaurant were tickled with buffalo 
 hump, buffalo tenderloin, elk steak, roast venison, antelope 
 chops, boiled duck, fricassed grouse and sage hen, the finest 
 of vegetables, and not only oleomargerine but genuine ranch 
 butter and pastry that would vie with Delmonico's best. 
 
 The steward of the St. Louis was a large, fine looking 
 young man, and like myself fond of gambling, and when I left 
 the house at night he remained on duty to serve late custom- 
 ers ; hence his complaint to the proprietor about my going to 
 the gambling hall. Mr. Casper authorized him to make me 
 stay at the restaurant until nine o'clock (closing time) or whip 
 me. One evening he undertook to execute his commission, but 
 the result was rather humiliating and disastrous to him. I 
 was promptly discharged, while the steward was obliged to 
 leave town to avoid the jeers and ridicule heaped upon him by 
 the people. 
 
 Being out of employment I spent most of my time at the 
 gambling hall, which was a large structure, built of hewed 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 85 
 
 logs, and stood on the north-east corner of Main and Bridge 
 Streets. In this famous building I witnessed several desperate 
 conflicts between miners, gamblers and the boys of the plains. 
 The most fatal fight of the season occurred about the first of 
 December. When I entered the hall that night it was bril- 
 liantly lighted, but few men present. At intervals of ten or 
 twelve feet clear around the room were tables on which were 
 played all manner of games. Near the door was the throne of 
 Bacchus where the vilest of liquors were dealt out to the fre- 
 quenters of the hall at the modest sum of fifty cents per glass; 
 and at the rear end of the building was a platform on which 
 sat a large, good-looking, cross-eyed fellow dispensing sweet 
 strains of music on the violin to attract the attention of the 
 new arrivals and lure him into the toils of fate for weal or woe 
 generally woe. By half-past eight o'clock the hall was com- 
 pletely packed with the most varied and grotesque assembly of 
 humanity I have ever seen ; not that it differed so widely from 
 previous gatherings but that its peculiar aspects seemed to 
 strike me more forcibly on this than on other occasions. That 
 is, I was an observer and not a participant and, having preceded 
 the crowd had an excellent opportunity as I sat on the stand 
 with the musician to minutely examine the features, dress and 
 peculiarities of each group of patrons as they filed into that 
 hall and took seats around the tables. First came a group of 
 "dealers" for the various games, accompanied by those whose 
 business it was to lure and deceive, closely followed by a score 
 of teamsters who entered in the most boisterous manner, then 
 came a party of professional scouts and cowboys all dressed 
 in fringed buckskin. The former in their soft moccasins, en- 
 tered with a cat-like tread, while the latter wore boots, at the 
 heels of which dangled heavy steel spurs with little bells at- 
 tached to them on the outside and with great rowels rasping 
 the floor at every step as they marched up to the counter to 
 pay their respects to "Madam Bacchus." Next came a cloud 
 of Mexicans with their yellow skins and glittering eyes peeping 
 out from under broad brimmed hats, wearing dog or buckskin 
 breeches, and around the waist of each was wound the indis- 
 pensible red silk sash without which no Mexican would con- 
 sider himself properly dressed. These represented almost 
 every phase of Mexican society and were the special devotees 
 of Spanish Monte. They scowled and cried "Carajo" when 
 they lost, and smiled sweetly and praised "Santissima Virgin" 
 when the cards came up in their favor. Besides these special 
 groups there were Frenchmen, Black Greasers, a few from the 
 coast of Killarney, Mulattoes and Negroes black as Erebus, 
 who were kept busy carrying drinks to the players; the slant- 
 
86 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 eyed Celestials, too had found their way to the "New Eldora- 
 do" in their search after gold, "alle-samee as Melican man." 
 In this motley crowd were men of every hue and from every 
 clime, drawn together by the common accidents of life or by 
 the instincts of adventure and the love of "filthy lucre." The 
 progressive business man and the successful freighter were 
 sandwiched in between teamsters, cowboys, greasers, all re- 
 duced or elevated to a common level, or, as it were, a sort of 
 harmonious blending of the higher and lowly element. 
 
 The musician having accomplished his purpose, laid his 
 violin down and leisurely walked toward the bar. I arose as if 
 to follow him but stood for some time gazing upon the peculiar 
 assembly, which, so far as conversation was concerned, was 
 wrapped in profound silence. The only sounds that reached 
 my ears were the "whish whish" of the cards as they fluttered 
 off the delicate thumbs of the dealers, the "chink chink" of 
 gold as it changed hands and the shuffling of chips between 
 deals. When the music ceased ringing in my ears I left the 
 stand and walked toward the door intending to go to my room 
 and to bed, but my progress was arrested by a familiar voice 
 apparently addressing me with, "Hello, Missouri, you're not 
 going away wihtout having a game, are you ?" I had not told any- 
 one that I came from Missouri, no one present knew me, and most 
 likely no one had spoken to me for when I turned to see if I 
 recognized the speaker, there was not a single person looking 
 toward me nor did anyone seem to care a snap whether I left 
 without having a game or not. However, I passed around the 
 entire room and took a peep at the players but failed to see 
 anyone with whom I was acquainted. Every table was sur- 
 rounded with men two or three tiers deep, those in front plac- 
 ing bets for those in the rear. Thousands upon thousands of 
 dollars were stacked on the tables and carefully guarded by 
 the owners, yet, notwithstanding this vigilance, there was con- 
 stantly going on a petty stealing by professional "check snatch- 
 ers," who are to be found in every gambling house and who 
 seem to be in league with the proprietor and dealer, and who 
 sooner or later create trouble by their pilfering. Such men 
 are, of course, used to brawling and are not only sure shots, 
 but what is equally important, able to draw their weapons in 
 marvelous quickness, and think but little of taking the life of 
 a fellow creature in furthering their purposes, and are always 
 prepared to fight if caught stealing. Though usually good 
 character readers they sometimes erred in their judgment and 
 took the chips of honest, brave men, who were as ready to re- 
 sent a wrong and equally as well prepared to defend their 
 rights. When such a mistake occurred it was sure to result 
 in bloodshed, for the one would fight rather than meekly sub- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 87 
 
 mit to exposure, while the other would do likewise in order to 
 verify his veracity, and establish the justness of his accusa- 
 tion, and, as I have elsewhere said, the pistol and the knife 
 were the arbiters. I again passed around the room stopping at 
 the faro game, whence I fancied came the words, "Hello, Mis- 
 souri, etc." Those nearest the- table were sitting down which 
 afforded me a view of the case of chips and the dealer, who, 
 having slipped the cards into his silver case, looked up, recog- 
 nized me, and at the same time, with a significant smile on his 
 handsome face, shoved a stack of blue chips toward me. Sure- 
 ly here is an evil agent in every deck of cards, in every faro 
 and poker chip an angel of darkness, which entice the unwary 
 to physical ruin and lure him step by step into moral suicide, 
 if not spiritual destruction. That stack of blue chips was so 
 fascinating and contained such wondrous charms that I could 
 not withstand the temptation to indulge, and so I passed in the 
 requisite fifty dollars and took it into my possession. I com- 
 menced placing the chips on the cards in a most promiscuous 
 manner without any regard to order or attention to the case 
 keeper, and, strange to say, won four out of every five bets. At 
 the end of the deal I had in front of me seven stacks of blue 
 chips which, after deducting the fifty dollars paid for the first 
 stack, left me three hundred dollars winner. Just as the dealer 
 tapped the case with his .long middle finger and said, "Make 
 your bets, gentlemen," someone on the opposite side of the 
 room shouted, "Let 'em fight." Instantly the hitherto orderly 
 crowd, which resembled a Quaker meeting was plunged into a 
 chaotic state and in another moment the fight became general. 
 Every man was armed and most of them seemed to have a 
 grudge at someone else and now was the time, the propitious 
 time, to wreak vengeance. Pistols flashed in quick succession, 
 long knives glittered in the bright light, and strong men seized 
 each other in deadly conflict. Some fought arms length, while 
 others were clutched in a desperate struggle for mastery or 
 death. The lights, as in all such emergencies, were extin- 
 guished as quickly as possible, yet the conflict continued and 
 the stream of fire issuing from the pistols at intervals revealed 
 the awful and horrible picture. The defiant yells of the scouts, 
 cowboys and teamsters, and the savage shouts of miners and 
 "check mothers" were changed into groans and such earnest 
 exclamations as, "Oh, God, I am shot," came from the "Anglo- 
 Saxon ;" "Carajo! Santissima Maria," cried the disciples of 
 Montezuma and the humble descendants of Ham shouted, "Fo" 
 de Lawd, I jis b'leve de Devil have got inter de white folks." 
 At the beginning of the fight I pocketed my chips and when 
 the lights were put out threw myself on the floor under the 
 
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 faro table, as it was dangerous to stand up and utterly impos- 
 sible to get out of the room. The conflict grew so desperately 
 violent that those not engaged in it became panic stricken and 
 made a blind rush for the door, the table was pushed from over 
 me, and several men one after another stepped on me and one 
 heavy fellow planted his foot on the small of my back with 
 such force as to completely disable me, so that I made no fur- 
 ther efforts to rise. The panic, however, stopped the fight. The 
 lamps were quickly relighted and the room cleared of the un- 
 fortunates, then the musician resumed his seat and soon filled 
 the hall again with men, and the chips and coin again began to 
 click over the tables as though nothing had happened. I was 
 carried to my lodging place where I remained in bed for sev- 
 eral days, during which I carefully reviewed my life and came 
 to the conclusion that if I continued in such a course I would 
 sooner or later become a physical and moral wreck. There in 
 the solitude of my chamber, thousands of miles from home and 
 friends, I made a solemn vow, invoking the presence of my 
 dear mother's spirit to witness the same, that I would never 
 gamble any more, and as far as possible shun the society of 
 gamblers. With one exception I have never been inside of a 
 gambling house since, and on that occasion I entered to see its 
 proprietor on business which had no relation to his vocation; 
 otherwise I have, in this vow, as with the one made to my sis- 
 ters that I would drink no more intoxicating liquors, "fought 
 a good fight and have kept the faith." 
 
 At this time of the year (middle of December) there was 
 not much work in progress and failing to find employment, and 
 having ceased gambling, my income, of course, ceased also, 
 while my expenses averaged about twenty dollars per week; 
 therefore I readily concurred in a proposition of a little Scotch- 
 man familiarly known as "Honest Scotty" who said we 
 could spend the winter months in hunting and trapping which 
 he thought would be more agreeable and profitable to us than 
 laying idle in the city, in which the scenes of misery and want 
 would cause our hearts to bleed in sympathy for our unfor- 
 tunate fellow creatures whom we couldn't aid except at the 
 risk of reducing ourselves to the same conditions confronting 
 them. "Scotty" had had considerable experience in mining 
 towns and knew what he was talking about, besides I had al- 
 ready seen enough to convince me that the picture of distress 
 he presented was not drawn from imagination and, having de- 
 cided to accompany him, was anxious to get away at once. 
 Early next morning we packed our provisions, blankets and 
 traps on his old "cayuse" (pony) and, after depositing our 
 money with a business firm of Helena, set out for the Mis- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 89 
 
 souri river. On or near the present site of Bedford we erected 
 our winter quarters. After putting the finishing- touches on 
 our hut, and having placed our traps, we began preparing our 
 first supper in our new home. "Scotty" made the bread de- 
 licious bread while I made the coffee and cooked the meat. 
 The odor from the frying bacon and jack-rabbit aroused our 
 savage neighbors. Sneaking coyotes, with Sarah Bernhardt 
 waists, set up a monotonous wail which would have terrified 
 General Grant to a greater degree than did the howling of 
 their Georgia brethren ; large, bold and nearly white wolves, 
 with Bill Nye physiognomies, began to howl and, as the dark- 
 ness became denser, drew nearer and nearer until we could 
 see their flashing eyes and glittering teeth as they pranced 
 within the radius of the light from our camp fire. When we 
 went to bed there must have been a hundred of these ferocious 
 looking beasts within a dozen rods of us. At intervals they 
 howled singly and collectively, snapped and snarled at each 
 other most viciously, the eyes of those standing or sitting just 
 within the rays of light resembled little balls of fire which gave 
 to the scene a sort of Chinese fireworks display, for they, as 
 the animals moved their heads from side to side, changed from 
 red to green, from green to blue, or pink to gray, just as the 
 light happened to strike them. When this semi-circlet I say 
 "semi" because our camp was in the edge of the brush with 
 heavy timber and the river north of us, while the prairie 
 stretched away to the south of sparkling, forty-colored gems, 
 resembling the footlights in a theatre and excited the most in- 
 tense admiration; it also filled me with horror and sent a 
 stream of cold chills up the spinal column at the thought of the 
 piobability of my slender body being devoured by this pack of 
 hungry wolves and coyotes. For a while I lay resting myself 
 on my elbow watching their capers and listening to the won- 
 drous variety and peculiar modulations of their voices, and 
 wondered if they were thus inspiring themselves with courage, 
 like a boy whistling through the dark woods, or summoning 
 their distant brethren to assist them in making a successful at- 
 tack upon us, and to share in the feast. These were, of course, 
 unpleasant thoughts and I dwelt upon them for a time but the 
 fire glow caused mother nature to assert her rights and being of 
 a reckless disposition, with a strong will, I was enabled to cast 
 them off and adopt in their stead the fatalistic view of the situ- 
 ation if eaten by wolves I would not be hung, hence my 
 head dropped on the pillow and I was soon fast asleep. 
 
 We rose next morning, embraced by a calm which was 
 lonesome and oppressive. The wolves and coyotes would have 
 been welcome visitors now, but were nowhere to be seen or 
 
90 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 heard. The pony, motionless as a stump, was the only living 
 thing in sight, and the "quack quack" of a duck in the river was 
 the only sound that reached our ears. "Scotty" after breakfast 
 loaded his gun with buckshot and said, "Now, my lad, we'll go 
 up the river and see if we can find a deer." Passing the gun 
 to me to hold he sat down on the end of a log and filled and 
 lighted his pipe for the last time, for just as he rose from the 
 fire a gun cracked and poor "Scotty" fell dead at my feet. I 
 wheeled around to see whence came the shot and beheld five 
 stalwart Bloods in their war paint coming toward me and one 
 of them holding a smoking rifle in his hand. Further explana- 
 tion of their design was unnecessary. I fired both barrels of 
 
 Seven Dead Indians in this Escapade. 
 
 the gun and two braves expired. I then dropped the gun, drew 
 a pistol and sent another warrior into the presence of the great 
 "Manitap." I threw the pistol up to cock it after the fashion 
 of Slade and Carson intending to shoot again but the bursted 
 cap slipped from the tube preventing free action of cylinder, 
 and my fruitless efforts to get it to revolve again somewhat 
 disconcerted me. The surviving braves, seeing something was 
 wrong with the pistol, took advantage of the occasion and be- 
 fore I could draw my other pistol, bounded forward to my side, 
 one of them dealing me a fearful blow on the head with his 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 91 
 
 tomahawk. I fell to the ground in a helpless or, as it were, 
 paralyzed condition, yet conscious of all that was taking place 
 around me. There were other eyes bent on this tragic scene 
 and before my captors got me securely bound the report of two 
 rifles reached us and one of the braves fell dead across my 
 legs, and the other one though wounded succeeded in making 
 his escape. 
 
 My rescuers had been prospecting in the mountains north 
 of the river and were on their way to Helena for fresh supply 
 of provisions and blasting powder, and having seen the smoke 
 issuing from our camp and the Indians slyly approaching the 
 latter, they concluded that the reds were bent on mischief and 
 hastened forward with the above result. My friends, after ex- 
 amining the Indians, remarked that a large party of Bloods 
 had been on a warlike expedition against the Crows and, hav- 
 ing been scattered or most likely all killed but those attacking 
 "Scotty" and myself, were on their way home. These fellows 
 feeling disappointed and angry thought to avert some of the 
 ridicule that would be heaped upon them by their brethren by 
 taking home with them a white scalp and a white captive, to- 
 gether with their worldly possessions. 
 
 The Blood Indians had a custom founded no doubt upon 
 our Savior's advice to the disciples to take with them "neither 
 purse nor script," which, when on the war path, was strictly 
 adhered to for they regarded life as nothing and no hardship 
 or danger too great to undergo in order to win the respect and 
 admiration of their fellows. If they started out empty handed 
 and returned with the ponies and scalps of their enemies, they 
 would be looked up to as great men ; but if they returned as 
 they went they would be no worse off than before, barring, of 
 course, their feelings of disgrace and the jeers which awaited 
 them, of which they might on some future occasion acquit 
 themselves by a more successful display of sagacity and prow- 
 ess. The trials that a Blood warrior encountered and the ob- 
 stacles surmounted in saving his life are counted as nothing. 
 He must return with something that would be reasonable proof 
 of what he said in order to obtain the encouraging approval of 
 the tried old warriors and "Medicine Men," and the smiles of 
 the gentler sex. Hence, the poor fellows who attacked us, 
 feeling keenly ashamed of their unsuccessful raid and dreading 
 to meet their friends, were, by reason of this just pride, ex- 
 cusable for their conduct, for the hardest thing for any man, 
 white, red or black, to face is the ridicule and taunts of those 
 who happen to be acquainted with his failures. After piling 
 some brush and logs on "Scotty's" grave to prevent the wolves 
 
92 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 from disinterring and devouring the body, I repacked the pony 
 and accompanied the prospectors back to Helena. 
 
 At this time Captain Nicholas Wall, of St. Louis, Mis- 
 souri, was operating two hundred freighting teams in Montana. 
 The whole being divided into ten teams, each having a fore- 
 man and one assistant, and over all the General Superinten- 
 dent, a Mr. William Perkins, an English Naturalist and Pub- 
 licist, who was engaged collecting these trains at the company's 
 ranch on Boulder River, in Boulder Valley, where they would 
 remain during the winter so that the stock could be more 
 properly cared for and the wagons, yokes, chains, etc., receive 
 such repairs as were necessary. I met Mr. Perkins and hired 
 to him to help move a large outfit from Helena to the ranch, 
 and, in doing so, crossed a range of mountains dividing Prickly 
 Pear from Boulder Valleys, reaching the ranch about twelve 
 o'clock Christmas night. It was intensely cold and while 
 rough-lockink the wagons on the summit of the mountain in 
 order to safely descend into the valley, a large number of the 
 men were frozen, some quite severely ; therefore on corralling 
 at the ranch they pulled the yokes and bows from the poor 
 tired cattle as rapidly as possible, and, without further atten- 
 tion to their duty, hastened to the house to warm themselves, 
 leaving the yokes and chains on the ground to be covered by 
 the fast falling snow. I did not go to the house until my 
 chains were hung on the side-board and my yokes set up in 
 their proper place against the front wheel of my wagon. The 
 men wrapped themselves in their blankets and slept until 
 breakfast was ready. When all (about fifty) were seated at 
 the long table, the superintendent came in from the corral and 
 said, "I would like to know who drove number 17." Mr. Frank 
 Williams, the wagon foreman, pointed to me and said, "The 
 boy over there drove that team." "Well," said the superintend- 
 ent, "he's got the right kind of stuff in him." "Why so?" "Sim- 
 ply because he has properly cared for his yokes and chains, 
 while these fellows (waving his hand over the busy eaters) left 
 theirs on the ground. They are now two feet under the snow." 
 I simply did my duty as I understood it and, of course, was not 
 expecting such a compliment from so great a personage as the 
 learned professor. I enjoyed it, however. Had any consider- 
 able number of the men done as I did, there would have been 
 no notice taken of the incident, but my yokes and chains being 
 the only ones visible naturally attracted the superintendent's 
 attention, and won for me his respect and admiration which 
 ripened into warm friendship. 
 
 Having finished my breakfast Mr. Perkins asked me to 
 accompany him to his private apartments, after learning my 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 93 
 
 name and acquainting himself with some antecedents, said, 
 "Charles, the maneuvers of certain animals, especially the 
 beaver, are indicative of a long and severe winter ; so the poor 
 fellows who happen to be without money or employment will 
 necessarily have to suffer many privations, hardships and en- 
 dure the agony that hunger produces before the avenues of 
 business are again unlocked by the return of warm weather. 
 This being true, and a fact that you are a boy far from home 
 and friends, together with the pluck and energy you displayed 
 last night, has enlisted my sympathy for you, and hence feel 
 it my duty to interest myself in your behalf; therefore I pro- 
 pose to give you your board and twenty-five dollars per month 
 from now until the first of May, and after that the prevailing 
 wages, should you desire to remain with us." The mines had 
 shut down for the winter and the ox and mule trains had gone 
 into winter quarters, thus throwing thousands of men out of 
 employment, many of whom would gladly have given what 
 little money they had and their utmost labor to secure their 
 board and lodging for the winter, therefore I not only gladly 
 but thankfully accepted Mr. Perkins' generous offer. Provis- 
 ions of all kinds were extremely high, flour was worth, or at 
 least sold at, one dollar per pound, while tobacco brought seven 
 dollars for a like amount; merely a marked contrast between 
 the price of this filthy .weed and the "staff of life," yet sentient 
 beings, stamped with divine image, and endowed with facul- 
 ties of reason and reflection, disgraced themselves by begging 
 the former, while they subjected their bodies to attacks of 
 rheumatism and debauched their souls by pawning their 
 clothes and blankets for the latter. Large, fine looking men, 
 who a few days before Christmas boasted of taking their meals 
 ($1.50 each) at the Star and St. Louis restaurants, after the 
 holidays were forced, by hunger, to solicit the crumbs that once 
 fell from the tables of their more fortunate brothers. This 
 state of affairs though humiliating to an inexpressable degree, 
 was better than resorting to dishonesty, which, no matter how 
 trifling, was punished by death by the vigilance committee, 
 which reigned supreme, and which, while it checked crime in 
 those not under the shadow of its protecting wing, became in 
 itself a most terrible and corrupt organization. Innocent men, 
 known to have money, were taken from their beds at midnight, 
 conveyed in an old hack to the slaughter-house, in "Dry- 
 Gulch," and hung to a limb of a pine tree standing just in 
 front of it. Having strangled a victim to their greed, they then 
 pinned to his clothes a card bearing this inscription, "Horse 
 Thief," "Roda Agent," or "Stage Robber," and left the body 
 suspended between heaven and earth until morning, when it 
 
94 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 was taken down and dumped into a hole like a cat or a dog. 
 Either of the above titles, if not sufficient to prove the victim 
 guilty, sufficed to> place the murder where it justly belonged, on 
 the shoulders of the invincible "committee." 
 
 The hardships, exposures to inclement weather, and the 
 suffering by hunger fell principally upon the miners and team- 
 sters, while the professional scouts and experienced cowboys 
 enjoyed the necessary comforts of life. The services of these 
 men could not be dispensed with, as dispatches and business 
 communications had to be carried from fort to fort and from 
 town to town, while it was absolutely necessary to have the 
 cattle carefully guarded to prevent them straying away or be- 
 ing driven off by unscrupulous men though their wages were 
 small compared to summer prices, yet handsomely paid if the 
 extra cost of living be considered. 
 
 Early in January, 1866, Mr. Perkins was, by reason of the 
 high price of tobacco, induced to send the team to Fort 
 Benton for a load of "Army-Navy." Mr. Frank Williams, the 
 foreman, Billy Gay, the noted scout, another man whose name 
 I have forgotten, and myself were selected to make this trip; 
 and the reason for so many going with one team was for pro- 
 tection against small parties of hostile Indians. We arrived 
 at the Fort without trouble or delay, got our tobacco and re- 
 turned to the government farm on Sun River, where we met 
 Mr. Perkins and his chief clerk. Snow began falling and con- 
 tinued until it lay three feet deep on the level, running an ef- 
 fectual blockade upon our further progress. There were in the 
 wagon two ten gallon kegs of fine Bourbon, for Mr. Perkins* 
 private use, and finding himself shut in by the snow, he or- 
 dered one of the kegs tapped so that its exhilirating contents 
 might dispel the monotony of the situation. The men spent the 
 time playing cards and drinking whisky, and my refusal to in- 
 dulge in either placed me for the time being, outside the pale 
 of their consideration and respect, and reduced me, in their es- 
 timation to a common menial. It fell to my lot to get- the wood 
 and keep the fires going, to do the cooking for the party and 
 look after the stock. The poor cattle, the pick and flower of 
 more than fifteen hundred head, were slowly but surely starv- 
 ing to death, and all would have died had it not been for my 
 efforts to save them. I went out every day and cut down wil- 
 lows and small trees fpr them to browse on and with a miner's 
 shovel managed to find for them a little grass by scooping the 
 snow away in spots. The poor things followed me from spot 
 to spot like pet lambs and licked up the grass like a prairie fire. 
 I was disgusted with the drunken crowd, while my sympathies 
 were wrought to the highest pitch for the poor cattle and three 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 95 
 
 ponies, and every moment I could spare from the house was de- 
 voted to relieving their wants. I worked like a hero, yet despite 
 my best efforts they became thinner and weaker. Besides they 
 were beset by clouds of voracious magpies, who were bent on 
 devouring them alive. They ate great holes along the back 
 and shoulders where the poor creatures could not reach them 
 with their tails. These little birds, something like a jaybird but 
 larger, with long, yellow or black bills, were so bold and de- 
 termined in their work of destruction that they even questioned 
 my right to drive them from their prey, and flew hither and 
 thither about my head uttering their protests with screams and 
 chatters in the most vehement manner. I shot a great many, 
 but, like flies in preserve making time, there seemed to be a 
 dozen ready and willing to take the place of each one killed. I 
 was obliged to tie strips of canvas and old gunny sacks on the 
 backs of the stock to prevent its annihilation by these ener- 
 getic and courageous members of the feathered tribe. On two 
 occasions I reported the situation to Mr. Perkins, but each time 
 he sent me away amid a shower of oats and disparaging epi- 
 thets, from which I could not flee, and had no desire to resent, 
 since they came from a mad man, a beast in human form. 
 
 When we arrived at the farm house it was occupied by 
 two old trappers, who welcomed us most heartily. They read- 
 ily joined in the games and zealously helped to drink the su- 
 perintendent's good whisky. My fellow-laborers, too, joined 
 heart and soul in the festivities to please the chief, who was 
 master of ceremonies, and who ordered the games and paid 
 for the liquor; they seemed to have no thought of our situa- 
 tion, nor care as to what became of the stock or load of to- 
 bacco. This carousal, for three or four days, was conducted in 
 the most friendly and courteous manner possible, then they be- 
 gan to jangle about unfairness in dealing the cards, applied un- 
 gentlemanly epithets to each other, and each accused the other 
 of being drunk. I expected to see a fight, but somehow they 
 kept from coming to blows, which was a wonder, considering 
 the fact that the seven men in less than so many days drank 
 twenty gallons of whisky ; yet the greatest wonder to me was 
 that the whole party escaped serpentine visitations, and so 
 quickly regained equilibrium after such a spree. 
 
 Near the close of the seventh day the snow ceased falling, 
 and during the night the wind began howling, therefore when 
 we arose the next morning the Heavens were filled with the 
 flying crystals. The magpies fled before the storm, and I ex- 
 pected the cattle and ponies had done likewise, but they were 
 found huddled together in behind an old shed not far from the 
 house, and thus had unconsciously corralled themselves. I cut 
 
96 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 some willows and threw them in to the almost famished ponies, 
 then returned to the house and gathered up a bushel or two of 
 old cold bread which had accumulated during the week by rea- 
 son of the men not eating, yet demanding fresh bread at each 
 meal, which I fed to the poor cattle. By noon the men were tol- 
 erably sober and capable of realizing the seriousness of our sit- 
 uation and when after dinner I raked the cold bread into a pan 
 and asked Mr. Perkins to accompany me, they seemed greatly 
 surprised, none more so than the superintendent himself; but 
 he followed close after me and on reaching the snow-bound cat- 
 tle and ponies with intense interest watched me feed them and, 
 after hearing how I tied canvas and gunny-sacks on them and 
 fought the magpies, scooped snow off the grass and cut wil- 
 lows to feed them, and of how he had abused and cursed me 
 for doing my duty, he fell upon his knees in the snow and most 
 eloquently begged my pardon and blessed and praised me so 
 earnestly that I was half beside myself, and did not know 
 whether to regard the extra labor I was subjected to as a mis- 
 fortune and hardship or a blessing. 
 
 The stock was now well cared for by my companions who 
 were led by the old trappers to a piece of low lands where the 
 grass was thick and heavy, and after shoveling away the snow 
 they used their long knives in mowing the grass which they 
 carried to the stock, as it could not be induced to leave the shel- 
 ter while the storm lasted. When we emerged from the house- 
 on the morning of the fourth day after the wind arose, there was 
 not a speck of snow in sight except the little heaps behind 
 the shed and house and that on the mountains. The rapidity 
 with which a strong wind sweeps two or three feet of snow 
 from a valley or plain is truly surprising and no less so is the 
 calm, balmy weather which follows one of these terrific wind 
 and snow storms. Therefore, the beautiful morning after nine 
 days of gloom and monotony was to an inexpressible degree 
 encouraging and refreshing. The magpies and other birds re- 
 turned and twittered and sang to us as though it were a May 
 morning, while along the ridge in front of the house the coy- 
 otes frisked merrily about and howled out their appreciation 
 of and thankfulness for the return of pleasant weather. 
 
 The superintendent and his clerk hastened back to Helena. 
 We followed with the team until reaching "Medicine Rock 
 Hill," an exceeding high mountain over which the road lay. 
 Half way up the hill we encountered a snow drift on its steep- 
 est part and our cattle being weak we were compelled to re- 
 turn to the mouth of Prickly Pear Canyon and go into winter 
 quarters in an old cabin. There was and doubtless exists to- 
 day, a tradition among the Northwest Indians (especially the 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 97 
 
 Peigans) concerning this mountain. Anything not compre- 
 hensible to the Indian mind is termed "Medicine," so that the 
 greater the mystery the more potent and consequential the 
 "medicine," hence "Medicine Rock Hill," as on its summit was 
 enacted a stupendous mystery a miracle. Mr. Per- 
 kins, while at the government farm on Sun River, 
 asked the old Peigan Chief, who visited us there, 
 why the mountain was thus named. The reply 
 was to the following effect: His forefathers in passing 
 from one valley to another, crossed this mountain on a trail, 
 now, or then, occupied by the wagon road, and on reaching 
 its summit (about noon) it suddenly became dark as midnight 
 and the travelers being frightened by the change, prostrated 
 themselves on the ground and prayed for the restoration of 
 life, which, in answer to their united petitions as they sup- 
 posed, gradually returned in all its glory and loveliness. Mr. 
 Perkins then inquired how long since this extraordinary event 
 occurred. The Chief counted the "moons" (or years) by shut- 
 ting and opening his hands, each time he did so meaning ten. 
 The superintendent, after adding up his tally marks, said that 
 the sun had been in a total eclipse and, according to the chiefs 
 count, happened about eight hundred years ago. Mr. Perkins 
 was, as I have elsewhere said, a man of science and profound 
 learning and capable of clothing the children of his brain in 
 the most attractive and common-sense manner possible. He 
 was very decided in his convictions as to the origin of the 
 North American Indians which, after hearing the chief's story, 
 became more deeply rooted than ever. He averred that the 
 tribal customs, religious rights, and marriage ceremonies of 
 the Northwest Indians pointed unmistakably to the fact that 
 they were descended from the Israelites, and most likely a por- 
 tion of the so-called "lost ten tribes," and had reached the 
 American continent by way of the Behring Straits. The Mor- 
 mons hold substantially the same views in reference to the 
 origin of the Indians as did Mr. Perkins, with the exception 
 that they reached America from the East instead of the West. 
 Medicine Rock Hill then is not only an interesting point, 
 but is proved to be one of the "ancient mountains," on top of 
 which is a few acres of open, level ground, dotted here and 
 there with curiously formed piles of stone, some the result 
 of volcanic eruptions, while others were erected by human 
 hands. It was here that darkness overtook the Indians and 
 the great miracle of restoring life was performed for their 
 special benefit. Hence the Indians, singly or collectively, hav- 
 ing faith in the traditions of their fathers, will not pass the 
 sacred spot without making some sort of a sacrifice in order 
 to reassure the unseen spirit of their faithfulness. Some gash 
 
98 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 their legs and arms and prostrate themselves on the ground as 
 an evidence of their love and devotion to the "Great Monitau 
 of the Happy Hunting Grounds," while others scatter "wam- 
 pum" or some other article that would be a, real sacrifice to 
 their comfort or vanity to appease the wrath of the "Great 
 Monitau of Darkness and Misery," whose wisdom and power 
 they claim is co-equal with that of the former great spirit. 
 This belief and ceremony of the Indians common to all the 
 North American tribes evinces an earnestness of faith in, and 
 consistent devotion to, the supernatural not surpassed, if 
 equalled by their more enlightened brothers, and which, more 
 than anything else, convinces me that instead of one there are 
 at least two Supreme Beings, the one presiding over the moral, 
 intellectual and spiritual nature, inspiring pure thoughts, noble 
 actions and worthy aspirations ; while the other rules over the 
 appetites, perpensities and animal instincts which foster ex- 
 cesses, prompts improprieties and encourages ignoble deeds. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Prickly Pear Canyon, at the mouth of which we were 
 camped, is thousands of feet deep and several miles in length ; 
 its western wall is precipitous, almost perpendicular in many 
 places and in others great ledges of limestone crop out and 
 rise, one above the other, like the steps leading to the upper 
 court of Monte Zuma's temple and which, at intervals, is split 
 and waterworn into fantastic shapes resembling the ruins of 
 an ancient mosque or castle. In the crevices of this mighty 
 stairway, which, like Jacob's ladder, pierces the heavens, grow 
 a variety of small fruit, such as choke cherries, mountain cur- 
 rants and sarvis berries, on which the grizzly bear loves to 
 feed. The east side of the canyon, covered with white pine, 
 spurce and some cedar, rises gradually until its summit is lost 
 in the heavens far above the timber line. At the bottom of this 
 canyon flows the Prickly Pear River, a clear, cold, rapid 
 stream, such as the poets love to linger over and which will 
 always fill the heart of the true lover of nature with rapture 
 when he beholds its crystal fluid, and listens to its joyous 
 music, as it rushes over its rocky bed and small rapids on its 
 way to the gulf. 
 
 Messrs. King & Gillett, of Helena, secured a charter to 
 build a "toll road" through this canyon, which would obviate 
 the necessity of pulling teams over "Medicine Rock Hill," a 
 most lavorious task frought with many dangers and hardships. 
 About forty men with two weeks' provisions were sent from 
 Helena to build the road, and were at work when we arrived 
 at the canyon. I soon tired of lounging idlv about the cabin, 
 and, about the first of February, visited the road-workers' 
 camp. The overseer was preparing a gang of fifteen men for 
 another camp farther up the river and gladly employed me 
 to accompany them as cook. In a lovely cove about a mile 
 from Clark's ranch, at the head of the canyon, surrounded by 
 stately pines, Rocky Mountain sheep, elk and black-tailed deer, 
 the company went into permanent quarters, and, after erect- 
 ing a comfortable hut out of poles and pine boughs, set to 
 work on the road. Our provisions were soon exhausted, leav- 
 ing us at the beginning of a snow storm, lasting three weeks, 
 
100 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 during which time we lived on elk and deer meat straight, yet 
 the men did good work even on this meager fare. Our em- 
 ployers made several efforts to send us provisions, but each 
 time the pack mule drivers were compelled to return to the 
 city by reason of the fierceness of the storm and the fear of 
 snow-blindness. The situation was monotonous and the daily 
 menu uninviting, and especially so since we had neither salt 
 nor pepper with which to season it ; therefore two young men 
 and myself, all having money with us, and more deposited in 
 Helena, decided to return to the city. My experience in the 
 snow storm on Sun River ought to> have been sufficient to 
 warn me from making this start for Helena; yet experience, 
 though the harshest and best of teachers, fails to make an im- 
 pression on the faculty of cautiousness of such reckless dis- 
 positions as mine; or, as a blunt old divine of Iowa puts it, 
 "Some people learn from experience, but sense has to be 
 pounded into others." This was my case exactly. I had the 
 experience," but no sense which must be, and was, "pounded" 
 into me. My young friends were large, courageous fellows 
 and anxious to get back to the city, and through their zeal and 
 encouragement I managed to not only stifle the feeble voice 
 of experience and reason, but utterly ignored the advice of 
 our comrades, who endeavored to persuade us not to take the 
 trip. This sensible advice was given just after breakfast, while 
 we were preparing to start and the laughable manner in which 
 it was delivered increased our desire of returning to Helena. 
 The young men had never seen a real snow-blizzard, and con- 
 sequently knew nothing of the dangers they were likely to 
 encounter. They regarded the stories of our friends as 
 "trumped up" to deter us. While I admitted all that was said 
 to be true, I was nevertheless bent on making the trip, for 
 once having promised to do a thing, the yawning abyss of 
 hell itself would not prevent me from making an effort toward 
 its fulfillment. 
 
 After acknowledging the compliments and hearty good 
 wishes of our comrades, we bowed ourselves out of camp and 
 plunged into the trail leading to Clark's ranch. On reaching 
 the edge of the timber skirting the valley, we found a vast ocean 
 of snow spread out for our view. Across the valley, thirty miles 
 in extent, could be seen a dark ridge rolled up against the 
 sky, extending to the .right and left as far as the eye could 
 reach. This dark ridge was the timber on the Boulder Range 
 of mountains at the base of which is located the city of Helena. 
 It seemed but a few miles a common illusion in the crystal 
 atmosphere of these elevated regions from where we stood 
 to the dark line on the opposite side of the valley. It was one 
 of those clear, calm, cold mornings when the very thought of 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 101 
 
 going out makes ones ears tingle and the flesh hug the bones 
 more closely, but the distance seemed so short and the antici- 
 pation of a meal at the Star Restaurant offered an irresistable 
 temptation. We resolutely entered the great sea of snow 
 which was above my knees, but dry and soft, readily yielding 
 to the pressure of legs the men taking turns leading in order 
 to favor me as much as possible. The leader kept his eye on 
 the dark line and his thoughts centered upon hot rolls, ranch 
 butter and fresh oysters, which acted as a goad to urge him 
 forward. 
 
 We had traveled at least one-third of the distance when 
 a regular "North-Wester" swept down upon us. In less than 
 ten minutes the whole expanse of heaven was filled with fly- 
 ing snow and, like an immense impenetrable veil reaching 
 from earth to the throne of God, cut off our view of the Boul- 
 der as well as the Prickly Pear range of mountains which we 
 had just left. This foolhardy undertaking was simply a repe- 
 tition of my experience in the sand storm on Bitter Creek and 
 all that I suffered on that occasion from thirst and hunger was 
 as nothing compared to what I endured in this snow storm 
 from cold and awful apprehensions as to what the final out- 
 come would be of this rash, uncalled for adventure. However, 
 the wheel had made its first revolution, the balls were in mo- 
 tion and, of course, we had to abide by the consequences. My 
 companions were cheerful and had great faith in their physical 
 abilities and confidential belief they could walk a straight line 
 without an objective point to guide them. If one of them had 
 been constructed with greater activity in the right, and the 
 otler in the left side, and with frequent changes of leaders, 
 v/e might have zigzagged ourselves across the valley, but 
 they were unfortunatelv built on the same plan, to describe 
 the same circle, whether to the right or to the left does not 
 matter since the result was what it was. We toiled wearily 
 on. The snow was constantly lising and falling about us, the 
 sun glanced up frjin the brilliant surface and the reflecting 
 rays were dazzling and painful to the eyes ; the wind grew 
 stronger and fiercer, loading the air with clouds of snow and 
 filling us with painful forebodings as we strained our eyes ?n 
 vain to get another glin.pse of the Boulder range, but alas! 
 we were in the midst of a vast sea with white waves rolling 
 over us. We no longer feared the Bloods, nature herself was 
 the foe with which we had to contend, and the most energetic, 
 relentless enemy she was, too. However, we pushed forward 
 as rapidly as possible, but in silence. A scene of enchantment 
 confronted us. Vast towers of snow rose vertically into the 
 sky, they sprang up so suddenly and one after another chased 
 past us with such fearful rapidity that our heads began to 
 
102 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 swim. They were beautifully luminous, by reason of the sun 
 glistening through the floating crystals, presenting all the 
 hues of the rainbow. I was strangely affected and watched 
 them glide by with feelings that baffled description. The 
 mighty rushing wind filled my ears with a buzzing sound like 
 the hum of a circular saw whirling through an oak log. My 
 eyes distorted the natural outlines of my comrades, and the 
 huge columns of snow took on fantastical shapes and stalked 
 across the plains as if they were endowed with supernatural 
 life. From regarding so intently these wonderfully beautiful 
 funnel-shaped clouds of snow as they danced along, sometimes 
 plunging into one another, causing both to mingle again with 
 the common element or form new columns, there came upon 
 me a fainting or falling sensation. I felt weak and sick, be- 
 came dizzy, m}' eyes seemed to be filled with pricking needles 
 and sand and were extremely painful; peculiar objects made 
 their appearance to my bewildered brain and I cried out, "I 
 am stricken with snow-blindness" to me an unexpecting and 
 crushing calamity. 'Cheer up, Charles," said one of my ccii- 
 panions, "for it is nearly sundown and we cannot be very far 
 from Helena/' I was getting very tired and begun to lag, but 
 the hopeful, confident assurance that we were not far from 
 the city braced me up wonderfully, and I kept close to my 
 friends for another hour, but could not distinguish one form 
 from another, except as they spoke to me or to each other. 
 
 "The sun," as one of the boys expressed it, "has settled 
 behind the snow-capped Sierras," the wind ceased to blow, but 
 the warmth of the declining sun caused the temperature to 
 fall several degrees ; our hands and ears tingled with cold, our 
 stomachs chilled and collapsed and seemed to be held firmly 
 against the spine by some mechanical appliance. We shouted 
 until hoarse and fired our pistols in the hope of attracting the 
 attention of some one who would come to our rescue, but no 
 answer greeted our expectant ears, only the echoes of our own 
 voices came back to mock us. We "cussed and discussed" the 
 subject of "snow dumplins seasoned with a Northwester," as 
 the old trapper put it, from a practical and experimental stand- 
 point, and concluded we had "played-the-fool" by not heeding 
 the advice of our friends. Just before daylight the wind be- 
 gan to whistle again, filling the atmosphere with flying snow 
 and we, like the previous day, wandered over the valley, not 
 knowing in what direction we were going, yet hoping and be- 
 lieving we were near Helena. "When the sun rises," said one 
 of my comrades, "we can get the right course and hold it by 
 keeping the wind on one side all the time," but to our aston- 
 ishment and dismay that luminous orb made its appearance 
 in the northwest, instead of rising in its accustomed place ; 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 103 
 
 and the wind, from the way the snow rose about us, seemed 
 to issue from the earth as if intentionally to defeat our pur- 
 pose, for it was about and on all sides of us at the same time. 
 About noon we came in sight of timber and small patches of 
 bare ground and, like little children shouting with delight, we 
 rushed forward to embrace the monarchs of the forest. We 
 tried in vain all of the arts known to woodcraft in our efforts 
 to start a fire. Then arose a discussion as to whether we had 
 wandered to the east or west of Helena, as we all felt positive 
 of being in the timber that skirted the Boulder Range of 
 mountains and which was doubly convincing, since our be- 
 wildered minds had set the sun going east instead of west. 
 
 The mind in its normal condition would have detected 
 this error at once, for if we had been on the south side of the 
 valley the timber would have been between us and the sun, 
 but the opposite was the case, thus showing that we were on 
 the same side of the valley from which we had started. My 
 friends thought we were west of the city, but I supposed my 
 reasons for believing otherwise by pointing out familiar ob- 
 jects, familiar only in my imagination, as I had never before 
 seen them such as the twisted trunk of a tree or a peculiar 
 shaped boulder; we were, however, really east of Helena, but 
 my idea of that fact was based upon instinct rather than from 
 any real knowledge I had of the surroundings. I was stupi- 
 fied by cold, hunger and general exhausted vitality, rendering 
 me incapable of intelligent argument. My comrades, too, were 
 badly worn, which prevented their recognizing my real condi- 
 tion, and hence my entreaties rather than my logic, enduced 
 them to go west, which proved to be the right course. I gave 
 out, lay down at the base of a large pine tree and finally pre- 
 vailed on the boys to leave me and hasten on to town and 
 send someone back with a horse after me. They soon met the 
 old hunter from Clark's ranch, at the head of Prickly Pear 
 Canyon, who directed them to the ranch and then hurried on 
 after me. I had passed the point of suffering and was sleep- 
 ing "the sleep that knows no waking," when the old hunter 
 arrived. He understood the situation and lost no time in try- 
 ing to arouse me, but at once placed me in his saddle, sprang 
 on behind to keep me from falling off the horse, and, by tak- 
 ing a cut-off through the woods, reached the ranch only a few 
 minutes behind my companions, who, after partaking of a 
 good meal at Mr. Clark's expense, passed on down the can- 
 yon to the road-workers' camp. 
 
 Mr. Clark was one of those large-hearted, whole-souled 
 and sympathetic old Frenchmen so frequently met with on 
 the plains, and frontiers of civilization. There is an old pro- 
 verb, very current in my boyhood days in Missouri, which 
 
104 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 says, "fool for luck, a poor man for children, and a Dutchman 
 for dogs," and I will add a Frenchman for Indian women, for 
 Mr. Clark possessed the characteristic fondness of his race for 
 the gentler sex, and, of course, kept about his ranch all the 
 time half a dozen of the fair subjects of his Peigan neighbors, 
 to whom he assigned the task of restoring me to conscious- 
 ness. One of these humble, gentle,kind-hearted women was 
 at my bedside day and night. They seemed to anticipate my 
 every wish, and placed before me the very best that Mr. 
 Clark's table afforded. They made, of mountain herbs, a de- 
 coction with which they bathed me three times a day, for a 
 week, and two days more were spent in gently rubbing me 
 with the palms of their hands. The liquid they used in bath- 
 ing me was a fiery red, and produced a tingling, burning and 
 unpleasant sensation, but the rubbing was soothing and de- 
 lightful, promoting a speedy return of vital energies, which, 
 in a few days, enabled me to resume my former position as 
 cook for the road workers. 
 
 The kind, fatherly care bestowed on me by Mr. Clark, the 
 untiring watchfulness and faithful ministry to my wants by 
 his humble, but devoted women was never compensated for 
 except through my sense of increasing gratitude, which the 
 English language does not afford words strong enough to 
 convey. I offered to pay my benefactor for the trouble he had 
 been put to in caring for me, but he emphatically refused to 
 accept the same, saying that he felt doubly repaid for what he 
 had done by seeing me restored to health, especially so since 
 "French blood" flowed in my veins. 
 
 Sentimentalists and philanthropists are doing much writ- 
 ing and talking nowadays on the subject of crime, and puz- 
 zling their brains, passing sleepless nights and ruining their 
 health in their efforts to devise means, or discover some plan, 
 by which criminals can be painlessly executed. If the suffer- 
 ing preceding the transition from consciousness to uncon- 
 sciousness could be avoided, I would recommend these gen- 
 tlemen to urge if nothing short of life for life would suffice 
 the adoption of freezing or drowning as being not only the 
 least painful, but the most genteel way of disposing of con- 
 demned men. I am inclined, however, to favor freezing as 
 the death penalty, nothwithstanding the suffering prior to in- 
 sensibility to pain, as after that period until death intervenes, 
 the victim would experience such pleasurable sensations as to 
 fully compensate him for the agony endured. My own exper- 
 ience under the pine tree, and while being conveyed from there 
 to the ranch, is a case in point. I had, before laying down, 
 become insensible to cold and soon drifted into the realms of 
 most exquisite joy and lovely scenery. I seemed to be float- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 105 
 
 ing on atmospheric waves, over beautiful valleys, vine-clad 
 hills, and forest covered mountains, with the air impregnated 
 with a delicious odor of flowers, laden with the songs of the 
 rarest birds, and resounding with the most melodious strains 
 of vocal and instrumental music. If, as the old colored 
 preacher of Georgia, while addressing his people, averred, 
 "Hell am (de) composed ob icebergs, lakes frozen to de bot- 
 tom, mountains and valleys cubbered wid snow," then I have 
 had a foretaste of the horrors, the inexpressible grief and pain 
 in store for those who enter the abode of his Satanic Majesty; 
 while on the other hand I have anticipated some of the joys 
 and sweets of the Lord's Mansion. The toll road was com- 
 pleted by the latter part of April, and I claimed the honor (if 
 honor it can be), of driving the first team through Prickly 
 Pear Canyon, for I was driving the lead team in Mr. Perkins* 
 first train to Fort Benton. Returning to Helena I met my 
 step-brother, Joe Fry, who had just received a letter from his 
 mother, stating that my father had returned from the war and 
 that he was very anxious to learn something definite relative 
 to my whereabouts. I gave Joe to understand that I was con- 
 templating a trip to California, and, perhaps, on to Alaska, 
 and requested him to so inform his mother. I had seriously 
 thought of making the trip to Alaska, but abandoned it the 
 moment I heard of my father's return, and thought only of him 
 and determined to go home after making one more trip to 
 Benton. I said nothing to Joe, however, about my intentions, 
 so that my unexpected arrival there would be a complete and 
 happy surprise to my dear old father. 
 
 Helena, at this time, was in the morning of her glory. 
 New mines had been discovered, the news of which spread 
 rapidly, bringing hundreds of gold-seekers to the city. The 
 various business houses were crowded with cash customers, 
 while Charlie Curtis, city auctioneer, set the streets ablaze 
 with profanity, evoked much laughter by his ludicrous com- 
 parisons and told white lies enough to damn a hundred men 
 every day as he dashed up and down the street tryiner to sell 
 for one hundred dollars, an old cayuse (pony) worth about ten 
 dollars. Every foot of ground, on both sides of grizzly gulch 
 from end to beginning was being worked with might and 
 main by the excited delvers after the precious metal ; some 
 were washing dirt bv the panful, others used "rockers" and 
 still others employed the more pretentious sluice-boxes, while 
 at the head of the gulch stood a sixty-stamp quartz mill that 
 run day and night. During this scramble after gold, teamsters 
 were scarce even at one hundred dollars per month, while 
 able-bodied men could earn from eight to fifteen dollars per 
 day in the mines. I do not mean by this that there were no 
 
106 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 able-bodied men among the teamsters. On the contrary, there 
 were many strong, well-developed fellows driving teams for a 
 living. Such men will accept small wages at light work, where 
 board is included, rather than exert themselves for more 
 money ; yet teaming is the hardest work any man ever engaged 
 in I mean in a moral and healthful sense. The duties of a 
 teamster are not, in themselves considered laborious, except 
 at short intervals, such as extricating a wagon from a mud- 
 hole, drawing an ox team from the mire, loading and unload- 
 ing the train; but the exposure to all kinds of weather, the 
 hard fare he is subjected to, together with the debauch at the 
 end of each trip is many times more injurious to his physical 
 constitution than the work required of him ; and so far as de- 
 moralization is concerned, I know of no element more thor- 
 oughly calculated to destroy the finer qualities of his charac- 
 ter than the immoral atmosphere always clinging to the 
 freight train, for while it is in motion there is poured into his 
 ears a continual stream of profanity, and when in camp he 
 hears nothing but vulgar jests and obscene stories which 
 would bring a blush of shame to the cheek of a Hottentot or 
 create a wholesome disgust in the bosom of an Australian 
 Bushman. In fact such a vocation dwarfs the intellect, de- 
 grades the manners and defiles the speech of man the inevi- 
 table result of idleness and the absence of refining influence of 
 pure, Christian women. But these immoralities of language 
 and conduct are common failings where large bodies of men 
 congregate without the presence of spotless, high-minded 
 ladies to remind them of their manliness and moral obliga- 
 tions ; they exist, however, in a greater degree among plains- 
 men than among people who are collected in towns and cities 
 for the reason that the latter, being permanently located, make 
 some pretensions toward sociability and strive after moral and 
 intellectual supremacy, which effort is greatly encouraged by 
 the constant arrival of strangers to whom it would be bad form 
 to address words unbecoming to a gentleman; while the for- 
 mer go on long trips, thrown together for weeks and months 
 without the intervention of new faces or new thoughts, and, 
 since "familiarity breeds contempt," they become disrespect- 
 ful to* their employers, discourteous to their companions and 
 assume an air of haughty indifference for culture, purity and 
 refinement. The professional scouts look upon the cowboys 
 as being a notch or two below them in the scale of importance 
 and the knights of the lariat regard with disfavor the stage- 
 drivers; and these "ribbon" manipulators raise clouds of "dust 
 and profanity as they whirl past, throwing dirt and sand into 
 the faces of the mule drivers, who in turn sit bolt upright in 
 their saddles on the near wheeler with "jerk-line" in the left 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 107 
 
 and big blacksnake whip in the right hand and hurry past the 
 ox-teamster without so much as a nod or a smile of brotherly 
 recognition. Here, however, the scale of descent comes to a 
 standstill, for the ox- drive, has not a boot black even upon 
 whom to cast his reproachful looks, and before whom to 
 spread his record of dignity he occupies absolutely the lowest 
 strata of western society. Yet driving cattle is as honorable 
 work as that of any other calling, and from which has sprung 
 some illustrous characters; for instance, Mr. Mackey, Nevada's 
 bonanza king, once engaged in that employment, and it was 
 said bv one who crossed the plains with him that he could 
 not at the end of the journey (Salt Lake City), pick out and 
 correctly yoke up his own team. The faculty of memory was 
 so deficient that he could not remember the spots or the num- 
 ber of wrinkles on the horns of his cattle, yet his perceptive 
 organs and the faculty of acquisitiveness were naturally of re- 
 markable keenness and depth ; the former enabled him to rec- 
 ognize not the external markings of cattle, but the conditions, 
 peculiarities and qualities of things of vastly greater import- 
 ance, while the latter gave him the desire and will to seize 
 upon and utilize them for his special benefit. Mr. Heck Reel, 
 Cheyenne's millionaire and cattle king, laid the foundation of 
 his fortane by driving teams on the plaino ; and the famous 
 Ben Holliday in his youth wielded a large hemp whip over a 
 prairie breaking team in Missouri. I could mention many 
 other gentlemen of today, famous in politics and for their 
 wealth, who followed the plains for a livelihood or to avoid 
 Uncle Sam's draft. Driving team on the plains, if not condu- 
 cive to health and morality, is legitimate business, therefore 
 the plainsman is worthy of some consideration and respect, 
 especially so since the great west of today is largely indebted 
 to him for its wonderful growth and prosperity ; for without 
 his strong arm, unflinching courage and indomitable will, in 
 times which tried men's souls, she would not be what she is 
 today the queen of the continent. 
 
 Lying at the wharf, on our return to Fort Benton, were 
 two steamboats with cargoes partially unloaded. Each had on 
 board a number of passengers from Eastern cities, bound for 
 the various mining towns in Montana, Utah and Idaho. Cap- 
 tain Wall, proprietor of the boats and of the train, had come 
 up with them from St. Louis, and, expecting our outfit, under 
 the management of Bob Ford, to meet him at Benton, had 
 agreed to provide for them transportation to Helena. They 
 had heard many wonderful things about the wild, untamable 
 teamsters of the West, and Mr. Wall had no doubt heightened 
 their terror of them by relating real or fictitious stories con- 
 cerning the audacity and marvelous daring of the objects of 
 
108 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 their fearful apprehension and curiosity. I was, as before, 
 driving the lead team, and on Hearing the landing, the team- 
 sters poured forth a deafening yell. Mr. Wall, whom I had 
 not seen, had been to the Fort and was returning to the wharf 
 accompanied by his superintendent, Mr. Perkins, and several 
 of Uncle Sam's officers. I noticed that these gentlemen as 
 well as the passengers were closely watching my maneuvers 
 and observing my dress. Driving down to the landing to have 
 my wagon loaded, my cattle shied off from the road and start- 
 ed to run, I raised my hand and shouted, "Whoa, Big Horn 
 and Butler;" the old wheelers set back upon their haunches, 
 bringing the team to a halt, my big whip fell in rapid succes- 
 sion on the backs of the poor, unfortunate cattle; then, the 
 wagon being stopped at the proper place, my comrades cheer- 
 ed loudly, the passengers seemed to be terrified, while the 
 gentlemen with the superintendent stood gazing at me as if 
 they were undecided whether to admire or condemn my con- 
 duct. However, I felt somewhat proud of the terror I excited 
 in the passengers, inwardly rejoiced at the cheers of my com- 
 panions and gratified by the approving smile on Mr. Perkins* 
 countenance, but Mr. Wall was displeased with the exhibition 
 and approached me with a rapidity and stately tread arid with 
 fire flashing from his piercing eyes, said, "Young man, I de- 
 mand a more humane treatment of those cattle than you gave 
 them just now. I'll give you to understand, sir" he did not 
 finish the sentence, for I began uncoiling my whip intending 
 to strike him with it, and at the same time poured forth a vol- 
 ley of "cuss" words which excited the envy and admiration of 
 "Big Ben" the champion profane swearer of the West and 
 nonplussed the gentleman. My insolence and profanity were 
 more than he had bargained for, and turning on his heel, with 
 hands on his ears as if he meant to exclude the awful words, 
 fled from my presence. Wildly gesticulating he stopped for 
 a moment and hurriedly said something to Mr. Perkins, who 
 came directly to me and asked, "Charles, do you know the 
 gentleman you were cursing just now?" "No, sir." "Well, 
 that is Mr. Wall." I felt certain that the superintendent had 
 received orders to turn me off, and not liking the idea of be- 
 ing discharged, I was about to take advantage of his delay in 
 using the fatal words by demanding my wages. Mr. Perkins, 
 reading my thoughts, then said, "My boy, I have not come as 
 you suspect, for the purpose of dismissing you from our ser- 
 vice, but rather to assure you of the Captain's respect and 
 friendship. He likes your pluck and admires the skill you dis- 
 played in the management of your team, but told me to cau- 
 tion you about whipping it so severely." I felt deeply grate- 
 ful for Mr. Wall's good opinion, promptly confessed that I had 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 109 
 
 overreached the bounds of reason, and that I was not only 
 sorry but ashamed of myself and begged his pardon, which was 
 graciously granted. By noon the train was loaded, and the 
 boys went to camp for dinner. Those of the passengers who 
 ventured among the men did so for the purpose of acquaint- 
 ing themselves with the situation and, if possible, become 
 reconciled to their fate, and to select someone with whom they 
 entrust their baggage and morals during the trip to Helena. 
 They passed back and forth among the teamsters like a pren- 
 ologist, manipulating the head of a subject, scanning the feat- 
 ures of each and noting the language they used and closely ob- 
 serving their deportment and the degree of cleanliness mani- 
 fested. Two or three of them condescended to bow to me as 
 they passed, while two superior looking, well dressed gentle- 
 men strutted by apparently oblivious of my existence, and en- 
 gaged in conversation with "Big Ben" physically the filthiest 
 and morally the most depraved man in the outfit with whom 
 they concluded to ride to the city. A handsome young. man. 
 named Cameron, claiming to be a nephew of Simon Cameron, 
 the celebrated politician, walked up to me and, looking me 
 square in -the eye, while warmly shaking my hand, said. 
 "Young man, I like the looks of you, notwithstanding your lan- 
 guage and conduct this morning, and shall be glad to trust 
 myself and luggage in your wagon." I keenly felt the rebuke, 
 blushingly acknowledged his compliment, and assured him he 
 was welcome to my wagon, and that I would use my best en- 
 deavors to make the journey to Helena as pleasant as possible 
 tinder the circumstances. 
 
 The teamsters had nothing to say as to whether the pas- 
 sengers should or should not ride with them, but they had in- 
 finitely much to say as to the agreeableness or disagreeable- 
 ness of the trip, for they had it in their power, in spite of their 
 wishes to the contrary, to annoy them in a thousand ways and 
 it was, no doubt, the knowledge of this fact that led the gen- 
 tlemen to make their own selections, rather than be assigned 
 to a certain wagon by Superintendent Perkins. My wagon 
 was loaded with flour on top of which I placed a thick layer of 
 long grass to serve as a mattress, on which the blankets were 
 spread, and by pinning up the sides of the wagon cover, make a 
 very cozy place in which to pass the night. I cheerfully sur- 
 rendered this comfortable lodging to Mr. Cameron and his 
 feeble friend, and spread my own blankets on the ground un- 
 der the wagon. Although I was obliged to haul theirs, or 
 someone else's baggage, it was optional with me whether I 
 gave them my bed; hence Mr. Cameron was unsparing in his 
 praises of my self-sacrifice in his behalf, and frequently de- 
 
110 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 clared that I was a "noble, generous hearted boy, sadly out of 
 place associating with low, vulgar men." I often thought my- 
 self that I was worthy of a higher position in the social scale 
 but just then there was not much else I could do; I was phys- 
 ically unable for a miner, there was a super abundance of cow- 
 boys and scouts ; a lack of educational qualifications barred 
 me from a clerkship and my proud spirit revolted at becoming 
 a waiter on tables in restaurants or hotels. Such employment 
 had in it too much of the element of serfdom to suit my demo- 
 cratic instincts, and what little time I did work at the business 
 I was reminded by my own actions every day of the stories my 
 father used to tell of the cringing, servile attitude of the old 
 slaves of his Virginia home. 
 
 Mr. Cameron was highly educated, of pleasant manners 
 and excitable temperament and delighted in exercising his 
 feelings by working upon my emotional features. Some people 
 are redundant in speech and not very strong in the philosophic 
 side of the mind such persons talk much and say little but 
 Mr. Cameron was of a different order, and, though he talked 
 much all he said was amusing and interesting; and being en~ 
 dowed with good or large language he was enabled to express 
 in a clear, full and efficient manner all the facts, with their 
 shadings and blendings, relative to the little pleasantries of 
 the elegant home he had recently abandoned for a life in the 
 west. He talked lovingly of his parents and childhood sports, 
 and spoke reverently of his sweetheart the former made me 
 very desirous of seeing father and sisters, and the latter filled 
 me with an inexpressable longing to see my own dark-eyed 
 Nora. At one point of his narrative I was profused in tears, 
 the next moment convulsed with laughter. We learned to love 
 each other and, on reaching Helena, parted in tears. 
 
 Having unloaded the train we repaired to Mr. Perkins' 
 office to receive our wages for the trip, after which I pre- 
 sented a due-bill, signed by the superintendent and his chief 
 clerk for nine hundred and fifty dollars, which I deposited 
 with them when I began work for the company, and Mr. Wall, 
 not having recognized me until its presentation, grasped my 
 hand in the embrace of fatherly affection and said, "My lad, I 
 hope you will not let our little fight at Benton be the means 
 of driving you from our employment. Mr. Perkins has spoken 
 of you in the highest terms of praise and I shall be exceedingly 
 glad to have you rem'ain with us." I assured him that our late 
 unpleasantness was not the reason for my quitting him ; then 
 told him of my father's return and how I longed to see him 
 again. "Mr. Perkins and I," said the captain, "were talking 
 of you this morning and mapped out a course by which we 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS ill 
 
 intended making a thorough business man of you, but, having 
 heard your story and feeling a parent's love I cannot, in jus- 
 tice to your father, hold out any inducement that would be 
 likely to keep you from him. I will say, however, that if you 
 conclude to return to the mountains, come to us and we will 
 then see what we can do for you." Then at his suggestion I 
 sold my fine revolvers and big whip to one of the boys and ex- 
 changed with him my gold dust and coin for greenbacks the 
 latter being worth only seventy-five cents on the dollar and 
 by this trade my fortune was swelled to upwards of sixteen 
 hundred dollars, which I proudly bore away in a beautifully 
 beaded money belt presented me by Mr. Wall Mr. Perkins 
 also gave me a handsome present as a token of his respect and 
 good will. Mr. Wall said I could return with his train free of 
 charge to Benton, and I could take passage on a steamboat 
 for home. After receiving the blessings, the expressions of 
 love, and the expressed hope of a safe journey, of these noble, 
 generous-hearted gentlemen, I bade them farewell and the 
 next morning before they were out o bed the train was en- 
 route for Benton. 
 
 Having nothing to do and detesting the conversation of 
 the average teamster, I wandered from the road with my soul 
 ablaze with the anticipated joys in meeting the loved ones in 
 old Missouri. I searched far and near for a certain flower 
 which possessed all the hues of the rainbow. The abundance 
 and variety of other flowers was simply wonderful but the 
 species for which I searched was very scarce and when I found 
 one I greedily plucked it from its stem, placed it neatly in the 
 center of a handful of other choice flowers and then (mentally) 
 presented the handsome boquet to my darling Nora, the play- 
 mate of my childhood, the object and joy of my heart. It is 
 strange how the thoughts and desires so persistently cling to a 
 prospective object which has recently aroused the slumbering 
 affections. Previous to my meeting Mr. Cameron, the hand- 
 some and fluent New Yorker, I rarely thought of the dear ones 
 at home, but, when my face was turned toward "God's coun- 
 try," the land of my youth, then it was that I began to think 
 of them and frequently said, "Oh ! my beloved, every moment, 
 every second is bringing me closer, ever closer to thee." 
 
 Arriving at the fort I was delighted to see, lying at the 
 wharf, the little stern-wheel pocket Mr. Wall had spoken of. 
 And, half an hour later, I was duly booked cabin passenger for 
 St. Joseph, Missouri. I feasted my eyes on the beautiful, curi- 
 ous and wonderful scenes on both sides of the river, but none 
 half so sublime, yet pathetic, as the one I beheld some dis- 
 tance below the confluence of Milk River with the Missouri. 
 
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 To the north could be seen great clouds of dust rising and a 
 rumbling noise, like that produced by a heavy wind rushing 
 through a forest, reached our ears. Presently a long line of 
 buffalo appeared on the ridge overlooking the little bottom. 
 and seeing the boat directly in front of them, without halting, 
 they bore away to the left at a rapid gait as if bent on heading 
 us off. Their course led them to a precipice some forty or 
 more feet in height, at the base of which the main current of 
 the river flower. The leaders on reaching the cliff, tried to 
 stop or change their course, but those behind crowded them 
 over the precipice and the whole herd, a hundred or more, like 
 sheep jumping a pasture fence followed them in rapid suc- 
 cession. Had it not been for the depth and swiftness of the 
 stream, which swept them on as they fell like shot from a 
 tower, the entire band must have perished on the spot. Rising 
 to the surface they snorted loudly and made for the opposite 
 shore, and by the time the last one of the herd took the dizzy 
 leap, the boat was in the midst of the swimming creatures. It 
 was the work of a moment to form a loop at the end of a tow 
 line and selecting a cow I caught the noose over her head. 
 By means of the great spar and "nigger-head" she was hoisted 
 on deck and slaughtered. For this slight manifestation of my 
 skill with the lasso, I was dubbed "Buffalo Charley," and much 
 admired by the captain and his wife. 
 
 About the first of August, seventeen days after leaving 
 Benton, the little boat landed at St. Joseph, Missouri. I pro- 
 ceeded at once to Kahn's clothing emporium where I donned 
 a suit of fine new clothes, then boarded the two o'clock train 
 for Rushville, and three-quarters of an hour later I was stand- 
 ing in the presence of my father. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Four years of terrible warfare and crushing adversity had 
 not affected father's old Virginia ideas of hospitality, nor his 
 habit of interrogating strangers. The old decanter which I 
 had many times passed around the board filled with "Apple- 
 jack" and a glass were handed to me with "Take something 
 stranger." My refusal surprised him and staring at me for a 
 moment, he asked, "What is your name, sir?" "John Wat- 
 son." "Where are beg pardon, sir, did you say Helena, Mon- 
 tana?" "Yes, sir." He was about to ask, "Where are you go- 
 ing, sir?" but the mention of Helena bethought him of his 
 wandering boy and, as he again fastened his large, blue eyes 
 upon me, I could see the parental love beaming forth like the 
 rays of a morning sun. It was all I could do to restrain the 
 tears and hold myself from his throbbing bosom, and kissing 
 him, which would have answered the question I saw quivering 
 on his lips. His manner was completely changed ; instead of 
 an indignant stare, his gaze was one of condescension and he 
 courteously remarked, "Perhaps, sir, you knew my baby boy ; 
 Polk, out there." "The object of my visit, sir," I said, "is to 
 tell you all about your boy." Just then Joe Fry who had pre- 
 ceded my arrival by several days entered the room and, ex- 
 tending his hand toward me, said, "How do you do, Polk?" 
 The next instant I was folded in father's loving embrace. The 
 parent of that much abused prodigal could not have been hap- 
 pier than was my dear old father on this occasion. He wept 
 like a child, and between sobs, said, "Joe told em that you had 
 gone to Alaska and I feared I should never see you again." 
 
 Father returned from the war on Christmas night, 1865. 
 and found mother in an almost destitute condition. He also 
 found himself financially wrecked. The Kansas jayhawkers 
 and his step-son (Pance Fry) had stripped him of all his per- 
 sonal property and all that was left of the well-equipped still- 
 house was the stock of the old wooden pump ; and the Missouri 
 had, with the exception of one hundred acres of timber, swal- 
 lowed up the once famous "River Side Farm." He sold the 
 timber for two thousand dollars, which was barely sufficient 
 to cancel his debts, thus leaving him without a dollar, but with 
 
114 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 an enviable reputation for veracity and integrity which he 
 prized above everything else. Alfred Fenton, a rich gentleman 
 of Rushville, of whom I shall have occasion to speak further on, 
 gave father a start in the saloon business and when I reached 
 home he was in a prosperous condition. 
 
 At the close of a week's visit with my sisters and sweet- 
 heart, I returned to my father's house, only to find his family 
 increased. Joe Fry had married and brought his wife home 
 and his brother Richard had arrived from the mountains, all 
 serenely lodging and feasting at my father's expense. A few 
 weeks passed pleasantly, then all except father began to regard 
 me as an intruder. Mother slighted me at the table, rarely 
 made my bed, and did my white shirts and underwear up in 
 a slovenly manner, while exact neatness and studied courtesy 
 in everything was extended toward her own children, thus 
 making her neglect of me all the more glaring and significant. 
 She also joined them in criticising my clothing, manners and 
 language. When I made use of some western phrase, they, 
 amid boisterous laughter, exclaimed, "that's grammar for you 
 with a vengeance," or "with which of the old masters did you 
 study?" I could barely read in the first reader but could not 
 write, therefore, after four years of association with the roughest 
 element of the west, it may be inferred that my grammatical 
 errors were numerous, that my ideas though frank and always can- 
 did, were crude and immature, and I confess that my dress was 
 rather extravagant for a boy. While their criticisms were de- 
 livered in what I regarded as a playful, friendly manner, I ac- 
 cepted them in good faith, but when it became apparent that 
 they were poured out in a spirit of contempt, I resented them. 
 They were simply trying to drive me from home by their taunts 
 and incivilities and on two or three occasions mother hinted at my 
 father's displeasure of my presence, but so long as he said 
 nothing to that effect himself I pretended not to hear or under- 
 stand her. Then Canna, Joe's wife, a sweet faced, willing little 
 creature, whom I liked very much, approached me in a confi- 
 dential mianner and expressed great sympathy for me on ac- 
 count of father's "discourteous conduct" toward me. It was 
 "apparent" to her that he was "getting tired of feeding" me 
 for nothing. These evil suggestions coming from one who 
 seemed deeply interested in my welfare, one whom I respected 
 and admired (notwithstanding she sometimes laughed at me) 
 and being of a simple confiding nature, I was the more ready 
 to consider them in the light of reason and cold facts. Father 
 one day remarked that since I would not attend school which 
 I declined to do on the ground that I could not bear to subject 
 myself as laughing stock for small children I had better go to 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 115 
 
 work instead of idling my time away and spending my money 
 foolishly. Significant glances from five pairs of malicious eyes 
 were shot at me as if to say, "I guess you will take the hint 
 now." If I was simple and confiding, I was also as proud as 
 Lucifer and readily took "the hint," since it came from lawful 
 authority. Canna's subtle tongue had shaken my faith in fath- 
 er's love, poisoned my mind with the oil of suspicion, and pre- 
 pared me to resent his kindly advice, coupled with his frowns 
 and the manner in which it was given, convinced me that Can- 
 na was right. Pride and the desire to avoid trouble with my 
 arch enemy constrained me to leave home. I arose from the 
 dinner table before finishing the meal, went to the stable, sad- 
 dled my pony and rode rapidly away. Arriving at sister 
 Sarah's house my temper had somewhat subsided, and I was 
 capable of discussing with her, in a dispassionate manner, the 
 course of my precipitated flight from home. We concluded 
 father's advice was not directed at me, but given in the hope 
 that my step-brothers would acknowledge its propriety and act 
 accordingly. 
 
 I rode down to Rushville, one day, in response to father's 
 invitation. Entering the saloon I found him alone, and, after 
 the little rupture between us had been satisfactorily explained 
 away, he proposed that I should enter into partnership with 
 him and assume full control of the business, but I declined to 
 accept his proposition on any terms. We then engaged in an 
 argument as to the nterits, or demerits, of the liquor traffic. 
 He held that the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors 
 had been a legal and honorable business throughout the his- 
 torical period, quoted scripture, and such political dogmas as 
 "the voice of the people is the law," and "the majority must, 
 and will, rule," to prove his statements. Of course I was not 
 able to measure intellectual swords, on a great theme, with a 
 man of mature years and profound wisdom, and who knew the 
 Bible almost by heart, was well versed in history and a veteran 
 controversalist. He did not, however, succeed in converting 
 me to his ideas for I believed then, as now, that history and 
 political assumptions were not proper criterions upon which 
 to base a great moral law ; that the majority was not always 
 right, and the minority not always wrong; and as for "the 
 voice of the people," history shows that individual man has 
 ever been prone to "run after a multitude to do evil/' but I 
 could not present my convictions and hence was obliged to 
 adhere to the one assertion that it was "wrong to take a man's 
 money for something that did him harm instead of good." 
 Father admired my firmness and respected the position I had 
 taken to the extent of condescending to ask my opinion as to 
 
116 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 the propriety of allowing boys to frequent and lounge about 
 saloons. In substance my reply was that boys ought to be per- 
 mitted to go wherever their fathers went, and if the saloon was 
 a proper place for the latter, the former would not be seriously 
 damaged by lounging about it. This discussion was abruptly 
 terminated by the entrance of the widow Yazell (whose two 
 sons, George and Kelly, excellent young men, were among 
 father's best customers) who at first sight was very mild and 
 courteous in forbidding father to allow her boys to come into 
 the saloon, then grew furiously abusive. "My good woman," 
 said father, "if I shut my door against your boys, they will go 
 elsewhere to spend their time and money ; they are almost of 
 age and capable I think of judging for themselves the course to 
 pursue, therefore, I cannot comply with your unreasonable de- 
 mand." Mrs. Yazell was a devoted Christian, an honest hard- 
 working Christian, and no doubt felt justified in invoking from 
 Heaven a fearful curse upon my father, after which she prophe- 
 sied that his business should wither like Jonah's gourd! that 
 he, himself, should come to grief and shame and that his family 
 should be utterly destroyed whether the good lady was or 
 was not uttering words of inspiration may be inferred from 
 subsequent chapters. She said, as she flounced out of the room, 
 "God is on my side, he'll avenge my wrongs and overturn this 
 accursed house of Satan." The word "Satan" had scarcely 
 passed her lips when the building began to tremble violently, 
 chairs waltzed around the room in regular file, whisky bottles 
 made graceful bows at each other and then tumbled from the 
 shelf, bar glasses made frantic efforts to get out of the rack, 
 while their "chink chink" against one another seemed to have 
 a special significance and the billiard balls rolled to and fro 
 across the table, their hard surfaces as they came together 
 produced a metallic ring not noticeable in them before. I 
 never had such a peculiar and awful sensation pass over me 
 as I experienced on this occasion, and father, the only time I 
 ever saw him frightened, was as white as this paper. And as 
 the terrified widow flew down the street she shouted, "Oh! 
 God, Oh ! God, have mercy on us." She had presumed a little 
 too far on the Lord's prerogative and it seemed likely that she 
 had by her rashness, called upon herself and us speedy destruc- 
 tion. Father and I hastened out of the room. The room was 
 filled with wonder-stricken and frightened people, some cry- 
 ing, others on their knees praying, and still others standing 
 erect with their hands stretched Heavenward and loudly im- 
 ploring God to spare them and the town. This amusing, yet 
 pathetic and awe-inspiring scene, was caused by an earthquake 
 shock lasting ten or fifteen seconds, but this was sufficient to 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 117 
 
 fill the people with excitement and terror. Mrs. Yazell, the 
 widow, and author of this disturbance and fearful apprehen- 
 sion, is, I am happy to say, still living- and prays that the "gates 
 of Heaven may open to receive Polk Wells" God grant that 
 it may be so. 
 
 About the first of May, 1867, I went to Kansas, and hired to 
 Mr. Howard Glenn, wagon foreman for Russell & Majors, to drive 
 a team to Santa Fe, New Mexico. At this time the Sioux. 
 Pawnee, Dog-Soldier, Comanche, and Cheyenne Indians were 
 committing bloody depredations all along the frontier settle- 
 ments from the Niobrara, in northern Nebraska, down to the 
 Rio Pecos in northern New Mexico. Having crossed the 
 Neosho river we camped for dinner. A recruiting officer came 
 to the camp, and after a well directed speech on the cruelties 
 perpetrated by the Indians, called for volunteers. Seven of the 
 men, including myself and George Caruthers, a former com- 
 panion on the plains, and whom I had shot through the right 
 arm before leaving Atchison for attempting to force me at the 
 muzzle of a pistol to drink whisky with him, responded to the 
 invitation and immediately set out on foot for Council Grove, 
 where our captain had in waiting teams to convey us to Junc- 
 tion City, where we would be sworn in and equipped for the 
 expedition. While in Council Grove, awaiting the arrival of 
 other recruits, a large number of men collected on the street 
 one evening and were discussing the various outrages, when a 
 woe-begone looking outfit halted in front of the excited crowd. 
 The man held a pair of rope reins over a span of very poor 
 horses, hitched to a clumsy and rickety old wagon, behind 
 which wa.s tied another horse equally as poor as the team. The 
 grasshoppers had destroyed the previous year's crop and now 
 the Indians had driven him from his little home. "But," said 
 he, smiling sweetly, "I'll be all right if I can get back to my 
 wife's people in Old Missouri, and (pointing to the extra horse) 
 I'll sell that animal for half he's worth rather than have to beg 
 my way home." "At what do you value the horse ?" asked 
 some one in the crowd. "Three hundred dollars," was the 
 prompt reply. The shout of derision that rent the air caused 
 the poor, sick wife to raise her head and peep out from under 
 the tattered and besmeared old wagon sheet; the children too 
 with their pale, hunger-pinched faces, looked out to see what 
 was the matter. The picture thus presented had been so fre- 
 quently reproduced to the inhabitants of Council Grove that 
 they seemed to have lost all interest in, pity for, and desire to 
 help such unfortunates. I caught a glimpse of the wave of sor- 
 row and disappointment that spread over the sick woman's 
 face when her husband informed her that the men were laugh- 
 
118 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ing at his "proposition to sell Frank for one hundred and fifty 
 dollars." The sickened wife lay back on her humble couch, 
 the husband picked up his rope reins, lightly tapping his horses 
 with them said, "Come lads, we must move on." "Knowledge 
 is the hill which few may hope to climb. Duty is the path 
 which all may tread." Here, then, was an opportunity to put 
 in practice the golden rule, an opportunity to rebuke an un- 
 feeling, sympathetic people, an opportunity to do my duty as 
 I felt it, and thereby make happy a weary, forlorn family; 
 therefore my ire at the crowd for its shameful conduct and 
 sympathy for the unhappy wife and children, being aroused to 
 the highest pitch I determined to buy the animal, and shouted. 
 "Hold, my friend, let me look at your horse." He brought his 
 team to a halt with a jerk, walked back to Frank, untied him 
 and led him around and around, up and down the street, then, 
 holding a stick two or three feet from the ground, said, "Frank, 
 come over, sir." The horse leaped back and forth over the 
 stick like a trained dog. The exercises through which he put 
 the horse showed that the animal was sound, and the pedigree 
 he gave him was doubtless true; both of which were wholly 
 unnecessary since I had decided to take him though he should 
 die on my hands the next moment after paying for him. I 
 counted out one hundred and fifty dollars and handed them to 
 the (now) happy man and sent him on his way rejoicing. As 
 I led Frank past the crowd an old man remarked, "That's a 
 noble-hearted young man." "Yes," said another, "a fool and 
 his money are soon parted." The consciousness of having 
 done my duty toward a distressed brother, of having performed 
 a noble act, thereby casting the rays 'of sunshine and hope into 
 an otherwise clouded life, filled my mind with most pleasure- 
 able sensations, hence I allowed this misanthropic pessimist 
 and his ungenerous thrust at my sanity to pass unheeded I 
 was not only happy myself, but had made others so, too. 
 
 Arriving at Junction City, our captain informed us that 
 the call for volunteers had been fully responded to seven days 
 past, consequently our little band of would-be Indian fighters 
 was dismissed without ceremony. 
 
 The proprietor of the private boarding house at which 
 Caruthers and I lodged, was head hostler in the livery stable 
 where I kept Frank. My companion got work in the stable, 
 while I, for two weeks, put in most of my time feeding, rub- 
 bing and exercising my horse, who, at the end of that time, was 
 as proud and spirited as a game-cock. Returning one evening 
 from my regular exercise, I noticed a fine horse in the stall 
 next to Frank, and since I know of no animal (except a pretty 
 woman) that will attract my attention quicker, or more thor- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 119 
 
 oughly arouse my admiration than a noble horse, naturally I 
 wished to know to whom the animal belonged. Caruthers in- 
 formed me that he ha,d been left there by the famous scout. 
 Wild Bill, who, though regarded in the east as a human mon- 
 ster, was in the west looked up to as the prototype of honor 
 and manly courage. His picture was displayed in every win- 
 dow. His name in deeds of valor on every tongue, and while 
 he was, from the sod hut to the mansion, and from the camp 
 fire to the military post, the reverenced hero, he was also a 
 terror to, and the object of hatred to evil doers, whom he pur- 
 sued with bloodhound sagacity and invincible purpose. For 
 sometime it had been my desire and ambition to make the ac- 
 quaintance of, and to accompany this honored and respected 
 scout of western nobility on some dangerous enterprise, and. 
 putting my horse away, hurried up town to see the all-impor- 
 tant individual. My conceptions of Wild Bill were of such 
 wondrous proportions that I had but little hope of his conde- 
 scending to even speak to me, much less to engage me as a 
 fighting comrade, yet I was constrained, as a bark impelled 
 against a craggy coast, to seal my fate by personal interview 
 or contact with the scout my ideal of physical perfection and 
 intellectual supremacy. I was standing on a corner, listening 
 to some men talking about the outrages of the Indians, the 
 depredations of white robbers and the too frequent desertions 
 from the army, when Bill rode up and asked, "Can I get a man 
 from this crowd to go with me for a few days?" It was evi- 
 dent, from his hurried manner, and determined look, that he 
 was bent on carrying out some dangerous commission. The 
 noted scouts and adventurous characters of the city had accom- 
 panied the various Indian expeditions, and these fellows, (the 
 dudes of the town) brought forth excuses similar to those who 
 were bidden to the "Great Supper ;" therefore it seemed reason- 
 ably certain that Bill was doomed to follow his quest in silence 
 and alone. I had felt that a conversation with Wild Bill, or 
 even the privilege of touching the fringe on his buckskin coat 
 would be an honor and a blessing, and moreover inspire me 
 with something of his great courage and unequalled sagacity; 
 but now the opportunity was present, I shrank from making 
 the necessary application, yet I managed, though my heart was 
 in my mouth, to say, "I will go with you Sir." He turned his 
 piercing eyes upon me, and, with a frown on his handsome 
 face, a touch of contempt in his voice, said, "You don't call 
 yourself a man, I hope." To be sure I was but a beardless boy. 
 without influential friends to recommend me, but had, pre- 
 viously, felt myself equal to almost any undertaking, yet on 
 this occasion I was abashed, and quailed beneath the fierce 
 
120 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 glances of the greatest scout in the west. As I retreated a 
 step or two a contemptuous smile spread over features of the 
 spectators, and, resting their cowardly gaze upon me, they in- 
 dulged in various satirical remarks on my " presumtpion" as 
 they termed it. Their unjust criticisms stung to the quick and 
 aroused my wonted boldness and pride, the all-powerful gov- 
 ernor of moral action, which sent me lightly to the curbstone 
 and enabled me to say, "Sir, I may not be a man in size or age. 
 but I am a man, in-as-much as I am able and willing to follow 
 whithersoever you may choose to lead." "Bravo/' said the 
 scout, dismounting and cordially grasping my hand, "That's 
 the way I like to hear a fellow talk. Come, young man, let us 
 be off." We walked down to the stable where we made a care- 
 ful examination of Frank, and after witnessing my workman- 
 ship, expressed himself as being perfectly satisfied with my 
 horse, and doubly willing to have me accompany him on his 
 perilous trip. Leaving the stable we went directly to his room 
 where I was made acquainted with his plans and purposes. "I 
 have," said he, "for several days, been trailing five men ; two 
 of them are deserters from Fort Wallace, and the others are 
 robbers. I have here authority producing the document to 
 bring them back dead, or alive ; what say you?" I assured him 
 of my hearty co-operation, whereupon he said, "We'll take a 
 wash and go down to the restaurant and get a good meal before 
 starting, as it will be the last we shall enjoy for several days, 
 for the men are many miles ahead of us by this time." While 
 T was washing Bill drew my knife and read, engraved on the 
 silver plates on both sides of the handles, these words : "From 
 Kit Carson to C. P. Wells." As I turned to the towel to dry 
 my face, he sprang forward with the knife partially raised in 
 his right hand, and with the left caught me by the shoulder and 
 rudely turned me around face to face with him. My hair 
 seemed to stand erect, for I thought I was about to be made a 
 sacrifice to appease the appetite of this man-eater of the west. 
 Springing quickly to one side, I threw myself into a defensive 
 attitude and determined to sell my life as dearly as possible. 
 Bill divined my thoughts and instantly dropped his hands to 
 his sides, laughed heartily and said, "Charles, don't be too 
 hasty. I had no thought of harming you. I saw Kit Carson 
 last summer, and he told me all about your little affair with 
 Slade at Old Julesburg, and this knife (holding it up) is equiv- 
 alent to a letter of introduction from that honored scout and 
 friend." 
 
 Having finished our toilet we hastened to the restaurant, 
 and, after an excellent repast, mounted our horses and rode 
 rapidly toward the trail ef the fugitives, who were heading for 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 121 
 
 the Indian Territory, as two of them had friends living at, or 
 near, Vinita. Wishing to avoid uninteresting details of this 
 chase, I will simply state that we captured the men, and, re- 
 turning to the city, delivered them to the proper authorities, 
 and for my services I received fifty dollars and marked praise, 
 which I valued a grrat deal more than money, from the famous 
 scout, manhunting Wild Bill. 
 
 Next morning Bill boarded a K. P. passenger train for 
 Kansas City, while Caruthers and myself went west with a 
 haying outfit belonging to Messrs. Brown & Callen of Junction 
 City, and Dr. Robison of Manhattan. These gentlemen had 
 contracted with "Uncle Sam" to put up eight hundred tons of 
 hay at Fort Wallace and several hundred cords of wood at 
 Monument Station. Mr. Robinson, being the brainy man and 
 wire-pulling financier of the company, accompanied us and,. on 
 reaching Fort Hayes, prevailed on the Post Commander to 
 furnish him fifty negro soldiers in charge of a bright mulatto 
 sergeant to escort his train to Wallace. Most of the teamsters, 
 like myself, were southern sympathizers, hence an ill feeling 
 existed between them and the sable escort from the time it 
 joined us until we separated. After passing Monument Station 
 we camped, one day, on the Smoky Hill River. I went down 
 to the stream to water my horse, and, after picketing him on 
 the grass, returned to camp. Sitting in the shade of the "mess- 
 wagon" were two white men and two negroes playing "seven- 
 up." This was a spectacle I had not before witnessed; it was 
 a little too much for my democratic ideas of social equality, 
 therefore, in tones expressive of the deepest dudgeon and con- 
 tempt, I said : "You white men are reducing yourselves to the 
 level of negroes by playing cards with them." Then, with 
 feelings of great superiority and disdain, I turned to walk 
 away, when the sergeant (who was one of the players) sprang 
 to his feet and remarked, "I'm jest 'bout as white as you is 
 (which was certainly true) an' persume miself bettern'n po' 
 white trash." Such impudence and audacity in a "nigger" was 
 more than high-pitched rebel gravity could stand, so I slapped 
 the sergeant in the face, and was promptly knocked down by 
 him. This exchange of blows precipitated a general 
 fight, during which I had my shirt torn off and 
 was completely disabled by a kick in the stomach from a 
 burly, black negro, who was instantly rendered "hors de com- 
 bat" by a lick on the head from an ox-bow by my friend Car- 
 uthers. I fell backward over the edge of an incline leading to 
 the brink of a precipice overlooking the river. This incline 
 was covered with sand burrs and prickly pears, whose thorns 
 had free access to my flesh as I rolled toward the cliff, on the 
 
122 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 edge of which I lodged against some small bushes, with my 
 face toward the river. The kick in the stomach, however, 
 rendered me insensible to the thorn thrusts, and unconscious 
 of my perilous situation, for had those bushes given way I 
 would have passed through fifty feet of space before striking 
 the river bed, which was a hard-pan formation, and covered 
 with only a few inches of water. While the battle was raging 
 most furiously two strangers appeared, and my being naked 
 from the waist up, and battling with a physically superior foe, 
 their interest and attention was centered upon me, but for a 
 moment their eyes were taken from me and when returned I 
 had disappeared, over the incline. A minute later the fight 
 ceased and I was becoming conscious of my situation, when 
 one of the strangers seized my arm and assisted me up the in- 
 cline and turned me over to Caruthers, who industriously ap- 
 plied himself for two hours extracting thorns from my body. 
 
 Dr. Robinson had been a surgeon in the Union Army dur- 
 ing the rebellion, hence he had, from the start, tried to enforce 
 his ideas by military discipline upon his men, and now, being 
 wroth at me as the originator of the row, which delayed the 
 train that evening, he purposed to chastise him, there- 
 by putting a stop to his pugnacity." These words were ad- 
 dressed to Mr. Jack Council, the wagon foreman, who had 
 known me all my life, and who persuaded the doctor to aban- 
 don his rash intentions. The purposed chastisement consisted 
 of tying me to a wagon wheel and flogging me with a black- 
 snake whip. Had the doctor called upon the negroes to exe- 
 cute his cruel design there would have been a deadly encoun- 
 ter, for every teamster, including those I had rebuked, buckled 
 on his revolvers ready to defend me. The doctor and I,- 1 am 
 happy to say, soon became good friends, and he, after the out- 
 fit had fulfilled its mission and returned to Junction City 
 which was not accomplished without many noteworthy events 
 recommended me to several gentlemen as an "honest, trust- 
 worthy boy." 
 
 During the spring and summer of 1868 I was engaged in 
 various ways, sometimes driving hack about the city, at others 
 collecting beef cattle for the butchers, or scouting with Wild 
 Bill for Indians or other law-breakers. On one occasion we 
 got after three men who had stolen five horses from an old 
 farmer near Junction City. Early twilight of the second day 
 we came in sight of the fugitives' camp fire on the Neosho 
 River. Leaving the trail we rode direct to the river bottom, 
 which we followed down to within half a mile of our prospec- 
 tive point, when we halted, and, after caring for our horses, 
 proceeded to eat our crackers and dried beef which we washed 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 12,3 
 
 down with Neosho water. Having finished our frugal meal 
 we resumed our journey on foot toward the fugitives and did 
 not halt until almost within the radius of the light of their 
 camp-fire. We were close enough to occasionally catch a few 
 words of what the men had to say. One fellow laughingly re- 
 marked ,"I guess we have given that long-haired cuss the slip 
 at last." "Not much," said Bill as he mischievously but good- 
 naturedly twitched my ear. He had been in the saddle almost 
 day and night for a week, was, of course, very tired and having 
 implicit confidence in me, and after giving me instructions, 
 stretched himself and quickly went to sleep. The men being 
 in a sparsely settled country believed themselves comparative- 
 ly safe, or they would not have started a fire, yet they deemed 
 it advisable to appoint one of their number to stand guard 
 while the others slept. Their sentinel appeared to be perfectly 
 contented as he made regular puffs from the short stem of his 
 corncob pipe. With the toe of his boot he occasionally stirred 
 the fire which sent up fitful blazes, illuminating the woods for 
 rods around and causing the giant-like trees to assume peculiar 
 and fantastic shapes. Again my fellow watchman looked at 
 his watch and, turning to his companion, said, "Come Dick, 
 get up, it is half-past twelve o'clock." "Oh! h 1, lay down 
 and go to sleep ; we are in no danger here." "That's my opin- 
 ion, too," replied the first speaker, who stretched himself on 
 the ground with head in his saddle and slept soundly. 
 
 The silver moon was nearing the horizon and a last ray 
 from that wondrous orb stole through the thick foliage and for 
 a moment rested upon the upturned, handsome face of Wild 
 Bill. He lay so still I thought him dead but, gently placing 
 my hand on his broad chest, the strong regular pulsations of 
 his heart convinced me that he was sleeping the sleep of the 
 brave, the true and the just. The familiar notes of the coyotes 
 had long since died away and the horses, too, had ceased their 
 monotonous "crop, crop" of the grass ; so that a death-like 
 stillness reigned over the romantic scene. Being thus left 
 alone, I sat down, leaned against a tree, with face toward the 
 men and delivered myself up to the sweet, though in some re- 
 spects regretful retrospect. I had left home in a, fit of melan- 
 choly, the result of my Nora's seeming indifference toward me. 
 there was but one object on my memory and upon that object 
 did my affections dwell. I was transported in thought to the 
 little farm house in Missouri where lived my Nora. I mentally 
 gazed into her deep brown eyes and again heard her say in 
 faltering tones, "I would not cross the plains any more if I 
 were you." This 'is what she said the day I held her little 
 hand in mine and bade her good-bye. I had told sister Ruth 
 
124 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 that I was going away because Nora would not play with and. 
 kiss me as she used to do while we were children. "Oh ! you 
 silly boy," said my sister, "Nora loves you as she does her own 
 soul, but she cannot grant you the same privileges that she once 
 did." Ruth was right, of course, but I was unable at that time, 
 by any process of reasoning at my command, to draw an ethic- 
 al line between Polk Wells the playfellow and Mr. Wells, the 
 lover, for in either stage of life my love for Nora was as pure 
 as it was ardent ; hence I saw no excuse for reserve and con- 
 ventionality. Her sadness at my departure was apparent and I 
 seemed to gloat on it, but, sitting in the loneliness of the night 
 in the presence of evil men, not knowing what the morning 
 would bring forth, and with her sorrowful face before my 
 mind's eye, my actions toward her had a recoiling force which 
 struck me with a vengeance; my heart was pierced with the 
 arrows of remorse for having deserted the loveliest creature 
 on earth for the frivilous cause (to her momentous cause) of 
 refraining from an embrace or withholding a kiss. Oppressed 
 with the bitterness of remorse and loneliness, my thoughts nat- 
 urally reverted to scenes of childhood and other days on the 
 plains, and my melancholy surroundings recalled the stories 
 of the "Middle Ages," which I had heard my father read. 
 Mailed Knights and Cowled Padres with their innumerable 
 serfs and crowned kings in their pomrp and glory of ancient 
 times all passed in mental review. The transition of my mind 
 from one subject was easy and rapid. I reflected on the prob- 
 able cause that led to the misdeeds of the men lying asleep 
 within a stone's throw, and pondered on the great fame of Wild 
 Bill. My disjointed reverie was interrupted by the stolen 
 horses making a simultaneous attack on the rich grass, and a 
 moment later a meadow lark the prairie nightingale sent 
 forth a stream of melody that warned me of the approach of 
 day. I knew the scout wanted to make some preliminary ar- 
 rangements before assaulting the enemy, so I touched him on 
 the shoulder and said, "Bill." One spring landed him at my 
 side, and, with his eyes flashing in the darkness, he said, "What 
 time is it? Is everything all right?" I pointed up to the lark, 
 still filling the air with his lovely song, and then to the streaks 
 of light athwart the eastern sky. My companion was familiar 
 with every foot of this country and decided, therefore, to place 
 the enemy between us and the river, the ground in that direc- 
 tion being less thickly covered with timber, rendering it next 
 to impossible for the men to escape the unerring aim of Wild 
 Bill in case they should run when apprised of his presence. 
 After administering a gentle reprimand for *my failure to wak- 
 en him at midnight as per order, the scout said, "Follow me." 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 125 
 
 Reaching the objective point we lay down in the tall grass to 
 await broad daylight. Presently the men arose and started a 
 roaring fire, on which they placed juicy steaks from the quarter 
 of some farmer's bullock. The odor of the broiling meat almost 
 drove us mad with hunger. One of the men (whistling the 
 "Arkansas Traveler") went out to inspect the horses and find- 
 ing them all right returned to camp, singing the burlesque 
 song on "Brigham Young." His parody on the original chorus 
 created a hearty laugh and evoked the general term of praise, 
 "well done, my boy." The change of airs showed the mood and 
 versatility of the man. This easy transition, however, from 
 the sentimental to the ridiculous is common with the criminal 
 who, when in doubt, sings something befitting the state of his 
 feelings, but who, when confidence is restored and prosperity 
 apparent, exhibits the lively aspects of his nature by singing 
 something in harmony therewith. While the men were eating 
 their hard-tack and steak, we were worming our way through 
 the tall grass toward them, and their faces being toward the 
 river enabled us to approach within a few rods of them ; 
 .here we waited until the light of day had consumed the fire- 
 light, when we arose, and, in catlike bounds, sprang upon our 
 prey. Bill shouted "surrender." The men leaped to their feet, 
 intending, no doubt, to resist or run, but seeing four large pis- 
 tols leveled at them dropped their guns and meekly submitted 
 to the inevitable. We secured the men and returned to Junc- 
 tion City, where they were properly disposed of and the stolen 
 horses delivered to their rightful owners. 
 
 The reflections of that lonely night on the Neosho, and 
 more especially the sad face (as I then saw it) of my sweet- 
 heart, were constantly before me. I hastened to settle up my 
 business matters preparatory to an early start to old Mis- 
 souri, "therefore," I thought, "I must bid Wild Bill good-bye 
 tonight, as I will not have an opportunity of doing so in the 
 morning. When I entered the room Bill was preparing to 
 spend the night in a gambling house. He, after being apprised 
 of my fears and intentions, looked me full in the face for a mo- 
 ment, then said, "Come, let us go down and have a game of 
 poker or faro (his favorites), and that sad look and melancholy 
 feeling of yours will disappear." "No, Bill," said I, "I cannot 
 do that. I would gladly follow you through fire, and even into 
 a gambling house if necessary to accomplish some worthy end 
 but never for the purpose you suggest." I then told him of 
 my experience with faro while in Helena, Montana, and of the 
 vow to which I invoked, as a witness, the spirit of my dear 
 mother. He paced the floor for a minute, then turning to me 
 with tears coursing down his sunburned cheeks, said, "My lit- 
 
126 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POIK WELLS 
 
 tie friend, forgive me for thus tempting you to break a vow 
 that should ever be sacred to the memory of your mother. I 
 once made a similar pledge to my dear mother, but have shock- 
 ingly violated it, from the fact that the gambling room and 
 cards possess charms that I cannot resist, and I find comfort 
 in them not attainable elsewhere ; though I would not for any- 
 thing encourage you in this direction at least, to follow in my 
 footsteps. It has been my opinion all the while that you were 
 a gambler, or I should not have made the proposition I did." 
 Instead of going to the hall, we spent the night together in his 
 rooms. Wild Bill feared not the devil nor regarded man, yet 
 the word "mother" caused his heart to throb like a pulsating 
 pyramid, brought tears to his eyes, and changed his prospec- 
 tive night's debauch into one of quietude and real enjoyment. 
 Having had ample opportunity to observe the peculiarities and 
 noble traits of character of this famed man, I am prepared to 
 say that he was a hero of heroes, enstamped with valor divine. 
 a star of beauty, a jewel coined synonym of the true, master of 
 the most perfect marksmanship attainable by finite capacity, 
 uncultured, yet wise as the serpent, an Apollo in form, a Her- 
 cules in strength, quick to resent a wrong, yet forgiving and 
 generous to a fault, and, when in seclusion with a friend, as 
 loving as a, girl and as playful as a child. 
 
 That portion of Kansas lying west of the line drawn from 
 Washington County to Wichita, was a bleak and barren coun- 
 try, unfit, it was thought, for the home of man. During Daniel 
 Webster's ascendancy in the Senate of the United States a bill 
 was presented to establish a mail route between Independence. 
 Missouri, and the mouth of the Columbia River, some three 
 thousand miles across plains and mountains, but the great 
 statesman denounced the measure in toto and exclaimed. 
 "What do we want with this vast, worthless area? This region 
 of savages and wild beasts, of deserts of shifting sands, and 
 whirl-winds of dusts, of cactus and prairie-dogs?" Mr. Web- 
 ster thought the country was then, and always would be 
 worthless, but today the entire proposed mail route is lined 
 with beautiful Christian homes and thriving towns and cities 
 which add great commercial importance to the United States. 
 And Wild Bill and Buffalo Bill (especially the former) did 
 more than any other two men to bring about this happy result. 
 They made it possible for General Miles, Crook and Custer to 
 act intelligently with regard to the movements of bands of 
 hostile Indians. They carried messages from one to the other 
 of those commanders when other scouts could not be induced 
 to venture across the hostile country. Therefore, Kansas will 
 not have fittingly acknowledged its appreciation of Wild Bill's 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 127 
 
 services, nor have done adequate justice to his memory until it has 
 erected at the state capitol at Topeka, a life size equestrian statue 
 of America's greatest scout, not excepting Kit Carson or "Cali- 
 fornia Joe." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 Having affectionately pressed the hand of Wild Bill for 
 the last time, I mounted Frank and set out for Missouri and 
 two days later reached the home of sister Sarah, who* informed 
 me that sister Ruth was dead and buried, and that the Fry boys 
 were still living with father. I first visited Nora, and having a 
 lover's quarrel with her, and deciding to leave the country 
 called on father to bid him good-bye. The noon meal being over 
 we .seated ourselves on the front porch for a talk. He, gently 
 laying his hand on my head, expressed the hope that I would 
 not again leave him; and, after speaking of his age and the 
 probability of his not living many years, again urged me to 
 take charge of the. saloon business. His confidential friend. 
 Alfred Fenton, previously alluded to, also urged me to remain 
 at home and take care of him. "Polk," said Mr. Fenton, "you 
 must stay at home and rid your father of the imposition put 
 upon him by your step-brothers, who have feasted on the fat 
 of the land at his expense ever since their return from the 
 mountains two years ago." My step-brothers drank the best 
 liquor, smoked the finest cigars, and, like Mark Twain's loafer 
 "never missed a meal or paid a cent." They ate at the first 
 table, thereby compelling my poor old father to take his meals 
 cold. It was this state of affairs that induced me to take charge 
 of the saloon, which was full of men when father and I entered 
 Dick Fry was playing billiards and Joe was engaged in a four- 
 handed game of seven-up. It was customary when they lost to 
 set out the drinks themselves, but otherwise made father wait 
 on them as if they were kings. I took my place behind the bar 
 and began arranging things to my notion. The seven-up game 
 ended and Joe had lost. He started to come behind the coun- 
 ter but I stopped him and said, "I shall be pleased to serve you, 
 sir." This, as I anticipated, made him angry, and without a 
 reply he turned and left the room. Dick lost his game, too, and 
 was treated similar to his brother whom he followed out of 
 doors the result was a terrible fight between us, but I main- 
 tained my position and succeeded in banishing the privileged 
 class from my father's house. When, on the evening of the 
 fight, I went to supper mother ordered me to leave the place, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 129 
 
 and declared that if her boys could not stay at home I should 
 not. I caught her in my arms, kissing- her and vowed that her 
 "God should be my God," and that, "I would be to her a son 
 indeed." I rose early every morning, built a fire in the cook 
 stove and put the tea-kettle on. I did all the milking, some- 
 times the churning, and occasionally washed the dishes for her. 
 For a while she treated me with alternate fits of rage and kind- 
 ness, but after her boys were beyond recall, and seeing that 
 my behavior toward her was uniformly kind and courteous ; 
 she responded in a true motherly spirit. I often gave her money 
 and did little acts of kindness she was not accustomed to re- 
 ceive from her sons or my father. In turn for these favors, 
 she became as solicitous about the care of my clothing as if I 
 really were her own son. When I dressed myself for a ball or 
 other special occasion she would not suffer me to depart until 
 she saw, with her own eyes, that everything about me was in 
 its proper condition. She always tied my neck-tie, and I imag- 
 ined she could get up the "bow" in the neatest manner pos- 
 sible. She tenaciously clung to her orthodox faith, therefore I 
 often, to oblige her, sacrificed engagements of my own in or- 
 der to escort her to church on Sunday, and to the regular night 
 meetings. The family, since the source of evil had departed 
 assumed a good-natured aspect. There were no more cross 
 looks or crusty words passed between father and mother. All 
 was sunhsine, and the wheels of domestic affairs moved har- 
 moniously together. 
 
 My father's extreme old age had rendered him a mere 
 play-thing in the hands of the rough element, therefore the 
 ''exchange" had become a noisy and unwholesome place on ac- 
 count of the too frequent brawls within its walls. Conse- 
 quently the better class of men withdrew their patronage and' 
 my initiatory degree as bar-tender was calculated to confirm 
 the withdrawal ; however, that day's triumph proved the con- 
 trary, for they established me as the hero of every fire-side in 
 Rushville. My demand for peace became the law, from which 
 no one presumed to appeal. I soon reduced the hitherto noisy 
 crowds to order and respectability, and set up a code of rules 
 which I maintained to the very letter. It soon became gen- 
 erally known that decent men could get their wants supplied 
 at the "Exchange" without running the risk of being insulted 
 or knocked down by some ruffian, and that I kept the best or- 
 der, the neatest house, a better quality of liquors and other re- 
 freshments than any of my contemporaries and even better 
 than my father had furnished. The latter was certainly imag- 
 inary, for father furnished all the supplies, and bought for me 
 the same grade of goods (always the best) he had used. How- 
 
130 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ever, the report served to increase my popularity as a saloon- 
 ist; therefore, all my father's old time friends including the 
 Pitts', Fentons, Severs', "Cash" boys, Wells', Wilson and the 
 numerous Watson family, all men. of wealth and respectability 
 returned their patronage to the "Exchange." I furnished 
 various ministers of the gospel with wine for sacramental pur- 
 poses, which is not strange since Missourians were a whisky- 
 drinking people. I record these facts with some degree of 
 pride, although the liquor traffic was then, has ever been, and 
 always will be, odious to my sense of right, and my father's 
 extreme necessity for a comforter and protector is the only 
 ground upon which I can base an excuse for ever engaging in 
 the accursed business at all. 
 
 Having put the " Exchange" in good order, I frequently 
 left father in charge and rode out in the country to visit and 
 enjoy myself with old friends. About the first of December 
 I accepted an invitation to attend the birthday party of my 
 good friend, Christopher Callahan. Arriving at the yard gate 
 I delivered Frank to the hostler and proceeded to the house, 
 where a most lovely sight met my gaze. At one end of the 
 large room was erected a platform for the musicians, on which 
 stood Miss Mattie and (my) Nora Wilson, singing the rebel 
 air, "Jeff Davis' Cousin." They were handsomely dressed in 
 white, were beautiful beyond description, and looked more like 
 theatrical stars than demure country girls. Having finished 
 the song they stepped from the stage and resumed their seats. 
 My friend, Christopher, now came forward, and, after a most 
 cordial greeting, introduced me to Miss Mattie Wilson, who 
 was an own cousin to Nora, and styled the "Lake Township 
 Beauty." Father had said many times that I ought to get mar- 
 ried and settle down, and I thought so too, but in all my wan- 
 derings I failed to meet a lady who could compete with Nora 
 for my affections until meeting her cousin, Mattie, on this oc- 
 casion. The two girls were about the same age (fifteen years), 
 equal in wealth, health, mental capacity, and equally beauti- 
 ful in face and symmetrical development. 
 
 I was, soon after the party, engaged to Mattie, but father 
 objected on account of her being a "plebian." He seemed to 
 forget that he had married to suit himself, that his second as 
 well as his third wife (the latter my mother) were "plebians." 
 His fourth wife (my step-mother) lay claim to blood royalty, 
 and some of her children were not worth the powder and lead 
 it would take to kill them. I was convinced then, and doubly 
 so now, that the blood has nothing to do with forming a good, 
 or bad, character. I believe that in the course of a few genera- 
 tions any individual family state or nation of families can 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 131 
 
 be graded up to a high point of excellence, or down to the low- 
 est depths of degredation. I had some such thoughts as these 
 when father spoke of his superiority, therefore, his (to me) un- 
 reasonable opposition served to increase, rather than diminish 
 my determination to fulfill my engagement; and the young 
 lady was as zealous in the matter as myself, so the old folks, 
 seeing that we were determined to consummate our desires, 
 withdrew their objections and advised an early date for the 
 nuptials. 
 
 A few days previous to the date (January 15th, 1869), set 
 for our wedding I went to Atchison and, after purchasing a 
 regulation suit, in company with a friend entered a wholesale 
 liquor establishment of Messrs. Quigg and Allen, who politely 
 insisted on selling me a bill of goods and I finally bought as a 
 sample ten gallons of fine peach brandy. I had the keg sent 
 over to the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad 
 Depot at Winthrop, Missouri; here I put it in the baggage car 
 and pre-paid the charges. Arriving at Rushville I stepped to 
 the car door to receive the keg when the baggage man, Mr. 
 Massy, demanded another fee which I refused to pay ; where- 
 upon he and the conductor, Mr. Hemingway, jerked it from me 
 and rolled it to the back side of the car. I knew nothing about 
 railroad matters, but felt confident they had no right to collect 
 charges twice on the same article, and being in the habit of 
 protecting my rights by force of muscle or otherwise when 
 occasion required it, I whipped out a "Colt's 44" and sprang 
 into the car. The four men brakeman, baggageman, conduc- 
 tor and express messenger seeing the big pistol fled from the 
 car, leaving me master of the situation. The messenger left his 
 safe open and its contents exposed to view, which I could 
 have taken had I so desired, but touched nothing except my 
 own property, with which I walked out of the car. Next day I 
 was arrested on a charge of highway robbery, taken to St. Jos- 
 eph and delivered to Sheriff Fish, who held a grudge against 
 me,- and to gratify his spleen put me into a cell already occu- 
 pied by two of the filthiest ruffians imaginable. He also gave 
 the reporters misleading information concerning the charge 
 preferred against me, and would not (at least did not) deliver 
 my message to Hon. Henry Tutt, who, for many years, was my 
 father's legal adviser and substantial friend. 
 
 It was about two o'clock at night when the iron door of a 
 felon's cell first closed upon me. The prisoners set up a fear- 
 ful howl, which reverberated from side to side of the jail, caus- 
 ing my hair to almost stand on end all the slang names be- 
 longing to criminal phraseology were quickly interchanged be- 
 tween the men. When the Sheriff retired the boys became 
 
132 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 suddenly quiet. This was to give my cell-mates an opportuni- 
 ty to interrogate me as to my social and financial standing. For 
 a moment I eyed in wounded pride and painful apprehensions 
 my ill-favored associates, then, in tears, poured out the agony 
 of my soul. One of the men was a loquacious fellow, and had 
 no doubt seen better days, for he spoke with the ease and elo- 
 quence of a philosopher. His wily tongue and affected sym- 
 pathy for my misfortune, and the double assurance that I 
 would come out all right quickly dried my tears and put me 
 into a talkative mood, just what he was laboring for. I can 
 fully realize, as I reflect on the scene, the story of the spider 
 and the fly. I yielded wholly, and answered, unreservedly, 
 every question put to me ; and .from time to time, as he gloried 
 in his ability to draw me out, a smile of self-complacency 
 spread over his cadaverous countenance. The boys being impa- 
 tient, my story was frequently interrupted by the query, "who 
 is he," "what is he," "is he a country lad?" to all of which the 
 only answer vouchsafed by my interrogator was simply "No." 
 When I had finished the oily-tongued individual gave the signal 
 for the boys to listen profound stillness reigned my loqua- 
 cious friend called out, in stentorian tones, "Rushville train 
 robber." "Lots of tobacco tomorrow," suggested one fellow. 
 Then tremendous shouts went up, which called forth an in- 
 junction from the Sheriff to keep quiet. Roused to the point 
 of violent resentment by the accusation of "robber," I sprang 
 to my feet, and when the din subsided, so I could be under- 
 stood, said, "You are a liar, Sir, I am not a robber." The fel- 
 low laughed in my face and meekly replied, "Oh, I know you 
 are innocent, but that is what the morning paper called you." 
 Shortly after this all, save myself, were wrapped in profound 
 slumber. I stood at the door of the cell, with my nose through 
 the grating a greater portion of the night, for I could not, at 
 first, endure the stench arising from the other occupants of the 
 cell. 
 
 The prisoners had organized among themselves a "judicial 
 bench" through which they supplied themselves with tobacco 
 from the fines imposed on late arrivals. Next morning I was 
 arrested and taken into the presence of the unjust judge, whose 
 office was at one end of the jail corridor. The jury was al- 
 ready empaneled anxious to convict me, for they were all without 
 tobacco. Half a dozen eminent lawyers proposed to defend me 
 for the small fee of twenty-five cents. I gave the case to a 
 bright young fellow, who demanded a private interview with 
 his client, which the imposing judge reluctantly granted. The 
 young attorney, after acquainting me with the proceedings of 
 jail courts, advised me to plead guilty. We returned to the 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 133 
 
 court room and the prosecuting attorney read the charge, 
 horse-stealing. The judge, with the austere solemnity of a 
 Chief Justice Fuller, asked, "Are you guilty or not guilty, Mr. 
 Wells?" My counsel, calm and dignified, stepped forward 
 saying, "We plead guilty, your honor," and in a neat, able 
 speech recommended me to the mercy of the court. It smote 
 my conscience- heavily to plead guilty to a dishonorable act 
 even in a mock trial, and I was minded to retract, but the Devil 
 whispered, "it is all in fun, you must, now, go ahead with the 
 farce," so I wrote an order to Sheriff Fish for two dollars, the 
 amount of my fine and costs, and handed it to the trial judge 
 who, after giving me a moral lecture, eloquently logical and 
 sound in principle, said, "You are now dismissed and one of 
 the boys, Mr. Wells." The coveted tobacco arrived and was 
 impartially divided among the men, whereupon gambling com- 
 menced, and, before night, my attorney and the judge had most 
 of the comfort-giving weed, showing conclusively that they 
 had mastered Hoyt if not Blackstone. 
 
 The Sheriff passed in a morning paper containing a two 
 column account of the "train robbery at Rushville." My lit- 
 erary cell-mate read it aloud to the boys, who cheered hearti- 
 ly. At this time train-robbing was in its infancy the James 
 boys, only, having preceded me in that nefarious business 
 therefore the reporter seized this opportunity to air his pro- 
 fessional pen, and I am free to confess that his article on the 
 subject was a master composition. He recounted with careful 
 and astonishing exactness, the duels of my boyhood ; traced me 
 to and fro on the plains ; related my latest difficulties in Rush- 
 ville and vicinity ; and then told how I had, with revolver in 
 hand, taken possession of the train, plundered its safe and 
 seriously wounded "Mr. Hemingway, our efficient and oblig- 
 ing conductor." The fact is that I touched nothing but what 
 belonged to me, and the conductor, in some way, hurt himself 
 getting out of the car certainly not my fault. I protested 
 against the charge of dishonesty, and stoutly insisted that if a 
 wrong was committed the train men were the perpetrators. 
 
 When I arrived at home, two hours after being released 
 from jail, father handed me a letter from my betrothed, and he 
 evidently hoped it contained a dismissal. I read the letter, 
 then handed it to him, and after devouring its contents he re- 
 turned it with the remark, "her pluck and devotion is not char- 
 acteristic of plebians." "Plebian or no plebian, I shall see her 
 before I sleep, though she were a thousand miles away instead 
 of twenty." Her letter informed me that she had read all the 
 news, declared her belief in my innocence, and vowed that she 
 loved me more dearly now than ever before. It was dark 
 
134 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 when some two miles west of Troy, Kansas I rode up to an 
 imposing farm-house and "helloed." The front door opened 
 an an elderly lady stepped into the aperture. "Docs Mr. Mc- 
 Allister live here?" I inquired. Before the lady could answer 
 a beautiful girl, who recognized my voice, shot forth and ex- 
 claimed, "Oh! it's Polk, it's Polk." She was so pure that, up 
 to this time, I had not dared to touch her, but now she volun- 
 tarily threw herself on my breast and our lips met in the first 
 kiss a kiss of innocence and reciprocal love. 
 
 The McAlisters, distantly related to Mattie, and to whom 
 she was sent in the hope of alienating her affections, received 
 me cordially and treated mie most kindly. Mrs. McAlister 
 was a vivacious little lady, skilled in love's diplomacy, and 
 her whole nature atuned to the romantic side of life ; therefore 
 she urged us to get married. "It would be a splendid joke on 
 your father, Mattie," she said. My father foresaw that this 
 might occur, and had warned me against yielding to the tempta- 
 tion. 
 
 On the morning of the third day I kissed my affianced 
 and returned home, only to find myself involved in another 
 scandal. It was rumored that I had fled the country. My 
 warmest friends (who were afraid of railroad influence, ad- 
 vised me to leave, and went so far as to offer to help raise one 
 thousand dollars, which they said would satisfy and secure 
 my bondsmen, Judges Tutt and Tool, of St. Joseph, against 
 any loss. The penitentiary was a perfect hell in my imagina- 
 tion, and I was half inclined to act upon the importunities of 
 my friends and depart while times were favorable. Father, 
 however, turned a deaf ear to this proposition, and said that 
 in adopting such a course I would not only deceive, and lose 
 the respect of my bondsmen, but establish my guilt as well, 
 besides placing him in a false position I had a holy horror for 
 anything dishonorable, so the thought of fleeing, even to es- 
 cape state's prison, was dismissed. 
 
 Father had employed Silas B. Woodson (recently Gov- 
 ernor of Missouri) and Judge Vinton Pike of St. Joseph to 
 assist Mr. Tutt in my defense. They made able arguments in 
 mjy behalf, but to no purpose, as court and jury were extreme- 
 ly "radical," some of the latter having fought my father at 
 the battles of "Wilson's Creek" and "Pea Ridge," consequently 
 I was convicted before the evidence was rendered. I was ar- 
 rested on the charge of highway robbery, but tried for gen- 
 eral larceny, and the jury found me guilty of petty larceny, 
 and assessed my fine at one dollar and costs strange render- 
 ing of the law this. My attorneys were indignant at the ver- 
 dict and wanted to carry the case to the Supreme Court, but I 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 135 
 
 persuaded father to drop the matter, since I was acknowledged 
 innocent in the minds of the people ; the fine and costs were 
 paid and I was discharged if placed in a similar position 
 again I would not rest under such an unjust, unholy decision. 
 
 My betrothed had returned home while I was at court. I 
 hastened to acquaint her with the fact that I was again a free 
 man, and on Thursday evening, March 25th, 1869, we were 
 married at the home of her parents. Having received the con- 
 gratulations of our friends, and partaken of a sumptuous re- 
 past, the inevitable old slippers, rice balls and good-natured 
 jokes were thrust at us until bed time, when we were carried 
 bodily into the bridal chamber and put to bed. Mattie's par- 
 ents, after seeing the young people start for home, came into 
 our room. Mrs. Wilson leaned over and kissed her daughter 
 then pressed her lips to my cheek, with a "God bless you both." 
 Mr. Wilson came forward, and taking each of us by the right 
 hand, said, "My dear children, I wish you happiness and pros- 
 perity in unlimited measure." Then placing Mattie's hand in 
 mine, he turned to his wife, took her by the arm, picked up 
 the lamp, and after a cheery "Good-night," retired. Next day 
 I took my wife to Rushville, our future home. Mattie ex- 
 celled herself in preparing a good dinner, and had invited some 
 young folks to receive us. Father was greatly pleased, kissed 
 and addressed the bride as "My dear Mattie." Mother was 
 very gracious to her for a while ; then came dark frowns ; 
 divers and unjust complainings. I complained of nothing my- 
 self, but did a great deal worse. I avoided the presence and 
 corrtpany of my wife in every way, and under every pretext I 
 possibly could. I frequently remained all night in the saloon 
 with customers when there was little or no profit in so doing 
 I abandoned those little offices about the house that had so pleased 
 and delighted mother, and withheld the usual allowance of 
 pin-money. The latter aroused her displeasure to the point of 
 accusing poor Mattie of being the cause of my stinginess to- 
 ward her. Mattie's face, as the weeks and months rolled by 
 grew wan and pinched, and her eyes lost the heavenly bright- 
 ness that I was once so fond of. She was treated worse than 
 a slave, yet she, "like a sheep before her shearers, opened not 
 her mouth." Thus matters progressed until the middle of 
 July, when one day a very sudden change of feeling came over 
 me. After dinner I went to the barn to care for the stock, and 
 instead of going back to the saloon by way of the street, as I 
 uniformly did, returned through the garden to the house. As 
 I reached the kitchen door angry words greeted my ears, and I 
 stopped to hear what was being said. Mother was berating 
 my wife for carelessness and "countrified manners." "And 
 
136 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 you are the cause," she said, "of Polk treating me so meanly, 
 you know you are." "Oh ! Mrs. Wells, I never thought of try- 
 ing to influence Folk's actions toward you," meekly replied the 
 sorrowing Mattie, as she hastened to ascend the stairway. This 
 sort of thing had become an almost daily occurrence, yet Mat- 
 tie had not even hinted to me that mother was unkind to her. 
 Nor had it occurred to me that I was lacking in attention, or 
 in those little civilities and expressions of love that are so 
 dear to feminine nature. I performed the duties devolving 
 upon me in an unconcerned and mechanical sort of manner, 
 yet regarded myself as being a model husband. But this affair 
 aroused the slumbering forces of my better self, and my first 
 impulse was to rush into the room and curse mother for 
 her cruelty. "That would be unmanly," I thought, besides 
 the plaintive and humble reply of my wife touched the sym- 
 pathetic chords of my heart and filled me with pity for her. I 
 hurried upstairs and found her sitting on the bed with face 
 buried in her hands, rocking herself back and forward as if 
 crushed by grief. Stepping in front of her I said, in tones full 
 of sympathy and love, "My darling, what is the matter? Has 
 mother been treating you meanly?" I had never spoken to 
 her harshly, or in a manner implying anger, yet this was the 
 first expression of real endearment that had escaped my lips 
 since our marriage. She sprang to her feet, and, with a look 
 of surprise and hope, gazed steadily for a moment in my eyes, 
 and being assured that she was not mistaken in what she 
 heard, flung herself upon my bosom, and poured out in tears 
 the agony of her soul. Thus far I had not accompanied her 
 anywhere, neither had I purchased so much as a pocket hand- 
 kerchief for her. I was simply indifferent to outward circum- 
 stances, and apparently devoid of those higher and nobler 
 emotions involving the happiness of the marriage relation. 
 But now, while holding her to my breast, a new spirit was 
 born within me, and seeing the errors of the past, I vowed that 
 I would be to her all that I had promised. The tears were 
 kissed away, and the hitherto sad face now took an angelic 
 smile. It was a lovely day, so I proposed a, walk. We de- 
 scended the stairs, each with arm encircling the other a 
 departure that mother was not prepared for, hence she stared 
 at us in utter astonishment passed out of the front door and 
 up the street. Reaching the point of a high bluff, overlooking 
 the town of Rushville, in the great Missouri bottoms, we seat- 
 ed ourselves on the luxuriant blue grass, in the shade of a 
 large sugar tree, for a talk and to feast our eyes on the grand 
 panorama. Atchison and the Kansas bluffs were plainly seen. 
 The river right and left was visible for miles, and opposite us 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 137 
 
 it seemed a mile wide, but tapered in both directions to a 
 point, resembling a great silver serpent as it glided on through 
 the majestic woods that lined its banks. When my father 
 settled at Rushville these bottoms were covered with a solid 
 mass of heavy timber and a dense growth of bullrushes the 
 latter as high as a man's head when on horseback; but today 
 beautiful and happy homes are interspersed in the great for- 
 est the strips of timber dividing the farms resemble over- 
 grown hedge rows. And the large fields of golden grain were 
 beautiful to behold. I had looked upon this scene many times 
 before, but did not discover its charms until now, and invol- 
 untarily exclaimed, "I would like to be a farmer, but (regret- 
 fully adding) I haven't the money to buy a farm and the nec- 
 essary stock and tools with which to manage it." Mattie, full 
 of enthusiasm, said, "Oh ! you could rent one for a few years 
 perhaps papa could tell you of one for rent. I could help you 
 ever so much, and we would soon be able to buy a place of our 
 own ; in the country I could have my chickens, ducks and beau- 
 tiful flowers, and and we would be so happy alone." Then 
 taking my face between her hands, she kissed my lips. This 
 settled the question, and I determined to become a farmer as 
 soon as possible. 
 
 Father tried to dissuade me from making the venture, but 
 finding his efforts futile, gracefully acquiesced in my wishes, 
 and said, "If you are bent on farming, I will do what I can t6 
 assist you in making a start." Mr. Wilson thought he could 
 get me a small farm from his neighbor, Mr. Isaac Peck. "I 
 will endorse any agreement you make with Mr. Peck," said 
 my father. The farm was secured, and possession promised 
 the first of August. On that day Mr. Wilson and his wife 
 came after us, and after receiving father's blessing, we set out 
 for our country home. Mattie was deeply affected on leaving 
 father, for she had learned to love him as. her own parent. It 
 was he who, unconscious of the cause of her sorrow, had 
 through kindness and words of sympathy sustained her in the 
 dark hours of mother's persecution and my cruel indifference. 
 On reaching Mr. Wilson's house I proposed, after unloading 
 our little possessions, that we go on to St. Joseph and buy our 
 furniture and other necessities. Mattie's parents had fore- 
 stalled this necessity and held in store a great surprise for us ; 
 they insisted on our seeing the farm first, so that we might 
 better understand what was really needed. We all got into 
 the wagon again and drove up to the big gate, leading through 
 the horse lot to a neat little one-story, two-roomed log cabin. 
 In the lot was an excellent young horse a good mate for my 
 Frank two fine cows with young calves, and two Chester 
 
138' LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 White sows with a dozen shoats following them. In one cor- 
 ner of the lot was a rail pen full of corn, under a shed built 
 against the pen was a wagon, a set of harness and some plows, 
 all brand new. The smokehouse contained a liberal supply of pro- 
 visions, and from the roof of the house protruded a new stove- 
 pipe, out of which a column of smoke was circling heaven- 
 ward. The rooms were fitted up with all that was necessary 
 for our health and happiness. Before reaching the house, I 
 remarked that "from appearances the folks have not moved, as 
 per agreement." "This is very strange," said Mr. Wilson, 
 nudging his wife not to laugh and pinching himself for the 
 same reason. My wife's two little brothers, as we entered the 
 house, sat at the window reading, and the teakettle on the new 
 stove was, singing its happy song of welcome to the new pro- 
 prietors. It is needless to say that Mattie and I cried for very 
 joy when Mr. Wilson handed me a bill of sale signed by him- 
 self and wife to all this property. After dinner the old folks re- 
 turned to their own home, leaving us to work out our own 
 prosperity through love and perseverence. 
 
 Now that the springs of love were loosened, the constant 
 flow, of affection, deep and ardent, went out to my auburn- 
 haired wife. To make her happy was the sole object of my 
 life, and to gratify her wishes my chief desire; while she, in 
 turn, sought in every way possible to make me as happy as 
 herself. Mr. Peck, after getting my fall wheat in, gave me a 
 lease on ten acres of land for five years, on which I was, to 
 have all I could raise during that time for clearing the ground. 
 The heavy timber had been cut down for saw logs, which were 
 removed to the river, leaving the land covered with an almost 
 impenetrable mass of debris. Mattie and I worked like beavers 
 in this clearing, and being encouraged by each other's pres- 
 ence and smiles, we failed to learn the meaning of the word 
 tired. Day after day, side by side, we wrestled with the brush, 
 grape vines and tree tops; with fire and ax, love and persever- 
 ence, we succeeded in getting most of the land ready for 
 spring plowing. Mattie then turned her attention to other 
 matters, while I proceeded with my labors. All day long I 
 could hear her happy song, as she flitted from place to place 
 attending to her garden or poultry. When plowing at the back 
 of the field and wanting water, all I had to do was to wave 
 my handkerchief. She seemed to be always on the watch for 
 the signal, and would immediately start toward me with a 
 pitcher of cold sweet milk in one hand and a slice of bread and 
 butter in the other. With a little straw hat set jauntily on her 
 well shaped head, her large blue eyes animated with love's fire, 
 and a neat white apron over a well-fitting gown, made her a 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 139 
 
 fit subject for an artist she was the embodiment of health and 
 modesty, the incarnation of beauty and happiness. After kiss- 
 ing her red, rosy lips, I would devour the lunch, then another 
 kiss, and she would start for the house, singing the merry old 
 song, "Oh, how happy are we." 
 
 Though buried in the depths of a great forest, we were 
 not alone, for our former young friends came to see us on 
 Sundays, besides legions of good spirits attended our little log 
 cabin home, which was Colonel R. G. Ingersoll's ideal : "The 
 home where virtue dwells, the love is like a lily with a heart 
 of fire, the fairest flower in all this world/' Those were days 
 enstamped with heavenly bliss, but we were not only permitted 
 to enjoy them for about eighteen months, for Erebus, with 
 sorrow and death in his wings, crossed the threshold of our 
 little log cabin home. On New Year's night (1871) we at- 
 tended a ball, and after a lively dance Mattie, unconscious of 
 harm, placed herself in the draught of an open window, there- 
 by contracting a severe cold, which finally developed into 
 pneumonia, of which she died about the first of April. We 
 had, on two or three occasions, talked of my early affections 
 for her cousin, and why I had deserted her; and now, a few 
 minutes before she expired, being warned of God that she was 
 wanted up higher, said, "I know that Nora has always loved you). 
 She is as pure as an angel and worthy to be your wife, and I 
 hope you will marry her when I am gone." I assured her that 
 should I conclude to marry again, none could fill her place in 
 my heart so well as her cousin Nora. This seemed perfectly 
 satisfactory to her, and, after a few expressions of endearment 
 she took my face between her hands and drew me to her, then, 
 kissing me sweetly, tenderly bade me farewell, closed her eyes 
 and stepped into the golden chariot that was awaiting to con- 
 vey her to heaven. 
 
 Mattie was the most even tempered woman I ever saw. 
 She never got angry, never spoke disrespectful of any one. 
 and if she ever had an enemy, the fact was never made known 
 to know her was to love her. Therefore a combination of 
 the synonyms of grief and sorrow, with all the adjectives ap- 
 plicable to them, would prove inadequate to express my lone- 
 liness and distress of mind at the loss of her. The memory 
 of this spotless creature of God has filled me with a desire to 
 be as pure as she was, and has placed my feet on the solid rock, 
 up which I am slowly creeping into realms of higher thoughts 
 and nobler aspirations, and in whatever degree I may attain 
 to these soul-longings after purity and goodness it will be 
 due, in a great measure, to the inspiration engendered by re- 
 flection on the character of a spotless and lovely woman. 
 
140 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 In the spring of 1872 I sought an audience with my first 
 love, Nora, sweet, beautiful Nora. She was. present when I 
 married her cousin, Mattie, and when the words, "I pronounce 
 you man and wife," fell from the preacher's lips, she turned 
 deathly pale and left the room. Up to this moment I believed 
 I loved Mattie, but I was mistaken, for every tender emotion 
 I was capable of followed the sorrowing Nora. So when I 
 found her, I told her that the shameful treatment to which I 
 had subjected poor Mattie, during the first six months of our 
 wedded life, was due to my love for her ; frankly confessed my 
 sin, begged a thousand pardons, which were graciously grant- 
 ed, and asked her to be my wife. She said "Yes," and on the 
 eighteenth of June we were married. I engaged in the grocery 
 business at Hall's Station, Missouri, and lived a most happy 
 and prosperous life for two years, during which time I had the 
 confidence and patronage of the entire community. Nora was 
 exquisitely handsome, a capital hostess, had a cordial greeting 
 for all, of vivacious temperament, of pleasant address, and de- 
 servedly, the most popular woman in the whole settlement. 
 
 On the eighteenth of June (1875) a girl baby was born. 
 We called her Maggie Jane, but she was soon nicknamed 
 "Polk," on account of her striking resemblance to me. Al- 
 though I had lost a small fortune in a lawsuit (to which I will 
 refer in a subsequent chapter), and was now compelled to 
 work hard to support my little family, yet I was the happiest 
 man in fourteen states, for I had the prettiest and best wife in 
 all America, and the smartest and sweetest baby living. Dark 
 clouds, however, were gathering all along the horizon of my 
 happiness. Presently the storm burst in all its fury, and great 
 waves of distress, sorrow and shame engulfed my pleasant 
 home. For four years I was a wandering refugee, a stranger 
 to peace and joy ; and for two years more hunted and chased 
 by real or imaginary foes, inevitably becoming an Ishmaelite. 
 I first had a siege of rheumatism, during which time Nora was 
 obliged to sell some furniture in order to supply the necessities 
 of life. We then moved to Jefferson County, Illinois, to take 
 charge of my uncle, John Wells,' farm, but not being satisfied 
 with the country, we returned to Missouri. During my ab- 
 sence father, while sick, was persuaded by mother to make 
 over all his property to her. She already had in her posses- 
 sion all his money (some twelve hundred dollars), and when 
 he recovered sufficiently to be out again, she packed up the 
 best of everything, and, taking the money with her, moved to 
 her daughter's home in Kansas, thus leaving him destitute 
 and alone. Leaving Nora at her brother-in-law's, I went to 
 Rushville to see father. Finding the old home closed, I then 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 141 
 
 called on his old friend, Mr. Fenton, who said, "Polk, under the 
 circumstances I was compelled to accede to your father's 
 wishes to be taken to the poor farm, where he died a few days 
 ago of heart disease." "What ! My proud old father die in the 
 poor house? My God, is this the beginning of the fulfillment 
 of Mrs. Yazell's prophecy?" The constant recurrence of these 
 thoughts unmanned me and I prayed to die. The finger of 
 scorn was ever before me, and wherever I went was sure to 
 meet that same "Go-away-don't-come-near-me-your-father-died- 
 ini-the-poor-house" sort of expression on the faces of my once 
 familiar and trusted friends. Occasionally those touched with 
 my grief tried to console me, but their very efforts stung me 
 to the heart, and I spurned their sympathy. "If they are truly 
 friends," I asked myself, "why do they reproach me with a re"- 
 hearsal of my father's misfortune?" Some, I have no doubt 
 now, were sincere in their efforts to cheer and comfort me, but 
 I misconstrued their motives, saw only the sting of contempt 
 beneath their honeyed words and pleasant smiles, and, of 
 course, repelled them all alike. Sensitiveness, then, was, has 
 been, and is yet in too great a measure, the bane of the 
 genius in my life. A proud, high-strung man will suffer more 
 through sensitiveness than from the rigors, hardships and pri- 
 vations of a prolonged war. If this characteristic element, 
 spirit, or whatever it is (I call it Devil) could be eliminated 
 from human nature, existence on this earth would not be so 
 replete with sorrows, disappointments and vexations. I say. 
 most emphatically, that nine-tenths of the crimes committed 
 today, or any other time, must be originally charged to sensi- 
 tiveness. It had complete possession of me, and in conse- 
 quence thereof I cursed Mr. Yeakly, my brother-in-law, and 
 almost struck him for offering to give me work. The proposi- 
 tion to employ me as a common laborer on his farm was a re- 
 flection on my reduced condition, an insult of the rankest sort 
 to my proud nature, but when his wife (Nora's sister) told 
 me to ride his horse to town and sell it I did not become of- 
 fended, as would have been the case under other circum- 
 stances. Of course the good lady had no thought of my act- 
 ing upon her jesting advice. I was, however, in a condition 
 to consider a proposition of dishonesty in preference to one 
 of honest toil, for the. Devil had taken absolute control of my 
 mind and held it. "Oh, yes," said Mr. Devil, "I know you are 
 already on record (referring to my late trial for train robbery) 
 as a petty thief, so why halt ye between two opinions? You 
 can sell the horse for enough to take you to the mountains, 
 where you can soon make a fortune, return home, refund the 
 money obtained through sale of the animal, and live like a 
 
142 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 gentleman the remainder of your days on earth." This crush- 
 ing insinuation, "you are already on record as a petty thief/' 
 together with my father's ignoble death, stifled my pride, 
 while the advice of the mysterious messenger gave me courage 
 to act with hope of retrieving all I had lost. The more I 
 thought about this matter the clearer I saw my way out of 
 the difficulty, a'nd mentally remarked, "If I sell the horse and 
 afterward refund the money, I will not have committed a very 
 great sin." There was, at this time, great gold excitement in 
 various parts of the west. I could see great masses of precious 
 ore lying on the ground waiting for me to come and gather 
 it up. This vision of gold and happiness put new life into me. 
 My step became more energetic and my eyes brightened at 
 the prospect of having, once more, a home for my wife and 
 baby. I yielded to Satan's suggestions, through my sister-in- 
 law, rode the horse to St. Joseph, sold him to Jones Casey for 
 fifty dollars, and took the train for Salt Lake City, Utah. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 Uncle Leonard I Smith was still living in the Mormon 
 metropolis, and to him I applied for information concerning 
 the mines. "The gold excitement," said he, "has subsided, 
 leaving the country overrun with idle men; I can, however, 
 give you work, or get you a situation elsewhere, but just now 
 you don't look able to do much ; so make yourself at home and 
 rest easy for a while." At this time there was a craze for 
 private teachers in the homes of city gentlemen; therefore 
 uncle employed me to act in that capacity in his country home. 
 Having received instructions, I started for the ranch, which 
 was some six miles east of Tooele City, Utah. I was cordial- 
 ly received by Aunt Mary and felt myself at home from the 
 start, but soon learned that my pupils were better educated 
 than myself. I never felt so unfit and unworthy of a situa- 
 tion as I did of this one of schoolmaster. Besides a relapse of 
 rheumatism, brought on by the sudden change of climate, 
 rendered me a burden rather than a blessing to the family. 
 However, my malady was of short duration, for the great kindness 
 with which I was treated, the thoughts of Nora and the baby, 
 the wish to get well, and the health-giving breeze off the great 
 Salt Lake soon put me on the road to convalescence. I quick- 
 Iv grew strong in body and vigorous in mind, and zealously 
 entered upon my new duties. My topographical knowledge of 
 a good portion of the United States, coupled with a familiar- 
 ity of the history of many leading statesmen, enabled me to 
 answer, with some degree of intelligence, the many questions 
 of my pupils. I not only succeeded in getting them interest- 
 ed in their studies, but aroused their agricultural proclivities 
 as well. Willie, a boy of sixteen, and I soon put the farm in 
 excellent condition, and collected a number of cattle belong- 
 ing to the ranch. 
 
 Having harvested the wheat, I began plowing for another 
 crop, when uncle appeared on the scene. He was so well 
 pleased with the way I had conducted his affairs that he 
 shouted for joy, and declared I had made the old ranch to 
 "blossom as the rose," and said he would have the patriarch, 
 John Smith, bless me the first time I came to the city. I now 
 
144 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 made a bargan with uncle to work the farm on shares. He 
 was to furnish everything, including my board, and give me 
 half of all the produce, as well as half of the increase of stock. 
 When he departed for the city he took with him a letter for 
 Nora, in which I presented my prospects and implored her 
 forgiveness for leaving home without bidding her and the 
 baby good-bye. Her answer relieved me very much. Mr. 
 Yeakly had recovered his horse, and Mr. Casey, to whom I 
 sold the animal, said he would not prosecute me. Nora 
 graciously forgave me, and Mrs. Yeakly said she would take, 
 care of her and the baby until I was able to send for them 
 "by so doing," she said, "I will, in a measure, atone for my 
 sin in prompting you to do as you did." Being thus freed 
 from anxiety about my family, and the dread of arrest for 
 horse-stealing dispelled, I could work with a will and a light 
 heart. Having filled our own yard with wood (which had to 
 be drawn from the mountains four miles away) for winter 
 use, I then contributed two loads 'to the village school house, 
 which served as a place of worship for the "Saints," where 
 they gathered once a week in summer and twice a week in 
 winter to "trip the light fantastic toe." Uncle's family and 
 myself were regular attendants at the dances, which were 
 opened and closed by prayer by the "Presiding Elder." At 
 intervals, the music would stop long enough for someone to tell 
 a story or sing a song. These parties were highly enjoyable 
 and instructive, good feeling among themselves prevailed, and 
 courtesy toward strangers (Gentiles) was the rule. What- 
 ever may be thought of, or said about, Mormonism, I have 
 this to say of its votaries : they are the most industrious, eco- 
 nomical, virtuous, sociable and benevolent people I ever dwelt 
 among the Dunkards not excepted. They are, however, ter- 
 ribly vindictive when their religion is scoffed at. 
 
 During the early part of 1877 uncle made us several visits. 
 each time delivering a lecture in the school house, on what he 
 termed "The Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon." 
 He was a handsome man, faultless in speech, elegant in man- 
 ner, and mathematically precise in his comparisons and rep- 
 resentations ; hence the people "heard him gladly." He labor- 
 ed diligently to impress me with the reasonableness of his 
 faith in, and the infallibility of, Mormonism, and urged me 
 to embrace it. "The Patriarch," he said, "is of the opinion 
 that you are of the seed of Ephriam, and if so, you are not 
 only under ten-fold obligation, individually to become a Latter 
 Day Saint, but bound by all the ties of kinship to cast your 
 lot with us God has sent you to Zion for the express pur- 
 pose of saving your friends and relatives." "How can I save 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 145 
 
 them," I asked, "when they are dead or beyond my power of 
 assistance?" Having read ist Cor. 15-29, 32, he said, "You 
 see God has provided a way by which you can save them, 
 though dead, viz. : link yourself with his chosen people, re- 
 pent of your sins, believe on Jesus Christ and His Prophet 
 Joseph Smith, get baptized, first for yourself, then for each 
 of your male relatives, using their names at the fount in- 
 stead of yours ; your wife can act as proxy for your mother 
 and sisters, and then in turn you can do the same for the male 
 portion of her relatives just think how glorious it will be for 
 you to reign king of the Wells and Wilsons and receive their 
 praises for evermore." This was a beautiful idea, and I was 
 deeply impressed by the earnestness with which it was pre- 
 sented, yet the whole scheme was to me the veriest bosh, and 
 hence I declined to accept the crown. Uncle received my 
 reply in evident sorrow and disappointment, and after a mo- 
 ment's reflection said, "Charles, there cannot be a lake of fire 
 to consume the wicked as represented by Gentile Christianity, 
 but there is a hell worse than that, viz. : eternal servitude to 
 God's people (Mormons), will be the portion of the ungodly 
 The Saints will own everything, have all the women, too, and 
 there will be no appeal or change of venue granted from this 
 decree when once made. I would feel greatly pained to have 
 you apply to me in Heaven for a situation as carriage driver." 
 "My dear uncle," said I, "you certainly will not be less kindly 
 to me there than you have been here, therefore, since as you 
 know I am particularly fond of fine horses, I shall consider 
 myself extremely fortunate in securing the position of coach- 
 man of your Heavenly mansion." This sort of levity, though 
 no disrespect intended, was rank sacrilege in my uncle's esti- 
 mation, and he turned angrily away, muttering something to 
 himself about the "buffetings of Satan." He was not so 
 agreeable or talkative after this, but always treated me kind- 
 ly. On the 17th of July he came out to the farm, bringing 
 with him a letter from Nora, which informed me of the death 
 of our baby, and urgently requesting me to send for her immedi- 
 ately. The next morning uncle and I met in deadly combat 
 he armed with a double-barreled shotgun and I with a Colt's 
 revolver. He fell at the second shot, while I remained stand- 
 ing, though twenty-eight number two buck-shot from his gun 
 entered my breast, left arm and thighs. Bleeding furiously I 
 hastened to Tooele, (the county seat) and after having my 
 wounds dressed by Dr. Dodds, surrendered to the sheriff. No 
 words can fittingly express the regret of my heart over this 
 tragedy, which occurred in the presence of twenty witnesses 
 and all I have to say in vindication of my conduct is that I was 
 
146 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 innocent of the charge uncle preferred against me, and, of 
 course, acted in self-defense. Yet I have a thousand times 
 wished that I had fallen instead of uncle, for he was a good 
 man, kind husband, an indulging father and a mo-st excellent 
 neighbor. 
 
 The Endowment House (practically house of secrets) is 
 a prominent and significant feature of Mormonism, and only 
 the true and tried are permitted to cross the threshold of this 
 sacred institution, and one of the many orders finding ready 
 admittance is the "Danites," six hundred strong, composed of 
 "mighty men of valor," who are ready and willing to do any- 
 thing in the behalf of the church, or to avenge wrongs com- 
 mitted by Gentiles against its subjects. In the absence of male 
 relatives to administer vengeance, a young Danite is commis- 
 sioned to execute the decree of death. He goes forth with or- 
 ders to follow the condemned to the ends of the earth, and is 
 bound by a terrible oath never to return until having killed 
 the offender. John D. Lee, Porter Rockwell and Bally Hick- 
 man (the delegated "Destroying Angels") were at the head 
 of the Danites. Ordinarily they were able in themselves to 
 cope with offenders, but were vested with power in extra- 
 ordinary case to summon the entire "order," and a failure to 
 respond to their call was equivalent to death. The Danites 
 talked freely of lynching me, but they were confused over the 
 execution of their leader, John D. Lee, by the United States 
 Government. Besides, Sheriff Mitchell, who was an old Cali- 
 fornian, said if mob violence was attempted he would oppose 
 it with the entire Gentile population, which was largely in the 
 majority in Tooele County. All county officials, except Judge 
 William Lee, were Gentiles. I was given a preliminary hear- 
 ing, and would have been acquitted under the same evidence 
 rendered before a Gentile judge, but Mr. Lee was a Mormon 
 of the Endowment Order, and, though in great sympathy with 
 me, dare not ignore his oath ; therefore, I was held to await the 
 action of the grand jury, and ordered confined in the county 
 jail. The sheriff, however, disregarded the order, gave me 
 two pistols with which to defend myself, and said, "All I ask 
 of you, Charles, is to report at the hotel where I stay for your 
 meals and lodging until your case is finally disposed of by 
 proper authority. 
 
 Sheriff Mitchell, upon August 10th, having business in 
 another county, requested me to go to Salt Lake City and sur- 
 render to the United States marshal. He gave me ten dollars 
 and allowed me to keep his revolvers, and sent his deputy 
 with me to the city. We wandered about town for some time, 
 and I was given every opportunity to escape which the sher- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 147 
 
 iff no doubt intended I should do but such a thought never 
 entered my mind. The deputy, noting this fact, was obliged 
 at last to deliver me to the marshal, Colonel Nelson, who, af- 
 ter consulting the court, decided that, since the county jail 
 was controlled by Mormons, the penitentiary was the safest 
 place for me. Accordingly Deputy Marshal Cole escorted me 
 to the prison, some four miles southeast of the city. I was 
 cordially received by Warden Van Camp and presented to a 
 number of his more noted and conspicuous guests, to three of 
 whom I will introduce the reader, Eli Lee, son of John D. Lee. 
 of Mountain Meadow massacre fame; William Sloan (alia^ 
 "Idaho Bill"), only survivor of the above named massacre, and 
 Dick Bennett (alias Jack Wiggins), originally from Missouri 
 and a once trusted member of the James gang. Eli and Idaho 
 were raised together by Rachel, the legitimate wife of John D. 
 Lee. They were fast friends, fairly well educated, and early 
 became imbued with a deadly hatred for Mormonism, and 
 hence stood no better in the eyes of the church than myself. 
 These men had just begun a ten years' sentence, the first two 
 for highway robbery, and the latter for murder in the second 
 degree; consequently they were very anxious to gfet away, 
 but two escapes having occurred within six weeks, in which 
 two of Warden Van Camp's predecessors were killed, caused 
 that gentleman to be doubly vigilant. When I entered the in- 
 stitution, the boys took new hope, and finally convinced me 
 that, if I had neither money nor friends, the lawyers would 
 not take my case. "If one is appointed by the court to de- 
 fend you," said Lee, "he will put your case off to attend to 
 other business, and the chances are that you will have to lay 
 here for years before getting a trial." Idaho then pointed out 
 two young men who were in my condition, and who had been 
 in prison four years and were no nearer a trial than when ar- 
 rested. I learned this also from one of the guards, who 
 seemed kindly disposed toward me. I recognized the fact 
 that I could not, without money, command the services of an 
 attorney, and would, of course, have to await his pleasure 
 in taking hold of my case. The idea of escaping was farthest 
 from my thoughts, nor did the men around suggest such a 
 measure at first. They seemed to content themselves with 
 making me feel as blue as possible, but on reaching that state 
 of desperation when death is preferable to life, Idaho Bill, who 
 was a skillful mind reader, approached me on the subject of 
 making an escape. 
 
 The penitentiary consisted of one acre of ground, en- 
 closed by four huge adobe walls, on which were stationed day 
 and night, four guards armed with Winchester rifles; four 
 
148 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 large street lamps kept the yard bright as day at night. Its 
 walls were of two by eight stuff, spiked together flatwise ; the 
 foundation was of ordinary construction, and the floor laid of 
 large flat stones. Along the east side and south ends were 
 three tiers of bunks. In the west side were three small win- 
 dows, and in the north end was the iron-grated door. Imme- 
 diately north of this door, twenty paces, was the big gate 
 which opened into the warden's reception room, and adjoining 
 this on the east along the north wall was his residence. Di- 
 rectly over the big gate was a room leading onto the wall. In 
 this room the relief guards slept, in front of which gathered 
 those on duty when anything unusual was going on in the 
 prison house, and in which eighty-five men sixty convicts, 
 the rest, like myself, awaiting trial were compelled (during 
 summer) from six p. m. to half past seven a. m. They were 
 allowed two meals a day breakfast at eight and supper at 
 four. The menu was too horrible for description. The men 
 were dressed in citizen style and without employment. After 
 breakfast everybody (except the sick) were turned into the 
 yard, the house locked and the key sent to the warden's of- 
 fice. The prisoners were allowed an undisturbed intercourse. 
 Some walked arm in arm and conversed on the political issues 
 of the day; others engaged in various athletic sports to pass 
 away the time, while the desperate characters were plotting an 
 escape. At six o'clock the men were driven into the house 
 and counted like a flock of sheep. Now fiddling, dancing, card 
 playing and vile stories were in order until nine o'clock, when 
 all must retire, and from that time on no one was allowed to 
 speak above a low whisper. 
 
 Lee and Idaho having formulated a plan of escape it de- 
 volved upon me to play sick, in order that I might remain in 
 the house, so I could braid, out of strips of blanket, a rope 
 with which to scale the wall. On the night of September 4th. 
 while the guards were collected at the guard house over the 
 big gate so they could look through the grated door at the 
 prisoners dancing, I went to work on the foundation of the 
 house that held me captive. Having accomplished my pur- 
 pose, I said "Come on, boys," and as the last man (Wiggins) 
 in the secret, made his exit the guard called, "Nine O'clock." 
 W r e hastened to the southwest corner of the enclosure where 
 Idaho Bill, the giant, placed his hands against the wall, Wig- 
 gins next on top of Bill, and Wilson on Wiggins' shoulders ; 
 now Lee, with the agility of a cat, sprang up the improvised 
 ladder, and from Wilson's shoulders was enabled to mount the 
 wall, but his panther-like spring sent the boys to the ground 
 like a "strike" in nine-pins. He took a turn around a post in 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 149 
 
 the wall with the blanket rope, which was quickly ascended by 
 the other men, but the terrible ordeal I had passed through, 
 coupled with the work and excitement incident to such an 
 event, overtaxed my strength, and when midway up the rope 
 I gave out and fell to the ground. By this time our escape had 
 been discovered, and the guards were rushing along the walls 
 in search of us. Lee was the bravest of the brave, and well he 
 deserved the sobriquet "Daring Eli," now said, "Charles, tie 
 the rope around your waist and we'll pull you up or die try- 
 ing." Although an expert with the rope, I had not time to 
 make a loop, so I seized it with both hands and teeth and was 
 quickly landed on top of the wall, from which we tumbled like 
 turtles off a log and disappeared in the darkness. 
 
 Hatless, coatless and barefooted, over sage brush and 
 prickly pear, we hurried toward Tooele City, where Lee had 
 friends, of whom we expected to get clothes and arms. Before 
 
 An Exciting Scrap with the Danites. 
 
 daylight we entered the timber on the mountains overlooking 
 Garfield station, on the great Salt Lake. Here we remained un- 
 til night came again, and when the lights in the village were 
 extinguished, came down from our hiding place and entered the 
 store of Mr. Moss, a good Mormon, and took a double-bar- 
 reled shot-gun along with such other things as were most 
 
150 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 needed. I vigorously protested against this unlawful act, but 
 the boys laughed at me and said they would, in a few days, pay 
 for the goods providing the merchant said nothing about our 
 visit, but the gentleman, recognizing Lee and myself said ne 
 would report us to the officers in the city at the earliest pos- 
 sible moment. The officers of the law and the Danites were 
 soon in pursuit of us ; we succeeded, however, in eluding them 
 and returned to the city where Higgins and Wilson deserted 
 us. Lee and Idaho now stole three fine horses which, under 
 my protest, we mounted and started for the Medicine Bow 
 Mountains, in Wyoming. The next evening at the camp of a 
 sheep herder, where we stopped to get something to eat and 
 to let our horses rest, we had a battle with the Danites, in 
 which several of them were wounded. After the first volley 
 Idaho Bill run, Lee fell forward on his face as if a bullet had 
 pierced his heart, and I then ran in the same direction Bill had 
 taken. 
 
 The sun had settled behind the tall Wastch Mountains, 
 which cast a grateful shadow over the scene, preventing fur- 
 ther pursuit on the part of the Danites for that evening. Bill 
 and I soon got together and hid ourselves in the brush, on the 
 creek bottom, to await the passing of a Union Pacific train, so 
 .we could tell in which direction we wanted to go by its whistle. 
 Presently one was heard coming down Echo Canyon, and a min- 
 ute later began whistling for Echo City, but we could not for the 
 life of us locate the whistle. Its sound rushed up one canyon 
 and down another, bouncing from crag to crag, filling the 
 mountains with bellowing fiery monsters, completely bewil- 
 dering us as to the direction. If "Mark Twain" is still in 
 search of an "eighteen carat echo," he can surely find one in 
 the vicinity of the "Devil's Slide," on Weber River, Utah. The 
 roaring of the train died away like unto distant thunder, and 
 the wind had driven the thick clouds before it, letting the sil- 
 ver moon look down upon us in peaceful splendor, raising our 
 courage, and increasing our hopes of escape. The north star- 
 in its shroud of purple, glittered like a jewel, and seemed to 
 invite us in his direction, but we preferred going east. As we 
 were about to depart soft footsteps fell upon our alert ears. 
 I caught a glimpse of an object through an opening in the 
 bushes which had every appearance of a man crawling along 
 on his hands and knees. When directly in front, and within 
 ten paces of us, I leveled my gun to fire. "Hold," said Bill, 
 "it's a bear ; if you shoot it the Danites who were still at the 
 sheep camp, for we could hear them talking will be after us 
 in a minute." Old Bruin, hearing Bill's voice, or the click of 
 the gun lock, reared on his haunches and gazed so steadily at 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 151 
 
 us that I began to doubt its being a bear and,since decisive 
 action is more agreeable to my nature than prolonged suspense, 
 I threw a stone, which struck the intruder's head, in anticipa- 
 tion of his retreating or attacking us at once, and he chose the 
 latter. Bill had said, "If he attacks us we must fight it out 
 with our knives as it will not do to run or shoot." We met 
 Bruin with cold steel, and equally cool determination, and his 
 bearship was quickly dispatched. Bill received an affectionate 
 embrace and was bitten in the hand, but I escaped without 
 harm. We cut from the bear's quarter a chunk of meat for our 
 breakfast and immediately left this unpleasant place. We 
 reached Weber River late in the evening of the next day, and 
 secreted ourselves in the tall willows some distance below Echo 
 City, at the mouth of Echo Canyon. Here we were obliged to 
 remain until dark in order to enter the canyon unobserved, or 
 make a long and tedious journey around the village. We were 
 facetiously congratulating ourselves on having successfully 
 eluded the sleuth-hounds of Mormondo<m, when lo, to our as- 
 tonishment and dismay, about thirty well mounted avenging 
 angels appeared on the bluff directly above and within one 
 hundred yards of where we lay. "Here's where they went 
 down," said one. of the Danites, and the party plunged down 
 the hillside toward us. We rushed fro mour hiding places 
 amid shouts of "Halt, halt, sic, sic." [The two big black dogs 
 thinking we were after the same object dashed past us, 
 leaped over the bank and swam across the river. We dropped 
 on the ground, in a clump of bushes, and the destroying angels 
 seeing the dogs sweeping along the opposite shore, sailed past 
 on either side and within ten paces of where we lay. We now 
 returned to the point from which we were routed. I led the 
 way, holding to Bill's coat-tail, while we walked backward 
 with brush in hand, effacing our trail in the sand. Presently 
 our pursuers returned, as anticipated, looking for our tracks. 
 They rode around and around, passed and repassed us twenty 
 times, and when they could no longer see, galloped away down 
 the river, cursing their "stupid" canine friends and their ill 
 success. We suffered much from hunger and nightly forced 
 marches, no human eye seeing us until Green River City. Here 
 Bill sold a Masonic badge for ten dollars, and we then entered 
 a restaurant for supper. There are at least two periods in a 
 man's life when he will diligently search the papers, viz: when 
 running for, or running from, an officer. So while our meal 
 was being prepared, we hastily examined the news stand. A 
 Salt Lake paper was found containing a full account of our 
 chase up to the sheep camp, and closed by saying, "Wiggins. 
 Wilson, Lee and Idaho Bill made good their escape, but Wells 
 
152 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 was captured, hung, and his body riddled with Danite bullets." 
 Of course it was gratifying to be thus disposed of, and as I 
 had some delicacy in contradicting the statement, the Mor- 
 mons were permitted for a time to gloat over the false ac- 
 count of "summary vengeance and retributive justice." Next 
 day, at Wilkins, we were arrested on a charge of robbing a 
 ranchman's wagon, taken back to Green River and put in jail. 
 Three days later, while having our preliminary examination, 
 the Sheriff brought in the guilty parties and we were released. 
 But Bill made use of insulting language to express his indig- 
 nation at our unlawful detention, whereupon the judge fined 
 him twenty-five dollars for contempt of court, and not having 
 that amount he was returned to jail. His Honor then gave me "fif- 
 teen minutes to get out of town." I was not like the cowboy, 
 who, on receiving similar instructions at Cheyenne, said, "all 
 right, jedge, if my broncho don't buck I'll git thar." There 
 was no danger of my broncho bucking, therefore the time al- 
 lowed to disappear was sufficient and right willingly did I 
 avail myself of the privilege. Lee was captured at Cheyenne 
 and taken back to the Utah penitentiary; Wilson and Idaho 
 Bill were hung for stage robbery by the vigilantes near Vir- 
 ginia City, Montana, and Wiggins (alias Jack McCarthy) died 
 with smallpox in 1884. He was still a fugitive from justice, liv- 
 ing in a "dug-out" on the western border of Kansas, when the 
 Sheriff of Satan seized him and he went down to the grave un- 
 wept, unhonored and unsung such is the fate of the trans- 
 gressor. 
 
 I traveled mostly alone after leaving Green River, but at 
 midnight joined myself to a "citizen (tramp) of that country," 
 and "would fain have filled my belly" with the roots that the 
 prairie dogs did eat, but God, in His mercy, withheld the curse 
 of Nebuchadnezzar. Arriving at a water tank, some miles west 
 of Rawlins, I found half a dozen tramps waiting for an east 
 bound freight train. They had all been to the section house for 
 something to eat, but each, in turn, was sent away empty 
 handed. They laughed at me when I proposed to try my luck 
 with Mr. Dives, of the "Bitter Creek" Division. The foreman 
 of the section gang was digging a cellar near his kitchen door. 
 I approached and said, "Sir, please let me work a while for 
 something to eat/' He readily recognized the fact that I was 
 not a professional tramp, and the scowl that darkened his 
 handsome face changed into compassion as he said, "All right 
 young fellow." He went to the depot, leaving me at work 
 on the cellar while his little girl sat on the bank and talked to 
 me. Her mother's maiden name was Fannie Cox and her 
 Grandma Cox, she said, "lived in .Omaha, Nebraska." The 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 153 
 
 child, having given me a full account of the family, ran after 
 her pa, leaving me to wrestle with the dirt and with the demon 
 spirit of hypocrisy and selfishness. "I will," I said, "pretend 
 to know Mrs. Fannie and perhaps she will give me a good 
 supper." Accordingly, when the lady called me, I entered the 
 house and in a surprised but pleased manner extended my hand 
 with "glad to see you, Fannie." The lady was really "delighted 
 to see an old friend," but she could not recall my name. She 
 gave me an excellent supper and when I declined to stay over 
 night, said, "let me put you up a lunch for tomorrow." I ac- 
 cepted the lunch in genuine thankfulness, yet my tongue 
 burned with shame and my soul was marred by the practice of 
 deception. Her husband, too, pressed me to stay over night 
 with them, but I could not, having already told a hundred lies 
 in support of each other, and refused to give my name for rea- 
 sons already known. The freight train arrived and the foreman 
 asked the conductor to let me ride with him to Rawlins. 
 
 At Fort Steel, on the North Platte River, I undertook to 
 ride a wild horse for a ranchman. The saddle was re-adjusted 
 and I mounted the unconquerable steed, raised the blind and 
 he at once commenced the gyrating movement, then bucked 
 backwa-d and forward alternately, which movement would up- 
 set, the liver of a wooden man, but failing to throw me off 
 sprang forward at full speed a characteristic of the wild horse 
 that if he starts to run he will continue until exhausted, when 
 he becomes perfectly tractable and ever after recognizes that 
 rider as his master, though he will sometimes buck when a 
 stranger mounts him toward the river, and, instead of turn- 
 ing, as I expected, took a fearful leap into the stream. The 
 water was not deep enough to break the force of our descent 
 consequently the horse's front legs were broken short off by 
 striking the hard bottom, and the shock so stunned me that I 
 fell into the water and drowned, that is to say, I was past re- 
 covery so far as any efforts to save myself were concerned. I 
 was quickly rescued from my perilous condition and soon re- 
 gained consciousness, and after receiving from the gentleman 
 the ten dollars, which he had offered to anyone who could ride 
 the horse, and to which the cowboys admitted I was entitled. 
 I again started toward the rising sun. I was about to give up 
 the search for employment when Mr. D. R. Clay, County Com- 
 missioner, drove into Medicine Bow and someone said "there's 
 young Clay, he has a fine ranch eighteen miles northwest of 
 here ; perhaps he can give you work." I was a seedy looking 
 individual, but mustered courage to ask the commissioner for 
 a job. "I have," said he, "more men than I really need, but 
 you may stay with me until the round-up commences when 
 
154 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 your services will be needed by some of my neighbors, or an op- 
 portunity may present itself by which you can make a few dol- 
 lars by catching Mavericks." I took a seat in the buggy beside 
 the gentleman, and at sundown we reached his home on Medi- 
 cine River. Mrs. Clay, dressed in silk, with diamonds flashing, 
 looking more like a princess than the wife of a ranchman, came 
 out to meet her husband, and said, "Dear, you must come right 
 in for supper is waiting." On our way to the ranch Mr. Clay, 
 a philosopher and a brilliant conversationalist, talked about the 
 mountains and valleys ; of various countries and sancient 
 heroes; quoted Homer and Shakespeare, and told me many 
 pleasant stories. But he asked no questions relative to my life 
 or calling, nor did he say anything about his own affairs. 
 Therefore, I was unprepared to meet the handsome lady and 
 her little daughter, Mabel, amid the splendors of civilization 
 away out here among the sage brush and mountain lion; but 
 rather expected to find a den of cowboys surrounded with their 
 usual paraphernalia : saddles, spurs, lariats, horse hobbles and 
 big whips ; with the walls strung with hair cinches, cantanas. 
 tapideroes and chaparijoes (leather breeches), pistols and guns. 
 After supper Mr. and Mrs. Clay stepped into the parlor, leav- 
 ing me alone in the dining room. I almost adored Mr. Clay for 
 his kindness to me and thought I had detected (and did) some- 
 thing of his noble character and considerateness in the beauti- 
 ful face of his wife, yet she seemed so self-superior and haughty 
 that I wished myself away, and was on the point of flying 
 from the room, when she entered with a lovely boquet and ; 
 holding it toward me, asked, "Are you fond of flowers?" I 
 replied that I was, at the same time taking them from her 
 jeweled hand. "What is your name?" was the next puzzling 
 question. I was not as proficient in lying then as I became 
 afterward, but, swallowing the lump that had risen in my 
 throat, I managed to say, "John Watson." Taking me by the 
 arm she said, "Come with me, John." We passed into a large, 
 well furnished room, where Mr. Clay sat playing with his little 
 angel, Mabel. I was shown the bric-a-brac, flowers, picture 
 albums and a large case full of excellent books, which the good 
 lady said I was welcome to use, and that I must consider my- 
 self at home while I remained with them. The whole scene 
 appeared to be a dream, or a real reproduction of that happy 
 home of my childhood, therefore, when Mr. Clay who ap- 
 provingly witnessed our tour of inspection asked, "Now, sir. 
 how do you like our little home," I could not answer him but 
 buried my face in my hands and silently wept while he played 
 "Home, Sweet Home" on the organ, his wife accompanying 
 him with her voice and the guitar. I was most miserable in 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 155 
 
 thought, yet felt happy and thankful for having fell into the 
 hands of these good Samaritans. The music was continued until 
 bed time, when Mr. Clay escorted me into an adjoining room 
 and pointing to a bed (fit for President Cleveland), said, "You 
 can sleep there, John." "I cannot sleep in that bed, sir." "Why 
 not?" "Because I am covered with filth and parasites." "Oh, 
 we can easily remedy that," said he. After taking a thorough 
 bath, I put on a suit of Mr. Clay's clothes, consigned my own. 
 with its numerous family, to the flames and returned to my 
 room. 
 
 There has been much speculation as to the origin of the 
 term "Maverick," and the vocation of the "cowboy." Most 
 people believe the latter is of the nineteenth century produc- 
 tion, but a perusal of sacred history shows that Abel "brought 
 of the firstlings of his flock an offering unto the Lord." Abra- 
 ham and Lot had herds in the land of Canaan, "and there was 
 a strife" between their cow-boys. Saul was a ranchman and 
 Da an Edomite, was his foreman, and kept on hand an army 
 of cowboys. Amos was a cowboy in Syria, and Moses himself 
 participated in the great "round-up" in Egypt. And Isaac was 
 a cattle king in Gerar. St. Patrick, the exterminator of snakes 
 herded cattle on the mountains of Ireland; and Carrera, begin- 
 ning life as a cowboy, rose to the Presidency of the Republic of 
 Gautemala. Therefore, the cowboys' profession is not only 
 made honorable by its long standing, but by its distinguished 
 participants ; while the "Maverick" is of comparatively recent 
 origin. I have heard many hot and furious debates over its 
 birthplace, but the most reasonable and authentic account 
 comes from George M. Maverick, who, in a letter to the St. 
 Louis Republic, says : "Honorable Samuel A. Maverick, of San 
 Antonio, Texas, was a lawyer, with a strong propensity for 
 speculation, and during the year 1845, a neighbor being in debt 
 to him, settled the account by transferring to him a herd of 
 cattle. Mr. Maverick, being absorbed in real estate matters, 
 allowed the increase of his herd to grow up unbranded. The 
 calf, becoming independent, leaves the mother, and, if over 
 six months old and unbranded is thereafter known as a "Mav- 
 erick." Neighbors regarded all such calves as being Maver- 
 icks, so they called them 'Mavericks.' No one could know his 
 cattle except by the brand, and so the first brand settled the 
 question of ownership ; therefore the unbranded, stray calves 
 were dubbed 'Mavericks.' The name spread throughout the 
 west and 'filled an aching void/ for the cowboy of today would 
 be lonesome if he could not call a 'maverick' a 'maverick/ J 
 
 On the tenth day after my arrival at Mr. Day's the 
 "round-up" (a semi-annual practice) was inaugurated. A num- 
 
156 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 her of stock raisers, with a score of cowboys, mounted their 
 horses and set out for the chase. Mr. Clay, myself and his 
 herder accompanied the party. The various herds, after sev- 
 eral days hard riding, were collected at Mr. Clay's ranch, 
 where the necessary branding was to be done. Small bands 
 were "cut out" from the main herd and driven into a stout 
 corral, where two or more posts were set firmly into the 
 ground, and to these the cattle, after being lassoed, were 
 drawn, with heads cloise up to the snubbing post. Another 
 rope is thrown over the head, two half-hitches taken round the 
 body, then a quick, strong pull on it by the cowboys and the 
 animal falls on its side, and before recovering from the surprise 
 the branding iron is applied. The unclaimed and unbranded 
 stock (mostly young) was put into a separate lot while the rest 
 of the band was turned upon the prairie and another corralled 
 Thus the work continued until the entire herd was disposed of. 
 Then the "Mavericks" the legitimate property of the cowboys 
 were driven into the corral, when, to me, the real fun com- 
 menced. On such occasions each vaquero stands ready, lasso 
 in hand, and at the word "go" all rush toward the "mavericks." 
 Occasionally all the boys miss, owing to the fact of their be- 
 coming entangled in each other's lariats, in which case the um- 
 pire calls "time," and a new start is taken. When the first loop 
 encircles a calf's neck "time" is called. The "maverick" brand- 
 ed with the employer's brand, and the successful cowboy re- 
 ceives its value in cash. In case of two being caught simultan- 
 eously they are both branded, otherwise only the first, and the 
 other turned loose when a new start is made. I have seen as 
 high as three lassoes on one calf's neck at the same time, but 
 the first loop held the "maverick." On the occasion of the 
 "round-up" in question there were twenty-five "mavericks" 
 and eighteen "contestants" in the corral. I caught seven out 
 of the twenty-five "mavericks," thereby distinguishing myself 
 as an expert with the lasso. My seven calves were branded 
 with Mr. Clay's brand and I received for them sixty dollars. 
 Mr. Stanley, a large stock owner, being present, offered me 
 sixty dollars per month to work for him. I told Mr. Clay I 
 would accept the offer unless he wanted me whereupon he 
 said, "John, I will give you sixty dollars per month to work 
 for me," which offer was gladly and thankfully accepted. Mr. 
 Jones gave a dance at his ranch on the success of the "round- 
 up," and at its close received a purse of fifteen dollars for my 
 services, thus suddenly rising from penury to opulence. Dur- 
 ing the fall and winter I played the fiddle for many parties, and 
 on Sundays rode wild horses for the neighbors, these side is- 
 sues raising my income to nearly one hundred dollars pen 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 157 
 
 month, which I carefully hoarded. I worked hard and rode 
 through storms looking after poor stock or cows with young 
 calves when no other cowboy would venture on the range. I 
 never left the ranch during a storm without a large bundle of 
 hay, which I gave to those animals most needing it. On sev- 
 eral occasions I appeared at the herd in time to kill or drive 
 away a mountain lion or disperse a pack of hungry wolves, 
 bent on attacking a calf or some animal not able to defend it- 
 self. By these acts of care and daring I not only saved to Mr. 
 Clay all, or nearly all, my hire, but won the title : "The most 
 humane cowboy on the range." I was also accorded the dis- 
 tinction of being the best broncho rider in the settlement. 
 
 Most people imagine that any man astride a horse, with a 
 large sombrero on his head, pistols in his belt and a lariat in his 
 hand is necessarily a cowboy, but this is a great mistake, for 
 there is as much difference between a thorough, practical cow- 
 boy and the average person wearing that title as there is be- 
 tween the ancient "star-gazers" and our modern professors of 
 astronomy. There are three distinct grades of the cowboy: 
 first, the range herder, second the cow-puncher (trailman), and 
 the cowboy proper. The two former may be, and in many in- 
 stances are disqualified, by reason of temperament, to take the 
 place of one another, and neither of them competent to make 
 and keep in order their necessary accoutrements, or to lasso 
 and ride a wild horse ; while the latter possesses every faculty 
 of mind and natural disposition of character, to enable him to 
 not only fill his own sphere satisfactorily but also enables him 
 to assume, and successfully execute the duties of a herder or a 
 cow-puncher. To become an all-around successful, "humane 
 cowboy" one must be endowed with good health, strong, wiry 
 muscles and an iron will, backed up by a large continuity, com- 
 bativeness and benevolence. Continuity enables him, when 
 necessary, to be content on the range, and patient and long- 
 suffering on the trail, while combativeness sends him forth to 
 battle with storm and wild beasts, the natural enemies of his 
 charge, and, having found an animal reduced in strength, or 
 wounded by wild beasts, benevolence prompts him to pour in 
 the "oil and wine" of sympathy and proper care ; he must also 
 be intelligent, prompt in emergencies, always loyal to and scru- 
 pulously honest with his employer I have seen a number of 
 this style of cowboy, and such men will never be found in com- 
 pany with those who delight to terrorize and annoy the people 
 of small towns. There is also a prevalent false impression re- 
 garding the (broncho) wild horse. It being generally supposed 
 that one who is able to ride a common, unbroken farm horse 
 is equally able to ride a broncho. I have ridden all sorts and 
 
158 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 sizes of wild horse and am, therefore, prepared to say that the 
 difference, in bucking capacity, between the broncho and farm 
 horse is greater even than that existing between the stick horse 
 of my childhood and the trickiest bicycle of today. The man- 
 euvers being displayed on horse back in Buffalo Bill's Wild 
 West Show at Chicago are doubtless clever and admirable, but. 
 while I do not wish to disparage such feats of horsemanship, 
 must say they are mere child's play when compared to the rid- 
 ing of a seven-year-old broncho. Barnam's trick mule did not 
 know even the first principles of bucking, measured by the 
 broncho's standard. The difference in riding a trick mule and 
 a wild horse lies in the fact that the rider knows every move 
 his mule will make, and braces himself accordingly, but he 
 can not tell anything about the actions of a broncho until after 
 he has ridden him, for he does not jump twice in the same di- 
 rection, and no two of them buck alike. 
 
 On April 1st, 1878, Mr. Clay, having sold his ranch, took 
 me back to Medicine Bow and got me a position in the branch 
 store of Trabing Bros., wholesale grocers, of Laramie. These 
 gentlemen lived at Medicine Bow, and conducted in connection 
 with the store, a saloon, restaurant, livery stable, stock ranch 
 and a freighting outfit. The government warehouse was locat- 
 ed here afterward removed through the influence of Governor 
 Thayer to Rock Creek so that Forts Fetterman and McKin- 
 ney could be more readily supplied with provisions, which 
 must be transported by ox trains, in consequence of which 
 Medicine Bow was usually flooded with teamsters and other 
 rough characters. One evening there was great hilarity on the" 
 street in front of the store, and stepping out to see the occasion 
 of it, I beheld a scene that made my blood boil with indigna- 
 tion. Mr. Trabing and a score of roughs were engaged in 
 cruelly tormenting two old drunken men, employees of the for- 
 mer. "Temperance John" so called on account of his lectur- 
 ing other people for drinking when drunk himself was the 
 hostler, and "Shu-Fly John" was the chief cook. They were 
 educated men, and had once been respected members of so- 
 ciety, but whisky blighted their manhood and brought them 
 down to the level of brutes. They would work faithfully for 
 three or four months, then draw their wages and go on a spree. 
 When their money was exhausted they would pawn their 
 clothes and deliver stump speeches for more rum. The hostler 
 had been standing on the head of a barrel lecturing the chef for 
 being intoxicated, when someone kicked the barrel over giving 
 the old man a severe fall. It was this inhuman act that created 
 the laugh that brought me upon the scene, and when the roughs 
 attempted to put the old men in a box scarcely large enough 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS loi) 
 
 for one man, I could not longer restrain my pent-up indigna- 
 tion. I threw their tormentors right and lift and assisted the 
 old men to rise. I cursed Mr. Trabing for countenancing such 
 treatment of his old servants, and declared myself able and 
 willing to thrash anyone of the boisterous crowd not satisfied 
 with what I had said or done. My challenge was not accepted, 
 so the shameful affair passed without bloodshed. I re-entered 
 the store to get my things, expecting, of course, to be dis- 
 charged. Mr. Trabing, being a sensible man and divining my 
 thoughts, seized my hand and said, "John, your rebuke was 
 just and timely, so you must not think of quitting us on that 
 account." 
 
 Shortly after the above event the bar-keeper, one night 
 rushed wildly into the store and exclaimed, "Oh, Mr. Trabing ; 
 the teamsters are breaking everything to pieces in the saloon." 
 "I cannot do anything with the devils," said the proprietor re- 
 signedly. Mr. John Smith, the government agent, remarked 
 that it was a pity to have the saloon (which was nicely fur- 
 nished) "again gutted by those ruffians," whereupon Mr. Trab- 
 ing beseechingly requested me to go down to the saloon and 
 quiet the boys, which I did. He was so well pleased with my 
 ability to handle rough men that he raised my salary ten dol- 
 lars per month, and gave me full control over the saloon busi- 
 ness. I was greatly elated over, and justly proud of the confi- 
 dence reposed in me by Mr. Trabing, and happily looked for- 
 ward to the day when I could bring my Nora to this village. I 
 was patiently waiting for the foliage to thicken so I could slip 
 back to Missouri, and, under its protecting shadow, spirit my 
 wife away, and return with her to Medicine Bow, but alas! 
 these fond hopes were ruthlessly swept aside by the inexorable 
 laws of fate. 
 
 Messrs. Bailey, Townsend & Co., wholesale merchants of 
 St. Joseph, Missouri, sent their chief clerk to Wyoming to look 
 after their interests in a stock ranch located near Medicine 
 Bow. The clerk arrived on the morning train, and after mak- 
 ing arrangements for conveyance to the ranch, he and Mr. 
 Trabing came to the saloon for their bitters. Turning to go 
 out the clerk's eye fell upon the head lines of mv paper as it 
 lay on the card table, and shouted, as if he had discovered an 
 old friend, "Hello, who takes the St. Joseph Gazette in this far 
 off land?" "The barkeeper," replied Mr. Trabing. The clerk 
 now returned for a chat with me. I had already recognized 
 him, owing to the fact that I had paid him considerable money 
 for goods while in business at Hall's Station, but feared to let 
 myself be known. Our versatile discourse finally turned upon 
 the notables of St. Joseph and vicinity, and my heart beat like 
 
160 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 a trip hammer when the clerk asked, "Were you acquainted 
 with Phillip Kerlin and his great friend Polk Wells?" "Yes ; 
 sir, I knew Mr. Kerlin quite well, and was on intimate terms with 
 Mr. Wells, who, I understand, got into serious trouble out in 
 Utah. I should be glad to hear what became of Polk and his 
 lovely wife Nora." "I can," said the clerk, "give you full par- 
 ticulars in reference to them." His statement after rehearsing 
 my trouble in Utah was substantially as follows : "Mr. Kerlin 
 and Folk's wife became so intimate that Mrs. Kerlin objected 
 to her husband's attention toward the young widow; the af- 
 fairs got into the papers, and the result was Mr. Kerlin killed 
 his wife and eldest daughter, and he himself was subsequently 
 murdered by a mob living in and around Hall's Station, and 
 Polk's wife, poor creature, was driven mad by the death of her 
 baby, the loss of her husband, and this scandal, consequently 
 she drifted to Kansas City, where she entered a house of ill- 
 repute, the only alternative left the unhappy woman, and re- 
 ports say she committed suicide." I knew the clerk to be a 
 man of integrity and unquestionable veracity, therefore, the 
 truth of his painful story was not for a moment doubted, and 
 with heavy heart and sorrow unspeakable I fled from the 
 saloon, down to the river, where I prostrated myself upon the 
 bank and cried aloud, "My God, My God, thou hast stricken 
 me at last." Again all the imps of darkness surrounded me. 
 holding up before my disturbed mind banners on which were 
 written in letters of living fire that burned themselves into my 
 brain and heart, maddening the one and torturing the other. 
 Mrs. Yazell's prophesy against my father, and Satan's remind- 
 er that I was already on record as a petty thief," and "you are 
 now a fugitive from justice." Here I lay for some time, fer- 
 vently praying that my miserable life might cease. The good 
 Lord, whose ways are past finding out, thought it best not to 
 grant my prayer, therefore, since I had not the courage to cast 
 myself into the Medicine Bow, or to send a bullet through a 
 vital part, I was obliged to return to my post in the saloon 
 heart-sick, doubly desperate with the sense of self respect and 
 hope dead. Life possessed no charms and death no terrors for 
 me, hence I decided to go north into the hostile country. Mr. 
 Trabing's outfit was loaded with his own goods for the purpose 
 of starting another branch store near the new coast, Fort Mc- 
 Kinney, on Clear Creek, Wyoming. . I requested him to give 
 me a team to drive and a position in the store when estab- 
 lished. "All right, John, it shall be as you desire," said he. 
 
 On October first Ed Callahan and myself quit Mr. Trabing 
 and started for the "states." Leaving the outfit, with which 
 we were traveling, we went out for a hunt one day and were 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 161 
 
 attacked by a band of Sioux warriors. We dropped seven of 
 them from their horses in such quick succession that the oth- 
 ers, having recognized our fearlessness, and knowing some- 
 thing of the deadly capacity of the Winchester rifle, made a 
 precipitated ignominous flight. While partaking of the noon 
 meal a band of elk, having been scared by the Indians or hunt- 
 ers, crossed the narrow valley in front of our camp. I noticed 
 that there were some calves in the herd, and, determined to 
 catch one, mounted a swift horse and dashed after the fleeing 
 elk. Coming up to them I cast a lasso, the loop of which set- 
 tled gracefully over the brownie's head. The calf finding it- 
 self suddenly checked and unable to get free, began bleating 
 piteously. This scared my horse and by his fearful leaps to get 
 away broke the neck of my captive. It was dragged some dis- 
 tance and I was finally compelled to cut the lasso from my 
 saddle before I could stop and quiet my frightened and inex- 
 perienced steed. The mother, hearing the plaintive cries of her 
 babe, dashed back to its rescue and, after a careful examina- 
 tion, became satisfied that it was dead and that I was the cause 
 of it. She raised her large brown eyes, stared steadily at me 
 for a moment, then hastened after the herd. The sorrow and 
 suffering that my Nora had to endure at the loss of our dear 
 little Maggie was vividly portrayed in the face of that poor 
 mother elk, down whose cheeks rolled tears large as marbles 
 and glistening in the sun like great balls of fire, each one send- 
 ing a dart of sorrow and pain into my heart. I sat down on 
 the grass and cried like a whipped child. Some of the teamsters, 
 thinking I was seriously hurt, accompanied Callahan to assist 
 me to camp, but, finding me uninjured rebuked me for not kill- 
 ing the elk (which no amount of money would have induced 
 me to do), and ridiculed my emotion or as they termed it, 
 "childish sentimentality," and which would perhaps have ended 
 in a deadly encounter had they not been persuaded to desist. 
 
 Arriving at Rock Creek I met Mr. D. R. Clay, my former 
 employer, and at his request accompanied him home, while 
 Callahan took the east bound train for Laramie. Mrs. Clay, as 
 before, met us in the yard, but my reception was quite differ- 
 ent on this occasion to what it was then as she cordially 
 grasped my hand and exclaimed, "J onn I'm truly glad to see 
 you. I have missed you ever so much. I have had no one to 
 take my part and Randal (pointing to her husband) has made 
 me do all the work since you left us." She continued in this 
 strain until Mr. Clay caught her in his arms and carried her 
 into the house, and I, with little Mabel clinging to my neck 
 followed them. For a few days I was comparatively calm, and, 
 after a fashion, enjoyed myself in this home of plenty and re- 
 
162 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 finement, where sympathy, charity and mercy dwelt harmoni- 
 ously together, but the spirit of restlessness asserted itself and 
 I longed for some kind of employment or adventure. Mr. Clay 
 still living on the old ranch, perceived that I was unhappy in 
 idleness, got Mr. Chapman, to whom he had sold the ranch and 
 stock, to engage me to look after the old herd of cattle, every 
 one of which I could point out without resorting to the brand 
 for identification. A few days after taking charge of the herd 
 I went down the Medicine Bow River in search of some stock 
 that had fled before a storm. About one mile east of Medicine 
 Bow station, on the river, I rode up to a camp fire around 
 which sat three desperate individuals. I readily recognized 
 two of them as being the two strangers referred to at the battle 
 on Smoky Hill River, Kansas, with the negro escort. On mak- 
 ing myself known they dragged me from the horse and ex- 
 plained, "The Captain and Callahan are at the station making 
 inquiries concerning your whereabouts." Callahan and these 
 men were old acquaintances, and he, having left them at Lara- 
 mie, joined the party in the expectation of kidnapping Jay 
 Gould. Another man and a favorable place to execute theif 
 design was needed, so they came to Medicine Bow where they 
 found both the place and the man (myself). The Captain (for 
 whom I know no other name )was a man of culture, strikingly 
 handsome, and once a respected member of New York society, 
 and who, after being introduced to me, spoke as follows: "Since 
 my comrades here have so highly praised your marksmanship, 
 expressed implicit confidence in your courage, and have so en- 
 thusiastically and confidently assured me of your willingness to 
 participate in such an undertaking as we now have at hand 
 here he, in eloquent terms, expressed his own opinion of my 
 individuality I have therefore, no hesitency in unfolding my- 
 self to you. Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, in a railroad deal, robbed 
 me of all I possessed and I swore eternal vengeance on them, 
 but Fisk, being dead, I am obliged to call on Mr. Gould to set- 
 tle the account. After losing my fortune I moved to Chicago 
 and engaged in the saloon business, but again lost all in the 
 great fire. I then secured a position on the police force, where 
 the opportunities for practicing dishonesty were so great and 
 so numerous that my hitherto honest heart became impregnat- 
 ed with the evil, and my presence here is the logical, the inevit- 
 able result. I can find scores oi^nen to rob stages or steal 
 horses, but to find half a dozen men with sufficient courage 
 and the requisite desire to execute the scheme I now have in 
 view has been a difficult task, and I thank God (as if the good 
 Lord ever mixed up in such alliances) that I have, at last, got 
 a crew to my liking. I have friends in the east to keep me in- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 163 
 
 formed as to the movements of Mr. Gould, who will be along 
 here in a few days enroute to Utah, where he intends buying 
 a railroad. It is our intention to rob his train and spirit him 
 away to the Big Horn Mountains where we will hold him for 
 a ransom that will make us all rich." Of course, I entered into 
 this extraordinary scheme with all the zeal and desperation of 
 my young soul. To rob "the chief of robbers" was the grand- 
 est thing my imagination could picture. 
 
 Jacob, an emisary, was left at Laramie to telegraph the 
 Captain when Mr. Gould's train passed that point. The tele- 
 gram came but was so worded as to give the Captain to under- 
 stand that he must not attack the train going west. Jacob ar- 
 rived at Medicine Bow on Mr. Gould's train, which was heavily 
 guarded, a sufficient reason for our not attacking it. After an 
 interview with the Captain, Jacob boarded the next train for 
 Rawlins, from which place he would wire the Captain of Mr. 
 Gould's return. It was now proposed that we wreck the train 
 on its return trip, but I objected to this wholesale murder of 
 innocent people in order to capture Mr. Gould. The Captain 
 lacked the courage (which he so much admired in other men) 
 to attack Mr. Gould while surrounded by his trusty guards, 
 therefore, the "kidnapping" scheme was abandoned. We then 
 went to Fort Fetterman, intending to rob the quarterly pay 
 master, but learned from the post sutler that Congress had 
 failed to appropriate money to pay the soldiers. The Captain 
 was exceedingly wroth at this news, and began to drink. Cal- 
 lahan finally got him to camp and informed me that he had 
 sworn to kill me for having defeated the cherished scheme of 
 his life. Toward evening he got the opportunity, and, when 
 raising his gun to fire, Callahan shouted, "Look out, John." 
 The bullet whistled suspiciously close to my ear and I turned 
 upon my assailant. He fell on his knees and cried, "For God's 
 sake, don't shoot, don't shoot, for the sake of my wife and 
 children I beseech you to spare by life." Thus I came near be- 
 ing murdered for averting a disaster that would have cost Mr. 
 Gould many thousand dollars, and in all probability his life. 
 This affair was the cause of the party disbanding. Callahan 
 and myself again returned to Medicine Bow, while the Captain 
 and his followers went east and robbed the stage running be- 
 tween Cheyenne and Deadwood. The Sheriff and his men 
 overtook the Captain and his comrades on the North Platte 
 near Fort Fetterman, and killed them all in the fight that en- 
 sued. 
 
 Early in the spring, while working for Mr. Trabing, I 
 joined the Odd Fellows at Carbon. Callahan was also an Odd 
 Fellow, but denounced the order for not assisting him in a 
 
164 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 shameful affair, for which he had to leave home. I contended 
 that it was a benevolent institution and would assist a worthy 
 member in an honorable way. 'Til bet you ten dollars," said 
 he, "that you cannot borrow fifty dollars from your lodge." 
 Previous to this argument we had agreed to return to Mis- 
 souri, for I remembered that the clerk from St. Joseph had said 
 that my wife's death was only a rumor. It occurred to me that 
 she might still be living. If so, I would find her and again 
 take her to my bosom. Before starting for Missouri I decided 
 to win Callahan's ten dollars and obtain a traveling card from 
 
 Holding up "Overland Route" office using Dummies 
 behind log. 
 
 my lodge. To make sure of the former I got a friend to write 
 a letter, purporting to be from my father, and containing a re- 
 quest for me to come home. I showed the letter to Mr. James 
 Ross, treasurer of the lodge, and asked him if I could borrow 
 fifty dollars. That night the lodge voted me the card and the 
 money and I returned to Medicine Bow exulting over my tri- 
 umph, not so much for having won Callahan's money (which 
 I never exacted) as for maintaining the position I had taken 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 165 
 
 in reference to the order's benevolence, and readiness to accom- 
 modate its needy members. I regard this transaction as being 
 one of the basest acts of my life, though I intended, at the time 
 to refund the money, and have since resolved, but as yet have 
 failed to do so. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 December ninth Callahan and I reached my sister's house 
 in Doniphan, Kansas. She informed me that Nora had con- 
 ducted herself in a becoming manner ; that she had married an 
 honorable, hard working young man. Callahan now learned 
 my real name and the nature of my Utah trouble, so he joined 
 my sister in saying that the best thing for me to do under the 
 circumstancs, was to leave the country without seeing my wife. 
 Her happiness being the chief desire of my heart, I concluded 
 that the advice was reasonable and proper and readily decided 
 to act upon it. Accordingly Callahan and I crossed the river 
 into Missouri, where we bought a couple of saddle horses and 
 started for the southern part of the state, where his father 
 lived. As we passed familiar scenes and places where I had 
 sported with my darling Nora, an overwhelming and irresist- 
 able desire came upon me to see her once more. So, sending 
 Callahan on to Platte City, where he was to wait for me, I 
 entered the woods in which lived Mr. Al Warnica the man. 
 living with my wife, and whose picture was photographed on 
 my mind and hearing someone chopping wood, and that be- 
 ing Mr. Warnica's business, I rode out to where the man was 
 at work. I readily recognized him and introduced myself by 
 saying ,"I am Polk Wells, and have come to pay you and Nora 
 a friendly visit." He staggered back a step or two and turned 
 pale as his eyes fell on the double row of cartridges around my 
 waist, and the pearl-handled pistols which were mischievously 
 displayed, and from these he glanced along the glittering bar- 
 rel of the Winchester rifle lying across my lap. I saw that he 
 feared trouble and hastened to put him at ease by saying, "Mr. 
 Warnica, I respect and honor you for caring for and protecting the 
 woman I love, and hence you need have no fear of harm from 
 me." Being thus assured he pressed my hand warmly and said, 
 "Come, let us go to the house ; Nora will be glad to see you." 
 After dinner I said, "My dear Nora, Mr. Warnica and I 
 both love you, but the law will not recognize two husbands at 
 the same time, so we have agreed to let you settle the matter 
 by choosing one of us, and have pledged ourselves to abide by 
 your decision." An oppressive silence followed. I hastily 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 1G7 
 
 scanned the features of my wife and Mr. Warnica's. The 
 criminal about to be executed could look no worse than he 
 did, and poor Nora was the very picture of despair and sorrow. 
 "Oh, my God, help me; oh, I cannot, I will not decide the mat- 
 ter. I love you both but you must settle the question between 
 yourselves." It seemed so cowardly in us to cast all responsi- 
 bility on her that I was made speechless for very shame. Nora 
 would not, and it was evident that Mr. Warnica felt himself 
 unequal to the task, therefore it devolved upon me to settle the 
 question, which, after recovering the power of speech, I did by 
 
 G. A. Warnica and wife (formerly Mrs. Nora Wells), 
 (His Chief Backers) 
 
 taking them both in my arms, and, having invoked the choicest 
 blessing on them, registered this vow: "I now swear in the 
 presence of God and the archangels, that I will go away, per- 
 haps never to return ; but if I should, neither word nor act of 
 mine shall ever cause any trouble to arise between you." I 
 then gave Mr. Warnica three hundred dollars to buy himself a 
 team, as he had no means of support except with the axe. I 
 kissed them both good-bye, mounted my horse and rode rapidly 
 
168 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 away, leaving my rifle on the bed where I placed it on entering 
 the house. 
 
 To those who know what it is to see a great hope die, to 
 have the happiness that makes life worth living blighted by a 
 single turn of the wheel of time, to know what it is to drop 
 from the noonday heights of joy to the depths of darkest mid- 
 night, I need not even mention the weeks and months of suf- 
 fering that came to me through my self surrender to any fur- 
 ther claims in the affections of the woman I loved ; to those 
 who have not experienced such trials it would be useless for 
 me to try to make it in any sense tangible. It is not in the 
 province of the pen, no matter how cultivated the mind or 
 skillful the hand may be that guides it, portray the soul-kill- 
 ing agony that I endured. There are some things in life, that 
 are harder to bear than death, and this event in my career is 
 one of them ; and only those who have had a similar experi- 
 ence, or have had a close companionship with an awful sor- 
 row, will be able to sympathize with me, or in a measure 
 comprehend my suffering during that dark period of my life ; 
 nor did I fully realize it myself, for I was absolutely uncon- 
 scious for six weeks ; I remember only the iron heel of fate 
 striking my heart as I rode away from the little log cabin on 
 the hill, and the distress of mind experienced for a long time 
 after my recovery. I left Mr. Warnica's house on the fifteenth 
 of December, 1878, and from that date until the middle of Jan- 
 uary, 1879, there is no record, so far as I know, of my life. 
 What I did, where I went, or what became of my horse is 
 mere speculation ; but my whereabouts during the remaining 
 two weeks of that comatose condition are easily accounted for. 
 When I, like the prodigal, came to my senses I was in a rob- 
 bers' camp near Vinita, Indian Territory. 
 
 Callahan, after waiting a day or two for me at Platte City, 
 returned to the neighborhood in which we had parted and 
 there learned that I had left the country. Meeting a cool re- 
 ception at his father's house, he again left the parental roof 
 and started for Texas. At Vinita he met two of his old asso- 
 ciates, and joined them in the proposed robbery of the Indian 
 pay master, who was expected to arrive in Vinita some time 
 during the month of February. He attended the arrival of all 
 trains for the purpose of getting papers in which he hoped to 
 learn something of me. One evening on the arrival of a pas- 
 senger train on the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad, at 
 Vinita, the then terminus of that road, a commotion in one of 
 the cars attracted the attention of bystanders, who rushed to 
 the windows to see what was going on inside. All the other 
 passengers had left the car, and when I refused to go the 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 169 
 
 trainmen undertook to put me off, but hastily retreated when 
 I drew my pistol. Callahan, being in the crowd of sightseers 
 at the window, recognized me and quickly entered the car and 
 led me away with him to camp. He learned afterwards from 
 the conductor that I had boarded the train at Springfield, Mis- 
 souri, and paid my fare in money to the end of the road ; that 
 I declared Vinita was not the end, hence my refusal and the 
 conductor's attempt to put me off the train at that point. 
 
 During the early part of February, 1879, two United States 
 marshals arrived at Vinita in search of Callahan's two friends, 
 who immediately left us for parts unknown. Some days later 
 Callahan and myself started for Carthage, Missouri, at which 
 place we separated, and I have never seen or heard of him 
 since. From Carthage I went to Joplin, a lead mining town 
 possessing various evil dens that characterized the mining 
 camps in early days out west. Here I met a young man 
 named Martin, from Wyoming, and who gave me his plans 
 for robbing the Moffitt & Sargeant Bank in Joplin. He then 
 introduced me to some of the city officials and the proprietor 
 of a leading hotel. "These gentlemen" ( ?) he said, "will shield 
 us in our work." The proprietor was hard pushed for money, 
 and, of course, eager for the robbery, but continuously re- 
 marked that it would "take four or five good men to do it." 
 He introduced us to two men, whom he styled "thorough- 
 breds." These fellows introduced me to other noted criminals 
 and they in turn to still others. Thus the introducing business 
 continued until I was presented to over fifty "thoroughbreds," 
 and at last I exclaimed (my soul bursting with disgust, and 
 my voice full of contempt), "Good God, is this town com- 
 posed of thieves only?" Tom White, a beardless boy, was 
 presented to me under the appellation of "thoroughbred" by 
 half a dozen different parties, and he proved himself worthy 
 of the title. Robbery, however, was not the uppermost 
 thought of my mind. The chief hopes and desire of my heart 
 were circling around a certain little log cabin, which rendered 
 me silent and thoughtful ; therefore, this reserve, coupled with 
 the fact of my total abstinence from the use of liquor and to- 
 bacco, and from visiting houses of ill-repute, stamped me as 
 a man of prudence and sagacity, in consequence of which I 
 was chosen leader, and it devolved upon me to select three men 
 to help Martin and myself rob the bank. Tom White was my 
 first choice, but a prolonged conversation with him on the sub- 
 ject weakened my determination to act in the matter. White 
 after extolling the general virtues of Messrs. Moffitt & Sar- 
 geant, said, "They made this town and they are the poor man's 
 best friends." This extraordinary praise about the proposed 
 
170 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 victims coming as it did from a professed and avowed enemy 
 of society, so impressed me with the enormity of the con- 
 templated sin that I concluded to make an investigation before 
 further committing myself. I consulted a number of miners 
 and business men, who united in confirming White's story of 
 the bankers; and to further satisfy my conscience and gratify 
 a curiosity to see the men thus universally praised, decided 
 to visit them. I entered the bank, got a fifty-dollar bill 
 changed, and then engaged Mr. Sargeant in conversation 
 about deposits and mining stock?. The kindness and consid- 
 eration with which he answered my many questions made me 
 his friend, ami I left the bank feeling better for having talked 
 to him. In the evening the two officers, Martin, White, the 
 proprietor and myself gathered in a private room at the hotel 
 for consultation. I briefly informed them of my investigations 
 in consequence of which I declared I could not participate in 
 a robbery of such men. A painful silence reigned for a few 
 minutes, then the proprietor said, "I am glad you have arrived 
 at that conclusion, for Moffitt & Sargeant are certainly not 
 proper subjects for .such a diabolical act as we have proposed 
 but I must have some money soon or I will be financially 
 ruined." My companions were all hard up, and the changing 
 tithes of emotion had swept their exalted hopes of riches 
 against the rock of disappointment. Depicted on the coun- 
 tenance of each member of the little group was an expression 
 of sadness that rendered the scene a pitiable one indeed. I 
 thought of their "hungry wives and children" with such a 
 flood of sympathy that my purse, containing over four hun- 
 dred dollars, of which they were not aware, was instantly 
 brought out, and when I proposed to let them have some 
 money to carry them through their present needs, they were 
 not only surprised, but the well-springs of hope and joy made 
 their faces radiant with gratitude, transforming them from 
 prospective criminals into respectable looking gentlemen. I 
 gave the proprietor one hundred dollars and ten dollars to 
 each of the other men, and after my generosity was duly ac- 
 knowledged the little band of would-be robbers adjourned 
 sine die. 
 
 Here I leave the proprietor and officers, but will take Mar- 
 tin and White a little further on the road that "leadeth to the 
 valley of woe" and degredation. From Joplin we went to Em- 
 pire and Galena, two small mining towns lying on the line be- 
 tween Missouri and Kansas, commonly known as "Short 
 Creek," but might be more appropriately named Sodom and 
 Gommorah. At Short Creek I was introduced to twcr more 
 officers and another hotel proprietor, who, like the Joplin trio, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 171 
 
 were willing to have their friends and neighbors robbed. They 
 would keep us informed as to the movements and suspicions 
 of other officers, point out the victims, and, in case an arrest 
 was made, would do the necessary swearing, for which ser- 
 vices they demanded twenty per cent of the money stolen. Our 
 first victim had just sold his claim (in the new diggings across 
 Spring River )for twenty- five hundred dollars, but we got only 
 two hundred dollars of it, he having deposited the remainder of 
 it in a bank. Next morning two innocent young men were 
 arrested for the robbery. Martin got scared and left the coun- 
 try, while White and I remained and proposed to our col- 
 leagues (who received their share of the money) that we do 
 something to clear those under arrest, to -rhich they agreed. 
 
 The next day the proprietor introduced me to Mr. Taylor 
 who had seen a trunk full of greenbacks at the farm house of 
 Snapp brothers, living three miles northwest of Joplin. Taylor 
 assured me that the ladies were absent, or I would not have 
 agreed to this robbery, but, on entering the house we found 
 them all present. They were, however, brave, resolute wo- 
 men, having been schooled to danger during the rebellion 
 Their husbands were officers in the Confederate army under 
 "Pap" Price, which fact was sufficient to subject their house 
 to frequent raids from the Kansas Jayhawkers. We tied the 
 men and seated the ladies beside them. The women became 
 quite talkative when they saw no personal harm was intended, 
 and cheerily invited us to have supper, which was on the 
 table and had not yet been touched by the family. The elder 
 lady, learning we wanted nothing but money, handed me a 
 bunch of keys, saying, "Please, sir, do not break anything." 
 Leaving White to guard the prisoners, I hastened upstairs in 
 search of the treasure trunk, which I had no difficulty in locat- 
 ing, and whose lid I threw back, disclosing a till full of green- 
 backs, which, on examination, proved to be Confederate scrip. 
 Taylor, who did not enter the house on this occasion, had re- 
 cently accompanied his father to borrow money from the 
 Snapp brothers, hence his opportunity to see the trunk full of 
 southern money. My surprise at this revelation was only 
 equaled by my indignation at having allowed myself to be led 
 into this sin by a silly, wild-eyed sycophant. I returned to the 
 lower room, and would have left the house a\. once, but White 
 insisted on making a search. I had touched nothing except 
 the big "Saratoga," and while White was examining the other 
 trunks, drawers and closets, I was pleasantly Chatting with 
 the family. These good people had heard of the young men 
 being under arrest for the Spring River robbery. I told them 
 that myself and partners were the guilty parties, and request- 
 
172 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ed them to so inform the authorities, so that innocent men 
 might not suffer. The gentlemen frankly, smilingly assured 
 me that my request should have a speedy and extended circu- 
 lation. White now returned, having found about iifty dollars 
 and a quart bottle of fine port wine, used for sacramental pur- 
 poses, for the Snapps were Christians. I did not know that 
 he had the wine or I would have made him leave it. On reach- 
 ing Empire, Mr. Snapp's horses were turned loose and started 
 toward home. The fifty dollars were equally divided, the 
 wine was then passed, and the chief officer, who had been a 
 colonel in the Union army, drank a toast, ending with "Better 
 luck next time, boys." 
 
 Just before noon the following morning the colonel came 
 to me and said, "I have a cash job for you now. A wholesale 
 firm in Joplin at the end of each month sends its agent here to 
 collect money due from our merchants, and he will be here to- 
 day for that purpose and will take dinner with me. You and 
 White (for Taylor had gone home) can capture him on his 
 way back to Joplin." The agent arrived, and I ate dinner at 
 the same table with him, went to the stable, saw his horse and 
 buggy, then White and myself went out on the road to wait 
 for him. When the buggy came into view there were two 
 men in it, but I recognized one of them as the agent, so we 
 stepped into the road and started toward them. The agent 
 mistrusting something wrong, wheeled his horse from the 
 road and dashed away across the prairie. That evening, while 
 we were reporting our failure to capture the agent the other 
 officer came in and handed the colonel a telegram. He sprang 
 to his feet and excitedly hissed, "Taylor is under arrest at 
 Joplin and has betrayed you boys, so you had better leave 
 town immediately." White went out to see a friend, and was 
 arrested by a party just from Joplin, but he escaped. The 
 men were running in every direction, and a company of horse- 
 men dashed up the street toward where the colonel and I were 
 standing, he pressed my hand affectionately, saying, "Good- 
 bye, good-bye, John, take care of yourself." I glided around 
 the corner of the old theatre, and like a skulking coyote threw 
 myself on the ground and pressed closely to the foundation of 
 the building. I felt a rock yield to my pressure, I pulled it 
 out, entered the aperture feet foremost and replaced it thus 
 imprisoning myself. I had scarcely finished my work before 
 the colonel, with half a dozen men, rushed up to the building 
 and halted just in front of me. Here two men were stationed 
 with orders "not to relieve their posts until relieved and to 
 arrest every man that came along." I was wedged in between 
 two joists, and could neither raise up or turn around. The 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 173 
 
 ground was cold and damp, and in this condition I was com- 
 pelled to remain for fifty hours without food or water. Each 
 change of guards had something to say about me. I was either 
 praised in the highest terms for bravery atid generosity, or 
 consigned to the lowest depths of hell on account of my "dou- 
 ble-dyed, red-headed villainy." The former gave me a feeling 
 of pardonable pride, while the latter caused my face to burn 
 with shame and my soul to revolt at the thought of being 
 styled a thief and a murderer ; therefore, I resolved to abandon 
 the life of a robber, and return, if possible, to the paths of 
 honor and righteousness. 
 
 About eleven o'clock of the third night of my self-im- 
 posed captivity the guards were notified that a party was in 
 hot pursuit of White and myself near Chetopa, Kansas ; conse- 
 quently they we're relieved from further duty, and I breathed 
 a sigh of relief as their footsteps died away in the silent hours 
 of the night. I lost no time in idle speculation, but immedi- 
 ately began to drag myself "from under the old theatre. I say 
 "drag," but that does not express my painful efforts to get 
 out of that unpleasant situation. The moment the excitement, 
 caused by immediate danger, left me, cramps seized on every 
 fibre and muscle in my body, and for two hours I wrestled 
 with an invisible foe that seemed bent on my destruction, 
 but, God be praised, I got the better of the contest and final- 
 ly struggled to my feet, and, like Lot of old, fled as rapidly 
 as possible from the presence of Sodom and Gommorah. 
 
 While walking up the railroad track, a few miles south 
 of Doniphan, Kansas, I chanced to look back and saw two 
 men following me; one of them White and the other a son of 
 a prominent physician of Atchison. I told the young doctor 
 where he could find the roots he was in search of, and so we 
 continued our walk up the road together. At a little farm 
 house on the roadside three large dogs came out and took a 
 stand on the track as if they would contest the right of way. 
 Not wishing to show my pistols, I picked up some stones and 
 threw them at the dogs. A young man, plowing in the field, 
 drove up to the fence and said, "If you tramps hurt those dogs 
 I'll horsewhip every one of you." "Come over and do it, any- 
 how," said White. He did come over, but the latter's blows 
 fell with such rapid precision of aim that the young granger 
 fled to the house. His mother met him in the yard with a 
 double-barreled shotgun, which he seized and discharged at 
 us (several shot striking my breast, but were too small for 
 serious damage), whereupon White drew his pistol. I sprang 
 forward to prevent his shooting, but succeeded only in di- 
 recting his aim. At the crack of the pistol the old woman fell 
 
174 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 as if dead, but, as was afterward shown, was not touched by 
 the bullet. A boy was dispatched to Atchison to notify the 
 officers of the affair. Mr. Phil Duncan, city marshal, and Mr. 
 Wm. Wily, sheriff of the county, started out after us. We 
 crossed the bluffs to the wagon road, leading from Atchison to 
 Doniphan, on which we met the sheriff and marshal. They 
 came around the curve in the road so swiftly, yet noiselessly, 
 that they were right at us before we saw them. "Howdy, 
 boys," said the sheriff, good naturedly. "Has either of you," 
 he continued, "got a pistol?" "No, sir," said I. The marshal 
 sprang lightly out of the buggy, and as he came around the 
 rear end I covered him with a pair of large pistols, while 
 White held another pair on the sheriff. I ordered Mr. Dun- 
 can and the young doctor to get into the buggy and return 
 to the city. The order was promptly obeyed, but an hour 
 later the officers returned with a hundred men, armed with 
 Winchester rifles, pitchforks, hay-knives, bull dogs, etc. The 
 party halted near where we were hid in the bushes, and while 
 consulting as to the best place to route us, John, Joe and 
 Mark Taylor (three brave and honorable men, who were 
 raised on a farm adjoining my father's, and consequently 
 knew me from infancy), rode into the crowd and the latter 
 gentleman addressed the sheriff thus: "Are you positive that 
 Polk Wells is one of the parties?" "Quite sure of it," replied 
 the officer. Then Mr. Taylor, after indulging in some very 
 complimentary remarks about myself and family, said, "I'll 
 never believe Polk guilty of shooting a woman." Mr. Joe 
 Taylor then spoke very disparagingly of the woman and her 
 son, and the crowd, as if by mutual consent, turned their 
 horses and rode rapidly away. The old woman, at the pre- 
 liminary trial of the doctor, claimed she was shot, but re- 
 fused to show the wound ; she, however, had the grace to 
 join the doctor in exonorating me. 
 
 White and I reached Lawrence without further interfer- 
 ence, and one night while sitting on the railroad, near the 
 depot, mapping out our course, three tramps joined us. Pres- 
 ently two officers came along and arrested the party. I 
 leaped into the darkness and ran some distance, and, think- 
 ing White at my heels, stopped to congratulate him on our 
 escape, when a heavy hand was laid on my shoulder with 
 "Oh, you rascal, it takes a good one to beat me running." "I1 
 does, ah !" said I, and with a heavv revolver I dealt the man 
 a blow across the nose that stretched him on the ground at 
 my feet. Next morning I returned to the city and bought a 
 paper giving an account of this event. "The tramps," it said, 
 "were taken to jail, but the other two scamps escaped by 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 17.3 
 
 slugging one of the officers." Thus White and I were sep- 
 arated and he was, the last I heard of him, serving a ten 
 years' sentence in the penitentiary at Jefferson City, Missouri. 
 
 Each of the various papers that came to Lawrence, as 
 well as those published there, contained an article about me. 
 which varied in detail according to the. fancy or imagination 
 of the writer. When I entered a barber shop to get shaved a 
 number of gentlemen were discussing the exploits of Polk 
 Wells, and while I was yet in the chair, the officer, whom I 
 struck, came in and the men commenced teasing him for al- 
 lowing a tramp to get the better of him. "That fellow," he 
 replied, "is no tramp. He has taught me a lesson I shall not 
 soon forget. When I chase another man in the dark, I'll have 
 to be drunker than I was last night." I did not care to hear 
 any more, and so got out of the house and went to my room 
 in the Cincinnati hotel. The proprietor, Mr. Beebush, treated 
 me kindly, and when I inquired about work, said he could 
 get me a job with his friend, Mr. John Medsker, one of the 
 best and wealthiest farmers in Douglas County. When Mr. 
 Medsker came in I was duly presented, accepted and taken 
 out to his paradise of a farm and home, about eighteen miles 
 southwest of Lawrence. I worked hard in the fields and did 
 chores about the house that no other hired man had ever con- 
 descended to do. I arose early, built a fire in the cook stove, 
 put on a teakettle full of water, and frequently helped to 
 wash the supper dishes, for which services I was amply rewarded 
 by the musical voice and bewitching smiles of the farmer's 
 beautiful daughter, Jane, who could ride wild horses, milk 
 cows, plow corn, and manipulate the ivory on a grand piano 
 equal to any of her city cousins. Mr. Medsker and family 
 were Dunkards, and, of course, very plain folks, and I regu- 
 larly attended church with them; hence Jane and I soon be- 
 came good friends, so much so that I had about concluded 
 to ask her to be my wife, when one morning, while milking, 
 a refractory cow kicked a bucket of milk in my face, I dis- 
 graced myself by hurling uncomplimentary and untheological 
 expressions at the bovine race ; so on Sunday Jane refused 
 my company to church. Perhaps my story would end here 
 had it not been for that vicious cow, but, since God works in 
 mysterious ways His purposes to accomplish, I must con- 
 tinue the narrative. 
 
 On the fourth of July I attended a picnic dance, after 
 which I accepted an invitation to ride home in a four-horse 
 wagcm. Though the moon and stars were shining brightly 
 and the sky clear, it was quite dark on the creek bottoms. We 
 had fairly gotten into the timber when something glided 
 
176 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 across the road in front of our team. There were, besides 
 myself, six couple in the wagon, and all, except Miss Harvey, 
 heroine of this event, were confident that the solitary figure 
 (probably a cow) was a robber. Some declared there were 
 two, while others insisted there were more and that all had 
 guns. It is surprising how the imagination will at night fill 
 the woods with savage beasts and more savage human beings 
 and people the element with spooks and hob-goblins. For*- 
 tunately it was not far through the timber, otherwise we 
 should have had a panic, as two of three of the girls clutched 
 at the reins to stop the team and begged to go back. "Oh !" 
 said one, "if it should be that awful Polk Wells and his part- 
 ners, they will kill every one of us." At the mention of my 
 name a wave of terror spread over the youngsters, and the 
 driver was half inclined to turn back, but Miss Harvey laughed 
 at him, taunted him with cowardice, and declared she was "not 
 afraid of Polk Wells." "Nor me, either," said I, and to quiet 
 the girls I got out and walked ahead of the team until through 
 the timber. Some of the young people were very bitter to- 
 ward me, but Miss Harvey, the belle of the neighborhood, 
 defended me on every point of attack, and, judging from her 
 remarks, I was in her estimation a much abused man, and 
 an ideal of manly courage and physical perfection. She was 
 correct. 
 
 About the first of August I quit Mr. Medsker and started 
 for Missouri. Some miles south of Lawrence I stopped to 
 stay over night with a farmer, and after supper was taken into- 
 the front room and left alone while the gentleman and his 
 wife did the evening chores. Presently two bright-eyed, 
 sweet-faced little girls (twins) three or four years old, came 
 into the room and got into an altercation over their playthings. 
 Each seized the limb of the old rag doll and began pulling 
 and stamping their little feet with all their- might. I expected 
 to see the doll ripped asunder. Not so, however, for the 
 mother foresaw that "Judy" would be the instigator of the 
 bitter strife and had, consequently, done her work well. She 
 heard the babies quarreling and came in to quiet them. 
 "Naughty girls," she said, "you ought to be ashamed to act 
 that way before a gentleman such conduct would I sup- 
 posed be proper at other time if you don't behave better, I 
 shall give you to Polk Wells." "Oh, mamma," cried the ter- 
 rified children, "we'll be ever so nice if you won't give us to 
 that awfully bad man." The lady returned to her work in 
 the kitchen and the babies sat down on the floor and were 
 soon as playful and loving to one another as kittens. I 
 watched them a few minutes, then called them to me, took 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 177 
 
 them on my knees, gave each one fifty cents in silver to buy 
 a china doll, and told them not to be afraid of Polk Wells, 
 that he loved little girls very much and would do anything 
 for them. "Do you weally fink so?" asked one of the little 
 things. "Yes, I am sure he would," said I, then drawing them 
 close to my breast, rocked them to sleep. 
 
 How strangely are the emotions of men altered by a 
 change in their condition. The compliments showered upon 
 me by Miss Harvey, the accomplished and beautiful young 
 lady, raised me almost to the seventh heaven of glory, but. 
 while nursing these dear children, I floundered in the lowest 
 depths of shame and remorse at having my name used as a 
 cudgel to coerce little children into submission and obedience 
 Parents who resort to such means to control their children 
 ought to be sent to the penitentiary for cruelty to animals, or 
 to the insane asylum for incompetency to raise a family. 
 
 The next day, while wandering about the streets of Law- 
 rence, I was arrested along with three other young men. I 
 knocked my captor down, mounted a good horse, on which I 
 made my escape, and which I turned loose after riding a few 
 miles. Arriving at Doniphan, the officers got after me again 
 I crossed the river into Missouri, determined to see my wife 
 I reached her brother-in-law's house after dark, and, as it 
 was raining, concluded to stay over night there. About ten 
 o'clock the house was surrounded by a score of men, who had 
 come to capture me dead or alive, but they lay all night in 
 the rain and allowed me to leave the house without even 
 showing themselves. When I reached Mr. Warnica's house 
 (the little log cabin on the hill) his brother-in-law, Fred 
 Crandall, was there. He was an enemy of mine, was in col- 
 lusion with my pursuers and had come to Mr. Warnica's in 
 the hope of inducing Nora to betray me into their hands. Mr. 
 Warnica informed me of my danger, and advised me to leave 
 immediately. Nora brought out my Winchester rifle, saying 
 "Take this with you and use it on those who seek to injure 
 you, and come back in a few days." I took the gun, kissed 
 Al and Nor-a good-bye, walked past Mr. Crandall (who had 
 the impudence to raise his hat to'me), disappeared in the 
 woods. Ten minutes later I stopped in the bushes, near the 
 road, which turned into the head of a deep hollow. The rain 
 had so softened the ground that I did not hear the rapidly ap- 
 proaching horseman until he was within ten paces of me. 
 This was Crandall, who, when my gun was leveled at his 
 breast, shouted, "Polk, for God's sake don't shoot. I am your 
 friend." This Judas was very explicit in directing me how to 
 evade my would-be captors. I listened patiently to him and 
 
178 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 (not wishing to let him know that Al and Nora had apprised 
 me of his treachery) agreed to follow his instructions. He- 
 rode down the hollow and I crossed the road as if intending 
 to act upon his advice, but, instead of doing so, recrossed it. 
 taking care to leave no tracks, and took a stand on the point 
 of a high bluff. Presently Crandall, with a dozen men, re- 
 turned, and after pointing to the spot where he saw me, said. 
 "We'll just about overtake him at the big spring." The party 
 dashed on across the hill, and this was the last I saw of it. I 
 returned to the "cabin" that same evening in time to take 
 supper with Al and Nora. It was agreed that I should go 
 back into the country and work on a farm until they could 
 settle up their affairs, when we would leave the country to- 
 gether. In accordance with this plan I went out near 
 Plattsburg, Missouri, and commenced work for an old farmer 
 who came home drunk one evening, and, as I entered the din- 
 ing room in response to the 1 supper bell, began abusing me. 
 "Why," said he, "I can do more work in one hour than you 
 have done in three days." I had worked very hard, conse- 
 quently this unjust imputation stung me deeply, and next 
 morning notified the farmer I must quit him, whereupon he 
 said, "Mr. Weber, I thought you had better sense than to get 
 angry at anything a drunken man might say." "I have, sir," 
 said I, "when at myself, but the fact is I sometimes become 
 deeply intoxicated with melancholy, and, should you attack 
 me as you did last night, while laboring under its influence 
 the result might be serious ; therefore it is best for me to leave 
 before harm is done." 
 
 I next applied to "Uncle Bobby" Scarce, the wealthiest 
 farmer in Clinton County, for work. He looked me full in 
 the lace for a moment, then said, "My young sir, you have a 
 very bad eye, and I doubt if you want work." In all my 
 travels and intercourse with men, this was the only one who 
 ever doubted my integrity. The grandsons of St. Jude were 
 arraigned on a charge of aspiring to the throne of David, but 
 on showing their hands hardened with toil, were dismissed 
 by the emperor as unworthy subjects of his fierce anger. So 
 the calloused lumps at the base of my fingers, which on re- 
 quest I showed to the sagacious old farmer, proved to be a 
 passport to his favorable consideration, and I was employed 
 and set to work facing fence posts. At the time appointed 
 I quit Mr. Scarce and returned to the log cabin. Al and Nora 
 were overjoyful at the turn matters had taken since my de- 
 parture. "We need not emigrate now, unless we want to," 
 said Al. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 In August, 1862, my step-brothers returned from Price's 
 armv on a recruiting expedition. The commander, Gen. James 
 Craig Home, of the militia at St. Joseph, heard of their de- 
 sign and sent a company to Rushville to capture them. The 
 boys anticipated such a move, and hid themselves in the woods, 
 and it devolved upon me to carry them provisions. Joe, hand- 
 ing me a double-barreled pistol, said, "In case the soldiers pre- 
 vent you coming to us, fire it off and we will know what td 
 do." The soldiers surrounded the town, but the boys were 
 outside the line, and at dark I started to them with a basket 
 of victuals and a pot full of genuine coffee :I say genuine, for 
 most people, and many of them wealthy, were using parchec* 
 rye for making coffee. Just over the brow of the hill I 
 entered the paw-paw bushes, and was tripping along the path 
 that led into the graveyard hollow, in which the boys were 
 hiding, when I was seized by the arm and commanded to sur- 
 render. There were four of my captors, and while they were 
 devouring the contents of my basket and coffee pot I learned 
 from their conversation that a messenger had been sent to 
 town for information concerning the whereabouts of the Fry 
 boys, and the best plan for effecting their capture. I denied 
 my knowledge of them, but the note in the basket, from mother 
 to Joe, proved me a conscious liar. Then I was threatened 
 with punishment if I did not tell where they were, but I re- 
 fused so emphatically to do so that they became angry and 
 hung me up to a limb of a tree. In a few seconds, which 
 seemed hours, I was let down with the remark, "I think he'll 
 tell now where they are." "I'd see you d d first," was my 
 earnest reply. Again I was suspended, and again let down to 
 hear "Tell us where the Fry boys are, or we'll leave yon 
 hanging to that limb." Many thoughts flashed through my 
 mind, and I mentally remarked, "This is an excellent oppor- 
 tunity to wreak vengeance on Joe for his many cruelties to 
 Ruth and myself," but the thought of treason suppressed the 
 idea as soon as it was formed. Whatever I might personally 
 do to Joe, I could not bear the thought of betraying him into 
 the hands of our common enemy. The halter had hurt my 
 
180 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 neck so that several minutes elapsed before I could speak in- 
 telligently. "If you will untie me, I will," said I, "take you to 
 where the boys are. I have no special love for them ; they are 
 only my step-brothers, and used to treat me meanly." This 
 frank statement was known to be correct by two of my cap- 
 tors, who had been neighbors to my Nora's father, Mr. Wil- 
 son, therefore they readily agreed to my proposition. 1 was 
 no sooner set at liberty than I fired .my pistol over the 
 heads of the men, who sprang for their guns, setting against 
 a tree, while I dashed down the hill through paw-paw bushes 
 and briars. The boys heard the shot and made good their 
 escape ; but instead of returning to the regular army, they 
 stopped by the wayside and joined the redoubtable Quantrel. 
 The militia was ordered back to St. Joseph that same night, 
 but before departing I was roundly "cussed" by Captain Ennis 
 Thomas, who said I was a "fit representative of Balaam's ad- 
 monisher." 
 
 Two of the men helping to hang me were with the jay- 
 hawkers who robbed my father's house during the war, and 
 shortly after the fight at Geary City they met my old friend. 
 Philip Kerlin, at Doniphan, Kansas, and hung him up three 
 times because he would not cheer Jim Lane. These men, also 
 Mr. Kerlin, at the close of the war settled in the vicinity of 
 Hall's Station, and the former, while I was doing business 
 there, inaugurated a sort of "White Cap" organization, which, 
 for convenience I will designate as "The Mob" ; and which 
 numbered but six men, who were my best customers. Mr. 
 Kerlin also patronized me, and occasionally met members of 
 "The Mob" at my house, and, when under the influence of 
 liquor, roundly abused them for their cruel treatment of him 
 at Doniphan, which resulted in stiffening his neck so that he 
 was obliged to turn the whole body in order to turn his head. 
 On such occasions it was with great difficulty that I pre- 
 vented bloodshed between them ; but while I was in the moun- 
 tains they killed himi in his cornfield. 
 
 The Henry boys, friends and neighbors of Mr. Kerlin. 
 and Charles Hinman, a friend of "The Mob," got into an 
 altercation over a water line. The latter being caught in the 
 act of breaking the dam, was promptly shot by one of the 
 former. The rage of "The Mob" now knew no bounds. It 
 accused Mr. Kerlin of inciting young Henry to shoot Hinman. 
 and declared he must now hang until "dead, dead." I was on 
 the most intimate terms with the leader of "The Mob/' who. 
 one evening, said to me, "Polk, we are going to hang old 
 stiff neck (Mr. Kerlin) tonight, and we want you to go with 
 us." I did not say I would go, but censured Mr. Kerlin and 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 181 
 
 expressed the belief that he was responsible for the shooting, 
 which the chief construed as equivalent to saying I would 
 accompany him. I put on my pistols, rode out to Mr. Kerlin's 
 house, notified him of the proposed attack on his life, and re- 
 mained with him all night. The chief called for me, as he said 
 he would. Nora told him where I was, and advised him to 
 abandon his wicked purpose and let the law handle Mr. Ker- 
 lin. H'e concluded, and correctly too, that I had gone to Mr. 
 Kerlin's for the purpose of defending him, therefore the mat- 
 ter was hushed up. "The Mob," however, now turned its de- 
 structive battery against me, and, having a controlling influ-* 
 ence, both political and social, in the neighborhood, had no 
 difficulty in instituting an effectual boycott on my business, 
 and rough characters were incited to create disturbances at 
 my house. I was almost killed one day by a burly ruralist. 
 who struck me on the head with a heavy railroad pick. This 
 frightened Nora, and she persuaded me to sell out the busi- 
 ness and buy a farm. I did so, but bought a lawsuit with 
 the farm, and through a technicality in law not only lost the 
 land, but everything else I had, and was compelled to labor 
 daily in order to support my little family, as previously stated. 
 
 On my return to Missouri from Utah, the news got out 
 that I had come back for the purpose of killing all those im- 
 plicated in the murder of my friend, Philip Kerlin. I made 
 no such threats, but did say, however, that I would endeavor 
 to bring the guilty parties to justice. "The Mob" was fear- 
 fully exercised on account of this declaration, and took occa- 
 sion to circulate all sorts of evil reports about me. Every 
 crime committed within fifty miles of Hall's Station was 
 charged to my account, and rewards (emanating from their 
 prolific brains) for my capture ranged from one hundred to 
 fifteen hundred dollars. The excitement caused by these evil 
 reports and fictitious rewards, like the dew Hron before the 
 morning sun, melted away under the decisive test of an 
 honest investigation, which was made by Mr. William Mur- 
 ren, of Rushville, who was my staunch friend, and who would 
 not believe me guilty of a dishonorable act, no matter who 
 made the accusation. Mr. Murren published an account of 
 his investigations, which served to not only silence "The 
 Mob," but enlist public sympathy in my behalf. This was 
 the "glad tidings of great joy" I received on the day of my 
 return from Uncle "Bobby" Scearce's, from Al and Nora, with 
 whom I was permitted to remain unmolested. We lived hap- 
 pily together, and were made welcome wherever we chose to 
 go, even exchanging visits with members of "The Mob." 
 
 I could not, however, meet either of these men without 
 
182 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 seeing in his countenance the perpetrator, or accessory, of the 
 foul murder of my friend, which kept alive the determination 
 to see that each got his just deserts before the law. I soon 
 gained the confidence of a member of one of the families of 
 "The Mob," who, one day in a fit of anger, said to the head 
 of the family and in the presence of the chief of "The Mob/' 
 "Poke Wells will soon have you and your gang in the peni- 
 tentiary." This was sufficient for them to know that I was IP 
 possession of all the facts concerning: their crime, therefore 
 "The Mob" resolved to at once suppress or extinguish me. 
 Hitherto the accusations against me were comparatively in- 
 significant to what "The Mob" now brought forth. Its move- 
 ments became more marked and unrelenting in purpose and 
 its members (men of wealth), being actuated by self-preser- 
 vation, now vouched for- the three hundred dollars reward of- 
 fered for my arrest by their chief. One day a man was robbed 
 near the "log cabin." The robber looked very much like me 
 and unfortunately had, at the time of the robbery, one of my 
 pistols. "The Mob" got hold of the victim who was a mem- 
 ber of a gang of horse thieves, was riding a stolen mule when 
 robbed, and had in his pocket a letter of introduction to the 
 very man who robbed him and induced him to swear out a 
 warrant for my arrest. This was the first legal document 
 procured against me. The sheriff, Fay Spencer, being well 
 acquainted with my father's family, believed it to be a "ma- 
 licious conspiracy," and refused to have anything to do with 
 the matter, but allowed "The Mob" to retain the warrant, and 
 told one of its members to make the arrest if he wanted to. 
 "The Mob," failing to enlist the sheriff in its cause, finally 
 secured the services of two policemen of St. Joseph to assist 
 in my capture and overthrow. I was promptly notified of 
 this combination, in consequence of which I decided to make 
 my home for a time in the woods. While sitting one evening 
 at the west entrance to my cave, waiting for Al and Nora to 
 arrive with my supper, a beautiful black shepherd dog came 
 to me. I regarded this as a good omen, and therefore named 
 my mute but intelligent friend "Luck." The faithfulness of 
 the dog to his master is too well known to need recounting 
 here. I may say, however, that "Luck" became at once my 
 companion, protector and messenger. Through his fidelity 
 and sagacity I was enabled to inform Al and Nora of my 
 movements. 
 
 Bill Norris, on moving into our neighborhood, assiduous- 
 ly courted my company. There was something in the man 
 that affected me strangely and gave him power to exert an 
 evil influence over me; and notwithstanding the repeated en- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 183 
 
 treaties of Al and Nora to have nothing to do with him, I 
 yielded to his persuasions, and our first act was .the robbing 
 of a store at DeKalb, Missouri. He now proposed that we 
 rob the express train. I agreed to do so, and went to Atchi- 
 son to make some investigations in the matter. While there 
 I called on a friend who had frequently sent me word to 
 visit him. He was, and is yet, a prominent man, and his 
 business with me "was evil in the sight of the Lord." Of 
 course I agreed to his liberal offer to share ten thousand dol- 
 lars with me, whereupon he introduced me to the conductor 
 from whom he was to get the desired information. I was then 
 shown about the train I was to rob. This train was called 
 "The Plug." and its only business was to transfer passengers 
 from the Union depot in Atchison across the river to Paw Paw 
 Junction, on the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs 
 railroad. It made two trips each night to the Junction, one 
 at eleven o'clock to meet the north-bound express and the 
 other to meet the south-bound passenger. These two trains 
 met at Hall's Station, thus allowing "The Plug" barely time 
 to make its first trip and return in time to meet the passenger ; 
 consequently the treasure received from the first train (which 
 was to bring the money we were waiting for) was kept in the 
 little iron safe. After completing arrangements and adopting 
 a signal, by which I would know the money was on "The 
 Plug," I returned home and notified Norr-is of my success. 
 We rode down to Winthrop, a distance of twelve miles, four 
 nights in succession, and on the fourth night the signal ap- 
 peared, we boarded the train and passed through the coach 
 containing several passengers, into the express car. I com- 
 pelled Mr. Simms, the conductor, to open the little safe, the 
 contents of which were put into his mail pouch, which was 
 thrown over my shoulder. I then searched the conductor, 
 took from him a small pistol of the "Swamp Angel" pattern 
 and his pocketbook, which he said contained his private re- 
 mittance to the company, and for which he was "personalty 
 responsible," therefore the purse and its contents were re- 
 turned. The baggage master had forty dollars, his "own 
 money," which I did not take from him. We then left 'the 
 train and returned home, only to find we had made a blunder 
 on acconut of a misunderstanding in the adjustment of the 
 signal, whereby we attacked the train on its first trip instead 
 of waiting for the second, consequently failed to get the ten 
 thousand dollars due that evening. This robbery occurred on 
 Thursday night, July 8th, 1880, and the booty obtained con- 
 sisted of two hundred dollars in greenbacks, six dollars in 
 silver, ten Elgin watch movements, valued at one hundred 
 
184 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 and forty dollars, one fifty dollar silver certificate and a lot of 
 papers, whose value I did not ascertain. The certificate 
 watches, papers and pistols were put into the conductor's 
 pouch, which I, on Sunday night, hung on the knob of the 
 back door to the express office in Atchison. I gave our friend 
 his share of the money and again returned to my home in the 
 woods, deeply impressed with the fact that I was not, prac- 
 tically, a complicated schemer; that the expectations of a rob- 
 ber were too often extravagant and delusive, therefore, I be- 
 came disgusted with the profession of highway robbery, and 
 again vowed I would lead an honorable, upright life. 
 
 My headquarters were near the graveyard, in which was 
 buried my first wife, who, as stated elsewhere, was an angel, 
 and I concluded to make a practical test of my faith in the 
 efficacy of prayer. Accordingly six nights in succession were 
 spent in prayer at her grave. About one o'clock of the sixth 
 night I knelt, for the last time, at the grave and humbly but 
 earnestly besought God to send the spirit of my dear- Mattie 
 to advise me what to do and how to do it. I did not want to 
 lead a wicked life, yet lacked the will power to evade the dic- 
 tates of conscience, and hence sought heavenly aid and guid- 
 ance. The city of the dead is on a knoll, at the mouth of a 
 deep hollow, and surrounded by a dense growth of timber. 
 The night was calm and beautiful, yet quite dark where I sat 
 after prayer, leaning against the head-stone of my wife's 
 grave, awaiting the answer to my petition, and to my notion 
 a more fitting time, place and occasion for the appearance of 
 a disembodied spirit could not be imagined. "Luck" lay at 
 my side, with his head affectionately resting on my lap. Pres- 
 ently I heard something tripping over the grass toward where 
 I sat. "Ah, my darling," I said, "is coming to comfort and 
 strengthen me and lead me into the way of everlasting life." Then 
 the tree tops began to sway back and forth, tombstones set up a 
 march and countermarch movement around me, the earth 
 trembled, my head swami and my heart, beating faster and 
 faster as the footsteps drew nearer, actually ceased to pulsate 
 when the spirit stopped at my side, and I, with a last breath, 
 reverentially exclaimed, "Oh ! Heavenly Father, I thank thee 
 that thou hast heard and answered my prayer." Just then 
 "Luck" darted across my lap, seized something in his teeth, 
 gave it a vigorous shake, then a whine, an energetic jerk of 
 a bushy tail and the odor of a healthy skunk arose to the very 
 throne of grace. It would consume a ream of foolscap to 
 record all that passed through my mind in the brief space of 
 a few moments, and I doubt if there is a mind strong enough 
 to endure for ten minutes the emotions I experienced on that 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 185 
 
 occasion. I was so overwhelmed by anticipated joys arising 
 from the expectations of a conversation with my departed 
 wife's spirit that I could not rise, but when the stifling odor 
 of that skunk reached my nostrils, I sprang to my feet and. 
 uttering a volley of terrible oaths, fled from the city of the 
 dead. Now, I believe in the visitation of both good and bad 
 disembodied spirits, and my mind, while at the grave of my 
 wife, was so perplexed with evil suggestions, by the latter 
 that I but faintly felt the strivings of the former; hence my 
 discomfiture and subsequent sins. 
 
 Shortly after my graveyard experience, Norris and I re- 
 turning home one night, encountered "The Mob" (now num- 
 bering twenty-five men, well armed) at Hall's Station. ^ 
 rope was stretched from the corner of the depot across the 
 road and made fast to a tree (the object being to jerk me 
 from the saddle in case I started to run), and the men sta- 
 tioned on each side of the road, placing me under a cross-fire, 
 with orders to shoot me if I did not fall. As we drew near 
 the Station, the deathlike stillness resting over that hitherto 
 noisy place became so oppressive and ominous, so much so 
 that I was seized with a positive presentiment. I stopped 
 short and said, "Bill, let us turn off here and go around the 
 Station, for there is danger awaiting us." "I believe you are 
 the most visionary fellow in America. I was thinking your 
 silence would result in another revelation from on high," he 
 irreverently replied. I was piqued by his lack of respect for 
 my feelings and quietly rode on. He himself became im- 
 pressed that all was not right, and as we neared the railroad 
 crossing I heard him cock his pistol, and had only time to say 
 softly, "Don't shoot any one if you can help it," when "Halt, 
 halt," rang out on the stillness of the night from a dozen 
 angry throats. I pressed the spurs to my horse, and he shot 
 forward like an arrow, then "bang, bang," went the pistols, 
 and "boom, boom" echoed the double-barreled shotguns, 
 There was no moon, but the stars shone with uncommon bril- 
 liancy, enabling me to see the rope in time to lean forward so 
 as to pass under it. As I did so the fellow behind the tree 
 discharged both barrels of his gun at me. The saddle-horn 
 and the front part of my vest were swept away by the shot, 
 but neither horse nor myself were touched. I ran a hundred 
 yards or so and stopped. Bill's horse dashed past me with- 
 out the rider. Thus far I had had no desire to return the fire 
 but now, supposing my friend killed, was on the point of go- 
 ing back to fight the whole "Mob" single-handed when I 
 heard Bill whistle in the field at my left. Norris, when his 
 horse fell at the first fire, pierced with a load of buck-shot in 
 
186 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 the head and neck, sprang over the hedge fence and escaped 
 but two buck-shot had passed through his left hand. Next 
 day Norris went to St. Joseph and had warrants issued for tlie 
 whole party of would-be assassins, who were promptly ar- 
 rested, and as promptly released on bail. 
 
 This affair discovered the friendship existing between 
 Norris and myself, and henceforward his house was watched 
 day and night in the hope of catching me. "The Mob's" first 
 reward was secret, or limited to the society of "regulators," 
 but now it was increased to five hundred dollars and made 
 public. Hitherto the officers of the law paid no attention 
 to the rewards supposed to have been offered for my capture 
 but this one, vouched for by men financially able to make it 
 good, had the effect of not only arousing the whole legal 
 force against me, but the community at large. Men who had 
 been my dearest friends, and to whom I had rendered acts 
 of love and assistance on various occasions, now sought my 
 life or liberty 'for the sake of a few dollars. Jacob Starmen 
 whose life I saved at the risk of my own, became my most 
 relentless pursuer, the only cause for his enmity being based 
 upon the fact of my having assisted his daughter to secure 
 an excellent husband. There were at least five hundred 
 men in search of me, and, to use their own words, "every 
 house where he is known to get aid or provisions is watched 
 and every avenue of escape cut off." I overheard this remark 
 one night as I lay in the bushes on the roadside near a spring 
 at which a lengthy conversation took place between two of 
 my pursuers. For five days I had nothing to eat except 
 slippery-elm bark and a sheaf of oats, yet my faithful "Luck" 
 remained at my side. He seemed to understand the gravity 
 of the situation, and appeared to be doubly watchful, but this 
 was not necessary, as my enemies had no intention of attack- 
 ing me in the woods, but secreted themselves along the roads, 
 paths, and in the vicinity of certain springs. By this clever 
 strategem they hoped to entrap me, or force me, through 
 hunger, to ' surrender. My chances for escape lay in a bold 
 dash through the enemy's line, or in my ability to endure 
 hunger, thereby giving the impression that I had already 
 passed beyond successful pursuit. Late in the evening of the 
 fifth day, I sent "Luck" to the cabin. He soon returned with 
 a note from Nora, requesting me to leave the country for a 
 while, and stating that she would bring my horse to me "or 
 die trying." I wrote another note, saying, "Bring the horse 
 by all means, and tie Luck in the house." I fastened the note 
 to his collar, shook his paw good-bye and said, "Go, my dear 
 friend." About fifty yards away he stopped and looked back, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DKKDS 
 
 187 
 
 as if to say, "Dear master, I know that I shall never see you 
 again" ; I waved my hand for him to go on, he dropped his 
 tail and passed out of my sight under a sweeping trot. About 
 sundown Nora started to me, and as she came out of the 
 bushes into the road the horse coughed, thereby attracting the 
 attention of a dozen men, who were hid at the mouth of a hol- 
 low. They saw her and shouted, "Halt, halt, or we'll shoot," 
 and started in pursuit of her. The horse was a good one, and. 
 as she said, "fairly flew down the road." I heard the clatter 
 
 Nora taking a Horse to Wells' Rescue. 
 
 of his feet, and, looking up the road, beheld the loveliest pic- 
 ture my eyes ever rested upon. The horse, with nostrils ex- 
 panded, was running at full speed, Nora sitting erect and 
 gracefully poised in the saddle, her black tresses waving in 
 the breeze, her eyes sparkling with uncommon fire, and her 
 cheeks aglow with excitement and love. She dismounted. 
 threw her arms around my neck, kissed me, and said, "Polk, 
 for my sake get away from here as quick as you can. A dozen 
 men are coming this way. When you stop let us know where 
 you are and we will come to you. Here, put this lunch in 
 your pocket, and go. God bless you, and keep you from evil 
 and harm." I mounted the horse, and with her prayer ring- 
 
188 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ing in my ears, disappeared in the bushes. My pursuers, meet- 
 ing Nora returning afoot, knew she had given me the horse, 
 therefore shamefully abused her, and declared they would not 
 rest until I was captured and to accomplish this a man was 
 sent post haste to Hall's Station to telegraph the other branches 
 of the association to look out for me. I knew this would be 
 done, but hoped to be beyond the committee's reach before 
 morning, and would have done so if I had not fallen asleep in 
 my saddle. Though I had implicit confidence in Luck, whom 
 I had trained to awaken me without barking, yet I could not 
 sleep soundly. The breaking of a twig or the chirp of a bird 
 was sufficient to bring me to my feet, pistol in hand, ready 
 to battle for my life or liberty I would not again experience 
 such feelings for all the gold and silver in the universe. 
 
 After leaving Nora I remember passing Wallace, on the 
 Rock Island road, but there I fell asleep and did not wake un- 
 til nearly sunrise, and, finding myself within a mile of De- 
 Kftlb, and not more than six miles from where I started ; and 
 where the regulators were as thick and ferocious as alligators 
 ia a Mississippi swamp. I turned my horse in the opposite 
 direction, and by eight o'clock crossed the Platte River. The 
 road lay up the river bottom, which was covered with heavy 
 timber and underbrush. At a short turn in the road I came 
 face to face with a dozen men, all well armed and riding good 
 horses. To run was to be riddled with bullets ; to submit to 
 arrest was simply to be hung. I concluded they could do no 
 more than kill me, and, drawing both pistols, dashed forward 
 to meet the foe, regardless of consequences. My first im- 
 pulse was to kill every man I could, so that I would, like 
 Samson, be crowned with victory even in death ; but better 
 thoughts entered my mind on seeing the confusion my bold 
 onslaught had thrown the enemy into, and decided to simply 
 wound a few of them. "Before they can examine the wound- 
 ed and get over their surprise I will be out of reach," was 
 my idea. Accordingly, as I passed through the party, I shot 
 two men through the arm and one through the shoulder, the 
 latter falling from his horse, exclaimed, "I'm shot, boys." Some 
 of the cooler heads recovered sufficiently to send a shower of 
 shot after me as I turned my horse into an opening in the 
 woods. Several shot passed through my clothes, and one 
 struck my horse a little below and back of the right ear. He 
 ran about fifty yards and fell dead. That night I stole a horse 
 and by daylight next morning was on the river opposite Lex- 
 ington, Missouri. Here I turned the horse loose, and crossed 
 the river in a skiff. As I passed up a back street of Lexing- 
 ton I saw a sign, "Washing and ironing done to order." 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 180 
 
 Entering the little cottage I found an old negro woman alone. 
 She, seeing that I was muddy from head to foot, took me for a 
 tramp, and was about to order me from the house, when I 
 produced a five dollar bill and, holding it toward her said. 
 "Auntie, I will give you this if you will get me something to 
 eat and clean my clothes ; I can go to bed while you do the 
 latter." She laughed heartily and said, "Bless de Lawd, I 
 nebber hearn ob sich a thing in all de days ob my life befo'." 
 While I was doing justice to an excellent breakfast, my 
 sable-skinned hostess was preparing a bed for me, after which 
 I gave her the money, saying, "Now, auntie, if you tell any 
 one that I am here, or have been here, I will never patronize 
 you again." "Fo' he Lawd I wouldn't tell de angels in heben 
 'bout you, sah," was her earnest reply. After a bath in a tub 
 of cold water, I went to bed and to sleep. When I awoke, at 
 nine o'clock that evening, my clothes were lying on a chair 
 looking as bright as when I bought them, and my boots nice- 
 ly polished. Stepping from the bedroom into the presence of 
 my benefactress, she made a stately bow and laughingly re- 
 marked that I did not look like "de same person." I was 
 greatly refreshed, and felt as differently as I looked. 
 
 I put up at one of the best hotels in Lexington, and was 
 frequently obliged to enter into a discussion with other guests 
 about myself. I was praised by one side and denounced by 
 the other. I had but little to say when the remarks were mina- 
 tory, but when of a complimentary nature I would tell a story 
 touching some of my exploits on the plains. One evening I 
 was engaged in conversation with Mr. Price, a commercial 
 traveler for a Kansas City tea firm, who seemed to take spe- 
 cial delight in relating daring deeds and hair-breadth escapes 
 of Poke Wells. "Are you personally acquainted with the 
 famous outlaw?" I asked. "Oih, yes, I know himi quite well," 
 said the gentleman. I then demanded a description of my- 
 self, which I could give verbatim, but will refrain from doing 
 so. I was represented as being a model type of manhood, 
 and possessed of intellectual qualifications and shrewdness in 
 trickery equal to General Jim Weaver of Iowa. He concluded 
 his eulogy of me by saying, "Polk is a jolly good fellow and a 
 fine billiard player." Mr. Price's acquaintance with me was 
 imaginary, and so far as my playing billiards with him or any 
 one else is concerned is wholly untrue, as I never played a 
 game of billiards. I have had this sort of thing to occur 
 many times, and I am unable to understand why intelligent 
 men resort to such questionable means in order to make some- 
 one else oelieve they are intimately, or even remotely, ac- 
 quainted with some notorious character. 
 
190 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 From Lexington I went to Norbourne, which I found 
 profusely decorated with Miles Orton's circus bills. Here I 
 met two men whom I agreed to help rob the ticket wagon on 
 show day, which would have been done had I not met Mr. 
 Orton, who, with his leading men, put up at the same hotel 
 I was staying at. Just before dinner a little boy came in and 
 said, "Gentlemen, I want to black your boots to get some 
 money so I can go to the show to see Mr. Orton, the best 
 bareback rider in the world." "How do you know he is?" 
 asked Mr. Orton. "Because my papa says so," was the boy's 
 
 Wouldn't Rob the Show because Proprietor too Generous Hearted. 
 
 reply. Some one then inquired, "Can't your father buy yon 
 a ticket?" "No, sir; he got hurt in a railroad wreck several 
 weeks ago and has not earned any money since." This 
 touched the great showman's heart, and he said, "Frank," 
 speaking to one of his men, "pass the hat." Everyone in the 
 room contributed something, and one gentleman dropped a bill 
 into the cap of the astonished boy, whose tongue had been 
 taught to say "thank you," and whose heartfelt gratitude 
 beamed forth from his large brown eyes as he bowed himself 
 out of the room. This was a beautiful scene, and completely 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 15)1 
 
 changed my thoughts for that day at least. After dinner I 
 met my partners and told them that Mr. Orton was my personal 
 friend, and, of course, could not see him robbed. "Well, we 
 can all go to the show then, if that is the case," said one of the 
 boys. When I reached the circus ground the tent was full of 
 merry people, but outside stood a score of little ones, whose 
 apparel and pinched faces stamped them as children of pov- 
 erty, with their sad little eyes turned longingly toward the 
 tent entrance. My sympathy for these unfortunate ones was 
 deeply moved. I stepped to the ticket wagon, and placing five 
 dollars on the board, said to the agent, "Pleace give me half- 
 fare tickets for that." I gave the tickets to the little girls 
 and boys, who shouted, "Goody, goody, we'll get to see the 
 elephant dance." I entered the tent, too, as the clown said, 
 "just to please the children." Thus Mr. Orton's kindness to 
 the little boy not only saved him from being robbed, but put 
 money in his pocket, and the delight and thankfulness with 
 which the little fellow received his collection from the hotel 
 guests and showman must have caused his heart to leap for 
 joy; besides his generosity opened the way for me to share in 
 the common glory of ministering unto the poor and needy ones 
 of earth. 
 
 I remained in and around Norborne for some time after 
 the circus, always thinking of Nora, often repeating those 
 lovely lines of the great poet, Goethe : "Nora, dear Nora, when 
 thou are near I feel I ought not to love, but when far away I 
 feel I love thee so much, Oh, much." Besides loving Nora, I 
 loved my native county (Buchanan), and as I could not bo 
 happy anywhere, concluded to return home, surrender my- 
 self to the law and accept a sentence in the penitentiary, if 
 that would free me from further persecution, rather than re- 
 main an exile from home and friends ; besides I wanted to 
 testify against "The Mob" for shooting at Norris and myself. 
 Arriving at the "log cabin," I informed Al and Nora of my 
 decision, which they heartily approved. Al and Nora were 
 witnesses against "The Mob," and on the day of trial (Sep- 
 tember 9th) we all started for St. Joseph. When we reached 
 the city they went on to the court house, while I stopped to 
 get shaved before presenting myself to the sheriff. While I 
 was in the barber chair a member of "The Mob" passed the 
 door, and recognizing me, hurried on to inform his colleagues 
 who quickly came to the shop, accompanied by Deputy Sher- 
 iff Tom Kelly, who entered the room and asked, "Is your 
 name Wells Polk Wells?" "Yes, sir." "Well, I have a war- 
 rant for you, Mr. Wells," said he. I discovered "The Mob" 
 outside, and taking the deputy for one of its members, con- 
 
192 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 eluded to fight; therefore, I struck the officer, sending him 
 whirling across the room. I was seized by half a dozen strong- 
 men and a terrible struggle ensued. I was finally disarmed 
 and triumphantly carried off to jail, and when safely behind 
 the bars the deputy sheriff read two warrants to me, one for 
 highway robbery, which was committed by the "fellow that 
 looked like me," and the other for assault with intent to kill. 
 The latter charge was preferred by Fred Crandall, with whom 
 I had a difficulty a year previous, and with whom I had made 
 friends. In the case of robbery the prosecuting attorney, Mr. 
 Hall, entered a nolle prosequi. Then "The Mob" joined Cran- 
 dall in the hope of sending me to the penitentiary. I waived 
 examination, and the court fixed my bond at two thousand 
 dollars, in default of which I was again taken to jail. There 
 were scores of good men who were inclined to go on my 
 bond, but feared to identify themselves as my friends by such 
 an open demonstration, consequently I was obliged to remain 
 in durance vile. 
 
 About the first of February, 1881, the Talbott brothers 
 under sentence of death for the murder of their father, Dr. 
 Talbott, a wealthy and prominent gentleman of Nodaway 
 County, were brought to the St. Joseph jail for safe keeping 
 until the day set for their execution. Mrs. Talbott came to 
 see her boys, and I proposed to rescue them and see them 
 safely out of the country, provided she would put up one 
 thousand dollars ( which would secure my release), furnish 
 money to buy arms and horses and defray traveling expenses 
 Next morning she returned and handed me a belt containing 
 ten hundred and twenty dollars, with orders to call at her 
 house as soon as liberated. My attorney, Colonel Sam B. 
 Green, took the money and deposited it in the First National 
 Bank, whole president, Honorable A. M. Saxton, came to the 
 court house, signed my bond, and I walked out a free man 
 once more. Next day I arrived at the Talbot mansion and 
 was gretted with tears and cheers of the sorrowing mother 
 of the doomed boys. I was furnished ample means for carry- 
 ing out my design, and a fine mule team, wagon and harness 
 and an excellent saddle horse were given into my charge. The 
 team was intended for conveying the boys away after being 
 released, and the horse was a present to myself. A livery 
 stable man of St. Joseph was interested in and hoped for my 
 success and furnished me one of the best carriage teams in the 
 city with which to carry the boys to the mule team in the 
 woods near Al and Nora's house. "Big Mike" was also in 
 jail waiting trial for robbing the train at Paw Paw Junction. 
 After passing the postoffice I stopped the team and got out 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 193 
 
 of the carriage, for that mysterious messenger, which has ac- 
 companied me through so many adventures, now warned me 
 that "discretion is the better part of valor/' and that I had 
 better investigate matters before venturing further, and it is 
 well for me that I heeded the warning of the "still, small 
 voice," for when I reached the jail, "Big Mike" informed me 
 through the "chuck hole" that it was heavily guarded, and 
 certain death awaited me in case I made an effort to rescue 
 him and the Talbot boys. The Sheriff overheard them wish 
 for my return, and, suspecting their mother's money had ef- 
 fected my release, notified the court, from which he received 
 orders to arm a dozen men to defend the jail. I prudently 
 withdrew and advised my comrades to leave the city immedi- 
 ately. The Talbott boys were secretly removed to another 
 jail. It was, however, confidently expected that I would make 
 another effort to rescue the boys which was fully contem- 
 plated by me, and would have been attempted had not the 
 mother stopped me either from jail or on the day of the ex- 
 ecution ; therefore, a number of sheriffs from southwestern 
 Iowa were invited to assist the Missouri officers in maintain- 
 ing the majesty of the law, consequently the boys were hung 
 on the clay appointed. 
 
 Having been dimsissed from Mrs. Talobt's employment, 
 I returned home and went to work with Al and Nora on a 
 little farm. Our cabin was on the bluff, overlooking the Mis- 
 souri bottoms, and when the river flooded the cemetery that 
 spring (1881), we took our teams and worked day and night 
 in the water, rescuing the people and their property. Some 
 of those whom we assisted from the bottom and cared for 
 until the river receded into its banks were our bitterest ene- 
 mies. I will note one case on account of its remarkable fea- 
 tures. A widow, Mrs. McBride, and her son lived about two 
 miles from our cabin. I knew the young man, Reuben, but 
 had never seen his mother, who had invoked a"n awful fate 
 upon me. "I do wish," she said, "that the vigilantes would 
 leave him hanging until the crows pick his eyes out." When 
 Al and I, with oui team?, arrived at her house the water wa? 
 rushing through it. Reuben was away trying to get his stock 
 to the bluffs, while the old lady lay on a bed weeping. "My 
 good woman," said I, "will you let us take you to a place of 
 safety?" "Yes, sir, and God will bless you for it, too," was 
 her thankful reply. After filling our wagons with the most 
 valuable and perishable goods, we then carried the lady in a 
 chair between us through the water (waist deep) to my wag- 
 on, gave her a comfortable seat and started for the cabin. Ar- 
 riving there she was sent to the house, while we hastened to 
 
194 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 help Reuben corral his stock in our lot. He was very thankful 
 for our assistance 1 , and said, "I guess mother will be surprised 
 when she finds out where she is." Mrs. McBride was not 
 afraid of Al and Nora, but denounced them in strongest terms 
 for their friendship to me ; nevertheless Nora received her in 
 a royal manner and bid her welcome, thereby fulfilling our 
 Savior's command to "love and do good to those who hate 
 you." On entering the house the old lady inquired, "Whose 
 house am I at, to whom am I indebted for this great assist- 
 ance, and who is that dark-complexioned young man who has 
 treated me so kindly and tenderly?" Nora replied, "That is 
 Polk Wells, and the young man with him is my husband, Mr. 
 Warnica, whose house you are in." "Then you are Nora 
 Wells, or, I should say, Warnica?" "Yes, ma'am." "And is 
 it possible that such a man as I believed Polk Wells to be can 
 be so kind and gentlemanly." Nora assured the old lady that 
 I was far from being a savage. The McBrides became our 
 most zealous friends and promptly rebuked any one who 
 dared, in her presence, speak disrespectful of Al, Nora or myself. 
 
 A large majority of those driven from their humble homes 
 by the river were very poor, and lived, as it were, from hand 
 to mouth, even in good times; but now, in their deplorable 
 condition, they became worthy objects of pity and assistance. 
 The bluffs were alive with bare-footed, pale-faced, hungry lit- 
 tle children, care-worn mothers and tired fathers. This was a 
 most affecting scene, and, strange to say, many of the people 
 from whom I could take nothing and had not, and never de- 
 sired to wrong in any way, had earnestly sought my life or 
 liberty; yet their sad situation aroused my sympathy to its 
 utmost capacity. I drove Mrs. Talbot's mules and horse to 
 St. Joseph, sold them and distributed the money among the 
 most needy of these unfortunate people. It may be thought 
 that I could well afford to be charitable with other people's 
 money, yet It was virtually mine, as Mrs. Talbott had not 
 asked the return of her property, and the probabilities were 
 it would not have been restored if she had, consequently my 
 generosity was the effusion of true sympathy and self-sacri- 
 fice. But my kindness was not appreciated, as these same 
 people to whom I gave the money were, when again in their 
 own homes, as bitter toward me as before. 
 
 The man who planned the train robbery for Norris and 
 myself the previous summer now proposed that we rob a rich 
 merchant, who, in connection with his store, was transacting 
 a sort of banking business at Nortonville, Kansas. I went out 
 to investigate the financial standing of the firm (McCarthy & 
 Layson), and after a very pleasant conversation with Mr. Me- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 195 
 
 Carthy, concluded that he was not the kind of a man I desired 
 to rob and so informed my friend. "Mr. McCarthy," he said, 
 "is a very nice man now, but he made his start robbing Mis- 
 sourians during the war; beside he has used some very strong 
 language about you of late." This sneering reply sealed the 
 fate of the merchant, so I hurried to Missouri after Norris to 
 help me execute my friend's wishes. At nine o'clock P. M. on 
 or about the 14th of June, Norris, James Dougherty and my- 
 self arrived at Nortonville, and when we entered the store 
 there were several men and three ladies in it. The latter 
 stood behind a stack of cailco, which prevented my seeing 
 them, or I would not have made the attack when I did but 
 would have waited until their departure. The safe was open 
 and Mr. McCarthy and an old gentleman stood near it count- 
 ing their money. I stepped behind the counter, and after as- 
 suring the ladies that no personal harm was intended, pro- 
 ceeded to examine the interior of the safe, from which I took 
 twelve hundred dollars but failed to get a larger amount locked 
 in a little side drawer. I saw Mr. McCarthy hand something 
 to his wife, which she quickly slipped into the bosom of her 
 dress (the all-important receptacle of every woman's treas- 
 ure), and which was the key to the money drawer, but I af- 
 fected not to see this clever maneuver as I knew I could not 
 get the key without thrusting my crime-stained hand into the 
 sacred folds of the lady's bosom ; besides I had promised not 
 to molest her and my word, though a robber, was always 
 sacredly observed, therefore my attention was given to the 
 men, whom I searched only for fire arms. One young fellow 
 had forty dollars and one of the ladies said, "Oh, Mr. Robber 
 don't take it, he had to work very hard for it." I was not 
 offering to take his money, nor had I even asked him for it, 
 but he presented the purse to me unsolicited. I looked at his 
 hands which bore the marks of toil, and returned his purse 
 without looking into it. Then bidding Mr. McCarthy good- 
 night, and bowing politely to the ladies, I bade my comrades 
 follow me out of the store. A few days later Dougherty was 
 arrested and to save himself confessed to the crime and impli- 
 cated Norris and myself. On the same day that Dougherty 
 was arrested I went to St. Joseph, where I met Mr. Layton 
 just from Iowa and who had telegraphed his sister at Rush- 
 ville to come to St. Joseph on the eight P. M. train. We met 
 the sister and escorted her to the Gault House. Here, in a 
 private parlor, Miss Layton informed me that my sister had 
 accompanied her from Rushville to Halls Station, at which 
 place she left the train and walked out to where Al and Nora 
 lived. My attorney in Atchison learned that a large party 
 
196 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 from Nortonville was on its way to Halls Station to join "the 
 Mob" for the purpose of capturing or killing me. He told sis- 
 ter of the proposed attack and advised her to notify me as 
 quick as possible of my danger. Mr. Layton, after hearing 
 this extraordinary news, produced a paper clipping and handed 
 it to me to read. It was a sketch of his life which instantly 
 transformed Mr. Layton and his sister into Mr. and Mrs. Wil- 
 son. Thinking my absence would be agreeable 'to the Wilsons 
 I turned to leave the room determined to return home that 
 night so I could get ready to receive my enthusiastic friends 
 from Kansas. Before reaching the door Mr. Wilson said, 
 "Stop, Mr. Wells, I have a proposition to make to you." "Out 
 with it," said I. He then spoke of his admiration and his re- 
 spect for me and his growing desire to become my associate in 
 crime and notoriety, and closed his remarks by saying, "Now. 
 sir, I propose to accompany you through good as well as evil 
 report, and to share any danger you may have to face. It has 
 for some time been my ambition to have an encounter just 
 such a one as you are likely to have with the regulators." I 
 warned him, as I did all other young men who wished to link 
 their fortunes with mine, of the hardships, dangers, disgrace 
 and shame which awaited not only himself, but his parents, 
 also, by leading a life of crime ; but he insisted so stoutly on 
 going with me that after considering the old proverb of "a 
 friend in need," etc., I concluded to accept his company. 
 
 The conductor, who was my friend, on reaching the woods 
 near Norris' house, stopped for us to get off. It was quite dark 
 in the heavy timber and the women, knowing that the train 
 never stopped at this point except to let me on or off, came out 
 to scare him. When opposite them Nora broke a twig in her 
 hand and shouted "Halt, surrender." That beloved voice 
 though somewhat muffled, was readily recognized, otherwise 
 my darling Nora would have been killed, for Wilson drew his 
 pistol with deadly intent, but my alert ears caught the sound 
 of clicking triggers in time to say, "Don't shoot/' After talk- 
 ing with sister I came to the conclusion that my real danger 
 had been magnified, but it had not. 
 
 Wilson and I the next morning returned to St. Joseph and 
 entered the law office of my attorney, S. B. Green, to whom I 
 introduced him as Mr. Layton. Mr. Green wrote the letter 
 of introduction as desired to Mr. Booher, of the Savannah 
 Bar, and give it to Mr. Layton, who, after leaving the office, 
 handed the document to me. Accompanied by Mrs. Wilson 
 I entered Mr. Booher's office and handed him the letter from 
 his distinguished legal friend, which he read and immediately 
 made out the necessary papers, took me to the court house and 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 197 
 
 introduced me to the judge, clerk of the court and the Sheriff 
 as Mr. Layton, of St. Joseph. The notice of divorce was is- 
 sued against Wilson, who was to pass Savannah that evening 
 on the train and I accompanied the Sheriff to the depot to 
 point him out to the officer. The train arrived but Wilson 
 was not on board. As we returned to the city Mr. Lincoln in- 
 formed me that he had just received authority from St. Joseph 
 to "arrest the notorious Polk Wells five hundred dollars re- 
 ward for dead or alive." The telegram stated that I had left St. 
 Joseph in company with a woman for Savannah, but my busi- 
 ness was not revealed, therefore the two prominent lawyers 
 mixed up in the case left the officers in doubt as to whom I 
 really was ; and as I deemed it prudent to remain quiet on the 
 subject, they were obliged to await further developments. The 
 Deputy Sheriff and several gentlemen accompanied the Sheriff 
 and myself from the depot up-town. I noticed they were eye- 
 ing me closely, and Mr. Lincoln, with whom I was walking 
 said, "Polk Wells is a desperate and dangerous character/' 
 whereupon I offered my assistance in making the arrest in case 
 he located his man. On reaching the public square the offi- 
 cers turned into the court yard, and I hurried to the hotel and 
 notified Mrs. Wilson of my danger and advised her immediate 
 return to Rushville, and as I passed through the office heard 
 the clerk say to Sheriff Lincoln, who had come to the hotel for 
 the purpose of examining the register, "there goes Mr. Layton 
 now." I pretended not to hear this remark but proceeded to 
 the livery stable, and, as I sallied forth astride a fine horse, the 
 Sheriff and several men came around the corner of the hotel 
 in pursuit of me. I rode the horse a few miles and then left 
 him in a woods pasture. I boarded the south bound passenger 
 train at Amazonia, and on reaching the woods near Norris' 
 house my conductor friend stopped and let me off. I reached 
 the "log cabin" about five minutes after a dozen men had left 
 it. They searched the house for me and again declared that 
 only my head would satisfy them It was such declarations as 
 the above that made "Polk Wells a desperate and dangerous 
 character," and they would do the same for any man having a 
 spark of courage in his soul. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Again I was forced to take refuge in the woods, and 
 would have been compelled to fight my way to liberty through 
 the enemy's lines, or obliged by hunger to surrender but for 
 a most fortunate and unexpected event, which was as delight- 
 ful and profitable to me as it was pleasing and dangerously ro- 
 mantic to my fair friend, who was the lovely daughter of a 
 well-to-do farmer, who himself was with #, party which 
 searched the cabin for me. I had known this gentleman (for 
 he was such) and his family all my life, and had once befriend- 
 ed his little daughter who was now a charming young lady. 
 She remembered my kindness and while I was in jail asked 
 Nora what she could do to help me. "Get your pa to sign his 
 bond," was Nora's reply. She made the request of her father, 
 though in great sympathy with me refused to comply with her 
 wishes. Since Dougherty had exposed me by his confession, 
 and "The Mob" having embittered his mind against me by say- 
 ing I had "designs on his blooded horses," the old farmer be- 
 came a bold and aggressive foe. His daughter, however, re- 
 mained true, and on the evening of the third day, after taking 
 my stand in the woods, I chanced to meet this beautiful girl 
 in the path as she was returning home from a neighbor's house. 
 She was not frightened by my presence. On the contrary she 
 was heartily glad to see me, and expressed her great sympathy 
 for me, and regrets at my misfortunes in life, complimented 
 my bravery and boldness in remaining so near my relentless 
 enemies, and, after thanking me again for my kindness to her 
 when a little girl, asked, "Now, Mr. Wells, is there anything 
 I can do for you?" "Yes," said I, "there are many things you 
 can do to assist me," and she did help me in a brave, lady-like 
 manner. I surrendered myself, wholly and unreservedly, to 
 the guidance of this angel of the woods. She fed me with the 
 best her father's table afforded, brought me papers and the 
 latest news from my besiegers every day, and conveyed a note 
 from me to Nora, who gave it to my conductor friend, who 
 circulated the news that he had taken me to Kansas City on his 
 train, and at the end of the second week my beautiful young 
 friend of the forest informed me that the conductor's report had 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 199 
 
 served to raise the siege, and that the enemy had concluded 
 (since Norris could not be found) that he and I had left the 
 country together and returned to their homes. "Now, Mr. 
 Wells," said my little star of the woods, "I will bid you good- 
 bye, and may God bless you and keep you is my earnest 
 prayer." I raised the lovely hand to my lips and impressed 
 upon it a burning kiss of gratitude and reverence. We parted 
 in tears and have never seen each other since that memorable 
 eve. 
 
 I was talking to a young lady in Atchison one evening 
 when she suddenly seized my hand and drew me into her pri- 
 vate room. "Remain perfectly quiet," she said, then retired, 
 locking the door on me. I was completely dazed by this freak 
 of feminine eccentricity. She quickly returned and said, "Mr. 
 Wells, some gentlemen wish to see you in the parlor." When 
 I entered the room Mr. Mark Taylor, the Sheriff and another 
 gentleman greeted me. I have spoken of Mr. Taylor on an- 
 other occasion, and who now said, "Polk, you must get out of 
 this city before dark or submit to arrest, or fight your way 
 out, for officers (naming them) are planning your capture/' 
 The gentlemen shook my hand warmly, bid me god-speed, 
 returned to their carriage and drove rapidly away. My lady 
 friend had seen the gentlemen get out of the carriage, through 
 the window. She recognized the Sheriff and supposed he was 
 after me, hence her mysterious and silent conduct. It requires a 
 more proficient use of the English vocabulary than I possess 
 to express my appreciation of the many favors bestowed upon 
 me by these gentlemen, and more especially by these good and 
 pure young ladies, who sought to befriend me at the risk of 
 incurring public calumny. I could multiply similar favors be- 
 stowed by young ladies, not only upon myself but upon other 
 noted outlaws and desperadoes, but it is unnecessary and I 
 make special mention of these two young ladies simply for the 
 purpose of pointing out a melancholy, and, so far as I am con- 
 cerned, incomprehensible fact that the best and purest women 
 have all along been the greatest and truest frinds to the crim- 
 inal. 
 
 After kissing the lily-white hand which fed me so many 
 days in the woods, I hurried up the ridge to a point overlooking 
 Norris' house, and made the usual signal which brought Al, 
 Nora, Mrs. Norris, Mr. Wilson and his two wives to my side. A 
 consultation resulted in Wilson and myself volunteering to 
 make a search for Bill Norris, whose mysterious disappearance 
 had well nigh stricken his wife with grief. She was a pure, 
 high-minded woman, and worshipped the notorious Bill with a 
 consuming love. After Mrs. Norris left the party Al and Nora 
 
200 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 seated themselves on one end of a long- log, and Wilson and 
 his second wife on the other end, while his first wife and myself 
 sat on the grass some distance from them. I thought a great 
 deal of Fannie, yet my affections were centered in the woman 
 on the end of the log at my left. Fannie honored and respected 
 me as much as one friend could another, but it was evident; 
 from the longing glances she cast toward Wilson that she yet 
 loved him to distraction. Al and Nora were sensibly effected 
 by the situation, but Wilson and "dear Annie," as he called 
 her, seemed oblivious to the melancholy surroundings. Pres- 
 ently we arose, as if by common consent, came together, then 
 
 Shot Through Knee at Riverton (Iowa) Bank Robbery. 
 
 each received and bestowed a kiss and a blessing upon the 
 other. We then parted in silence and in tears. Al and the 
 three women returning to the house, while Wilson and myself 
 started in our self-imposed mission, viz: the discovery of the 
 lost Bill. 
 
 We arrived at Cameron, Missouri, in time to participate in 
 the Fourth of July celebration. After dinner we borrowed two 
 saddle horses, which had been dressed up by some jockey for 
 trade, they proved worthless for our business and were soon 
 exchanged for a pair of fine black mares. Reaching Fremont 
 County, Iowa, we learned that Bill Norris had been at his 
 uncle's house, but had started home the day before. Wilson 
 now insisted on being initiated as a bank or train robber. The 
 black mares were too large and fat for hard riding, and were 
 traded for a little gray mare and a sorrel horse that suited. 
 These animals belonged to neighboring farmers, living three 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DAUIM; DKKDS 
 
 miles north of Sidney, Iowa. At Riverton, the next morning, 
 we entered a saloon to get some lemonade, as neither of us 
 drank anything stronger. I noticed the sign "bank," on the 
 opposite side of the street, and asked the bar-keeper for infor- 
 mation concerning its financial standing and as to the esteem 
 in which its proprietors were held by the people. His reply 
 was, "The bank is the richest one in the county, and the pro- 
 prietor is the grandest rascal in the state." We entered the 
 bank that same day, July Hth, 1881, at three o'clock, P. M., 
 and ordered the cashier, Mr. Saxton, to open his safe. While 
 Wilson held a pistol on him I collected the money, amounting 
 to something over four thousand dollars. We then passed out 
 at the back door, while Mr. Saxton made his exit by the front 
 door, shouting, ''Robbers, shoot, shoot." We were flying up 
 the street when Mr. Thomas, a merchant, a quick, cool-headed 
 fellow, ran to the door with his Winchester rifle and fired at 
 us, the ball passing through the center of my left knee, inflict- 
 ing a wound which rendered me utterly helpless, and came 
 near costing me my life ; but a strong will and healthy consti- 
 tution enabled me to bear the pain and to finally regain the 
 use of my leg. 
 
 Some fourteen miles south of town we entered a thick 
 woods which was surrounded by a wheat field. Here I was 
 taken from the mare and laid at the edge of a small stream of 
 clear water, with which I bathed my wound, which continued 
 to bleed for thirty-six hours. I was so weak and dizzy from 
 the loss of blood that I could not sit up, and was consequently 
 compelled to remain here for two nights and two days. About 
 ten o'clock of the third night I decided to move on and re- 
 quested Wilson to lift me into my saddle. We soon came to 
 a large barn, from which Wilson brought forth a set of fine 
 harness and a double-seated carriage, to which we hitched the 
 horses. The little gray mare was proud as a peacock, neck 
 arched beautifully, and possessed vim 1 and excellent bottom. 
 It did my soul good, and, to some extent, relieved the pain in 
 my leg to see her trot. We remained two days at the old man 
 Wilson's house and then started for Utica( Missouri, where we 
 expected, by appointment, to meet the two wives of young 
 Wilson. We were traveling in a covered wagon (having left 
 the stolen carriage and harness in the woods, where they were 
 found by the owner), and in the edge of Missouri stopped at 
 a farm house to stay over night. I was carried in and laid on 
 a bed. The farmer, Mr. James Sego, and I had known each 
 other for years, but he failed to recognize me. Some of his 
 brothers were officers of the law and had been after me on 
 several occasions, therefore I preferred to remain incognito 
 
202 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 while in his house. Two days later the old man Wilson re- 
 turned from Utica with the news that detectives were watch- 
 ing the women in the hope of catching his son and myself; 
 that the James boys had just robbed the train at Winston, and 
 that the country was alive with men searching for them. The 
 old gentleman was greatly frightened, and, as I did not wish 
 to stand in the way of young Wilson's liberty, I told them to 
 leave me to the tender mercies of fate, and consult their own 
 safety in immediate flight, which they did. 
 
 Several parties on the hunt for horse thieves or robbers 
 came to Mr. Sego's house to see me, but the old farmer assured 
 them that I was an "honest man," so each company retired 
 without searching me. Mr. Sego and his excellent wife were 
 very kind to me, and at the end of a week I gave him twenty- 
 five dollars to take me home in his spring wagon. Bill Norris' 
 mother was very bitter against me and was at his house when 
 we arrived, and said to Mr. Sego, "Do you know that man?" 
 pointing to me. "No, ma'am," he replied. "Well, sir, that is 
 Polk Wells, and these woods and hills are full of men search- 
 ing for him, and you are likely to be killed for one of his 
 friends." Mr. Sego was terribly frightened by this news, and, 
 leaving his team in Norris' lot, hastened to Hairs Station. 
 Half an hour later Al, Nora and Bill were at my side, and it 
 was decided that Norris and I must leave the country. 
 
 We left home in a covered wagon. The officers, however, 
 learned of our mode of traveling (of which we were promptly 
 informed through the papers), necessitating a change in our 
 appearance. The wagon sheet and some other articles we 
 dispensed with, therefore our outfit was not so easily distin- 
 guished as before. We had to submit, when a halt was neces- 
 sary, to a most careful and sympathetic interrogation. Every 
 one wanted to know how I got hurt and each fellow insisted on 
 my using his infallible remedy. I felt grateful for the sym- 
 pathy bestowed on me but was terribly annoyed by questions, 
 from, the fact that I have always had a profound regard for 
 veracity, and it was absolutely necessary in almost every in- 
 stance for me to utter a falsehood in replying to my sympa- 
 thetic interrogators. To avoid suspicion, and the possibility 
 of entangling ourselves, we were obliged to keep moving dur- 
 ing the day, which made it very hard on me. I was not out of 
 the wagon for over three weeks, during which time we trav- 
 eled back and forth through the northeast portion of Missouri 
 with the hot sun and dust pouring down on me. My leg was 
 swollen to the size of my body, and was black as tar. I could 
 not have endured what I did had Norris been less patient and 
 kind to me. He was scrupulously exact in supplying my every 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 203 
 
 want, he kept a keg of ice in the wagon, and, as it melted, drew 
 the water and poured it on my leg as I required it. At one 
 time he thought I was bound to die, and" urged me to submit o 
 medical treatment, but I peremptorily refused to do so. I krew 
 my case would not bear inspection, and, as I preferred death 
 rather than again see "The Mob" exult over my capture, I re- 
 quested Bill to continue the cold water applications to my leg, 
 the swelling in which began to decrease and the flesh gradu- 
 ally resumed its natural color. 
 
 When I was able to sit up our lumber cart was traded off 
 for a new spring wagon in which traveling became a luxury. 
 We crossed the Mississippi at Louisiana, Missouri, and one 
 evening, about September first, stopped over night with Mrs. 
 Roundtree, a rich widow, living in the bluffs in the northwest 
 corner of Jersey County, Illinois. These bluffs extend for 
 miles up and down the Illinois River, and were covered with 
 a dense growth of timber. Mrs. Roundtree's neighbors were 
 the most improvident and non-progressive people I have ever 
 met. I did not see half a dozen books nor a daily newspaper in 
 all my visitations in that neighborhood. The widow herself; 
 however, was a bright, intelligent woman, and evidently had 
 once been a great reader, but for some cause or other her li- 
 brary had dwindled away to a single book, which was the 
 most magnificent Bible I have ever seen, and it was conspicu- 
 ously placed on the marble-top center table. She was an ac- 
 complished housekeeper and an excellent cook. A lovely niece 
 and one hired man constituted her family. The locality and 
 its general surroundings were most favorable to our desires, 
 and, as I was badly in need of quiet and rest, we decided to re- 
 main a week or two with the genial widow. She gladly con- 
 sented and did all she could to make us comfortable and happy. 
 
 For two weeks Norris nursed me as tenderly as if I were 
 a baby, under which treatment, together with the cheery pres- 
 ence of the pleasant widow and her beautiful niece, I rapidly 
 grew strong and when able to mount my mare without assist- 
 ance, Norris said, "It is time we were doing something," which 
 of course, meant robbery, and the Jerseyville Bank was select- 
 ed as a suitable victim. On the way to the city, for the purpose 
 named, October 19th, 1881, we halted at Fieldon, a small in- 
 land town, to get some repairing done at a shoe shop. The 
 proprietor was a Missourian and soon introduced the topic of 
 crime and noted criminals. He had considerable to say about 
 the James and Younger brothers, but dwelt more especially on 
 the late exploits of Polk Wells, and expressed the wish that 
 "some of the boys would come along and rob this bank in 
 Fieldon." I carelessly remarked that they would hardly get 
 
204 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 paid for their trouble, whereupon the builder of boots exclaim- 
 ed, "You 1 are badly mistaken, sir, that bank contains over 
 eighty thousand dollars of Jake and John Radish's money, be- 
 sides a considerable amount belonging to the banker (Mr. 
 Parks). They are all rascals of the deepest dye and it would 
 therefore do me good to see them robbed." I had had several 
 conversations on the stock raising resources of the west with 
 the Radish's, who were very wealthy gentlemen, and I learned 
 from their own lips that they were collecting money with a 
 view to stock raising in Texas. But I gave them credit for 
 having better sense than to deposit large sums of money in a 
 village bank, which opinion proved correct. Burrus (alias 
 
 Robbing the Jerseyville (111) Bank. 
 
 Norris), after leaving the shoe-shop, remarked that eight thou- 
 sand dollars was double the amount we were likely to get out 
 of the Jerseyville Bank. This coupled with my knowledge of 
 the affairs and intentions of the Radish brothers, and the fact 
 that they lived in Fieldon, together with the shoemaker's eri- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 205 
 
 thusiasm, momentarily dwarfed my better judgment; hence we 
 proceeded to the bank and requested the proprietor, Dr. Parks, 
 to open his safe, from which I took sixteen hundred dollars in 
 greenbacks, sixteen hundred dollars in gold coin, in a buckskin 
 bag, and seventy-five dollars in silver coin, in a cotton bag. 
 I also picked up a package containing twenty-five thousand 
 dollars in registered bonds, which I replaced in the safe, but 
 took the doctor's fine gold watch and diamond pin and then 
 retired. 
 
 While in the bank I noticed an old rusty Colt's revolver, 
 of the cap and ball pattern (once the pride of the west) hang- 
 ing against the wall, but this old relic of the past caused no 
 serious apprehensions, so I left it undisturbed. But the old 
 thing possessed some virtue yet, for as I passed the front door 
 the doctor thrust it out and fired. My mare dropped as if shot 
 through the heart, pinning me to the ground by lying on my 
 lame leg. After a persistent and painful effort I succeeded in 
 freeing myself, but the doctor continued to snap his old pistol 
 at me all the while. Burris finally got his mare under control 
 and dashed back to my rescue. I gave him the signal not to 
 shoot to hit anyone, for the people were riveted to the grouna 
 with astonishment at the extraordinary proceedings. Lea-ving 
 my mare lying in the street, I sprang up behind Burris and 
 rode rapidly away. In the struggle to extricate myself I lost 
 my hat, some silver and the doctor's watch, all of which lie- 
 recovered. The mare was only crazed, therefore soon sprang to 
 her feet, more surprised than hurt. She was returned to her 
 rightful owner by Sheriff Chandler of Fremont County, Towa. 
 We met a man near town, and 'I took his hat and gave him 
 a handful of silver he reported we robbed him of thirty dol- 
 lors. A little further on we met a young man riding. I re- 
 lieved him of his horse and sent him on afoot. We now made 
 direct for Wisconsin. 
 
 Some distance north of Peoria we stopped to stay over 
 night with an old farmer, who was more observant and inquis- 
 itive than wise. I awoke early next morning and was instinct- 
 ively impressed with the thought that someone was trying to 
 steal our money. I rushed out to the barn where I had hid it 
 at the bottom of the manger and behold it was gone. I heard 
 something at the side of the barn and as I passed around the 
 front end of the building the farmer came around the other, 
 and there between us was his young dog vigorously shaking 
 our money bag. The dog had been digging for rats under the 
 side of the barn, and when the bag fell into his hole, he seized 
 it and drew it out on fair ground. He had torn the cotton bag 
 with his sharp teeth, and had consequently strewn the silver 
 
206 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 about in a most promiscuous manner. The farmer drove the 
 dog away and helped to collect the money. The gold was now 
 divided, placed in two glass fruit jars, which were buried (one 
 on each side of the road) near Dixon, Illinois. The silver was 
 disposed of by giving it to the poor children where we stopped 
 for accommodations. This trip was fraught with trials, hard- 
 ships and wild adventures, but we passed through it all in 
 safety, and arrived at Oconomowac, Wisconsin, on the ninth 
 day of November. I immediately presented myself to Mr. P. 
 H. Davis, harness dealer and noted horse trainer, who was a 
 warm friend of "Big Mike," the Kansas Jesse James. 
 
 After miy release from jail I secured the services of Green 
 and Ramey (two of the best lawyers in St. Joseph), in Mike's 
 behalf, and he had written of my generosity to Mr. Davis, who 
 received me with open arms, and introduced me to his friends 
 as his cousin, "Harry Warner," from Boston, but Burris regis- 
 tered at the hotel as "Frank Johnson." Mr. Davis finally per- 
 vailed on me to visit his father, A. T. Davis, a wealthy re- 
 tired farmer living in the city of Beaver Dam. I was so thor- 
 oughly drilled as to his Boston relations that I readily passed 
 myself on the old gentleman as one of his own nephews. He 
 not only presented me to his excellent wife and four beautiful 
 daughters as his relative, but took me in his buggy, drove 
 about the city, and introduced me to his friends and a number 
 of business men as his nephew, "formerly from Boston, but 
 lately from Montana." Everybody was eager to hear from the 
 west, and, as I had an abundance of western lore, saved my- 
 self from exposing my ignoran.ce about Boston affairs and so- 
 ciety. I had no idea of remaining with Mr. Davis longer than 
 a week or I should not have permitted this deception to go so 
 far ; but as time passed I was compelled to continue the farce 
 in order to save his family, as well as myself, from exposure. 
 I moved in the best society and was royally entertained on sev- 
 eral occasions by members of Beaver Dam's elite, especially so 
 at the home of Mr. J. H. Barritt, cashier of the First National 
 Bank. His handsome, accomplished daughter was a frequent 
 caller at the Davis mansion, and, of course, I was invited to 
 call on her in company with my cousins. 
 
 Johnson followed me to Beaver Dam and proposed that 
 we establish a home in Wisconsin instead of going to Texas 
 as agreed upon when the jars of gold were buried, which still 
 remained where we left them. I accepted Johnson's proposi- 
 tion, and immediately rented the Russell house in Randolph, 
 which I refitted and furnished and named it "Commercial Ho- 
 tel." Our card read : "P. H. Davis and G. A. Warnica, Pro- 
 prietors, C. H. Warner (myself), Clerk." We also run a har- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 207 
 
 ness shop, feed and livery stable in connection with the hotel. 
 But Johnson remained in Beaver Dam and opened a gambling 
 room over a large store. He sent me a telegram one day to 
 "Come in haste." When I arrived he was lying on a bed moan- 
 ing piteously. "What is the trouble, old boy?" said I, shaking 
 his hand warmly. "Last night," he replied, "while the clerks 
 were up in the club room, burglars entered the store, and as 
 we (members of the club), stepped in at the front, they sprang 
 out at the back door, locking it behind them, and while the 
 clerk was searching for his key, I leaped through the back win- 
 dow after the robbers and fell into an open cellar, striking my 
 breast against the stone wall. Oh, God, I am nearly dead." I 
 laughed heartily and quoted, "Thou hypocrite, first cast the 
 beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to 
 cast the mote out of thy brother's eye." When a man gratui- 
 tously advertises himself as being very religious and extreme- 
 Iv honest and patriotic, it is generally safe to put him down as 
 a rogue ; Johnson's behavior is a case in point. He wanted to 
 be first in laying hands on the burglars, whereby he hoped to 
 establish a reputation for courage and honesty. His misfor- 
 tune, however, favored him to a greater extent than if he had 
 succeeded in his hypocritical purpose. Unstinted praise and 
 sympathy were showered upon him by an "appreciative pub- 
 lic," and when I arrived a handsome young lady was devoting 
 her time administering to his wants and consoling him with 
 her most winsome smiles and sweetest words of praise. I 
 shipped his furniture to Randolph and took him home with 
 me. He soon got well and declared he would never undertake 
 to catch another burglar. 
 
 The Commercial Hotel was formally opened to the public 
 on the tenth of February, 1882, by a grand ball in the Clemens 
 Hall, and supper for the throng was served at the Commercial, 
 which was soon crowded with excellent guests, among them 
 the Honorable H. H. Russell and family. They took their 
 meals at the Commercial, but otherwise occupied their own 
 rooms across the street. We 1 contemplated starting a race 
 track, on which Mr. Davis was to train young horses for the 
 New York market, and to carry out this plan we must have Al 
 and Nora to assist Mrs. Davis with the hotel. Accordingly 
 Mr. Davis was sent to Missouri after them. He returned with 
 Al and Mrs. (Norris) Johnson, but Nora could not come on ac- 
 count of her sister's illness. Al and Mrs. Johnson were sent 
 home, the latter was to remain on her farm, but Al and Nora 
 were to return overland, bringing their two teams with them. 
 
 The ground on which to locate the race track was engaged 
 and a large house filled with ice, corn and hay for the barn, 
 
208 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 and wood for the hotel were contracted for from the farmers. 
 These arrangements having been satisfactorily settled, I then 
 tried my abilities in soliciting transient custom for the Com- 
 mercial. My quick wit, sharp repartee, and the characteris- 
 tic gallantry of my French ancestors coupled with a pleasant 
 voice, attractive appearance and 'a ready flow of speech, made 
 me a formidable rival in courting the patronage of that num- 
 erous class called "drummers" or "commercial travelers." Mr. 
 Clemens, proprietor of the Clemens House, a good natured and 
 honest man, was my competitor for this trade. 
 
 My success as a hotel man was, I must say, largely due 
 to the assistance of Mr. Russell, who was constantly traveling 
 on business. He spoke in the highest terms of praise of the 
 Commercial, and informed traveling men that we conveyed 
 our patrons wherever they wished to go in fine buggies, drawn 
 by eight hundred dollar horses. Besides he ordered several 
 oyster suppers with champagne accompaniment, to which he 
 invited the best people of Randolph. Among those with whom 
 I became most intimate through his influence were Mr. John 
 Lightner, city druggist; Mr. Coleman, wholesale and retail 
 hardware dealer ; Mr. Evans, dry goods and grocery merchant, 
 and Mr. Foster, a Methodist minister. These were grand, good 
 people, who treated me royally, and whom I shall ever remem- 
 ber with love and gratitude. Mrs. Russell gave select parties 
 in her own parlor for the purpose of introducing me to her 
 young lady friends, in whose presence, as well as that of all 
 other respectable people, I felt most keenly my moral infirmi- 
 ty and absolute unworthiness. Although enjoying their com- 
 pany, after a fashion, my happiest hours were spent in com- 
 pany with Misses Clara Russell and Clara Davis, aged thirteen 
 and eight respectively. They called me "Uncle Harry/' and 
 were constantly at my side when at home. I was playing the 
 violin, they accompanying me on the piano. Mrs. Russell and 
 Mrs. Davis heard the fearful noise we were making in the par- 
 lor, and tip-toed to the door to witness the performance. I 
 happened to look around, and, seeing them, stopped playing, 
 whereupon Mrs. Russell said, "Mr. Warner, I really think you 
 are the greatest baby man I ever met/' "I too," echoed Mrs. 
 Davis. They laughed heartily, and after making some com- 
 ments on the quality and volume of our music, walked away. 
 They often, but good naturedly, twitted me for being so play- 
 ful and childlike in my behavior, yet were highly pleased with 
 the fact that I loved their babies." My love for children is pure 
 and natural, and, when attacked by the ladies on account of my 
 fondness for them, quoted His words," "Suffer little children to 
 come unto nie," etc. 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 209 
 
 D.A.Farrell 
 Sheriff of 
 Mills 
 County, 
 Glen wood, 
 Iowa, 
 Captor of 
 Polk Wells. 
 
 Samuel 
 Chandler, 
 Sheriff of 
 Fremont 
 County, 
 Sidney, la., 
 who 
 located 
 Polk Well 
 but took no 
 part in his 
 Capture. 
 
210 ' LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 Samuel Chandler and Dan Farrell, Sheriffs of Fremont 
 and Mills Counties, Iowa, learning of my whereabouts, and 
 accompanied by R. E. Thomas, Marshal of Beaver Dam, Wis- 
 consin, arrived at Randolph February 24th, on the eight P. 
 M. train. Next morning, shortly after breakfast, they arrested 
 Johnson (Norris) in the harness shop. He was handcuffed, 
 heavily shackled and left in charge of Sheriff Chandler, while 
 the other two officers proceeded to the hotel to effect my cap- 
 ture. My pearl handled pistols, which I was never without, 
 were the finest in the land, and the belt and holsters were made 
 in Omaha, Nebraska, under my immediate supervision. The 
 curves on the latter, coming up over the trigger guards, were 
 made extra strong in order to prevent the pistols bouncing out 
 when riding rapidly, and, as I had decided to ride my fine sad- 
 dle mare down to Beaver Dam to see Miss Davis, the pistols 
 were, therefore, settled firmly into their holtsers. The officers, 
 being joined by Mr. Russell, entered the hotel office, and Mr. 
 Davis stepped to the door and called, "Harry, some gentlemen 
 wish to see you." This was a daily and almost hourly occur- 
 rence, as farmers, book agents, insurance men, and commercial 
 travelers called at the hotel to see me on business pertaining 
 to their respective vocations, and as all were alike strangers. 
 I w r as therefore perfectly unconscious of the danger awaiting 
 me. Had I been expecting an attack at that moment the sight 
 of two men would not in the least have aroused any appre- 
 sion or affected my nerves, as it never occurred to me that 
 less than twenty men would ever undertake my capture ; not 
 that I considered myself such a great man, but that the people 
 generally magnified my powers of resistance, consequently, 
 having finished my toilet, I walked boldly and confidently into 
 the office and stepped to within three feet of the officers and 
 said, ''Good morning, gentlemen." Sheriff Farrell bowed po- 
 litely and said, "How do you do, Mr. Warner? Please step 
 outside as I have special business with you." "Wait one mo- 
 ment, sir, until I get my hat," and making a courteous bow I 
 passed into the dining room after it. The Sheriff stepped 
 softly into the room behind me and said, "I can tell you what 
 I want right here." I wheeled around to hear what he had to 
 say, but words were not necessary to explain his wants, as the 
 first thing my eye met was the glaring muzzle of a six shooter 
 within a loot of my breast, and with the finger of a brave, de- 
 termined man on its sensitive trigger. Quick as a flash my 
 hand grasped the butt of a pistol, which I had some difficulty 
 in drawing owing to the curves over the trigger guard hereto- 
 fore mentioned. My right hand being drawn back threw me 
 sidewise, presenting my left breast to the Sheriff. He fired, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 the ball entering my breast a little to the right and above the 
 left nipple, passing diagonally through the lungs. I sprang 
 back to prevent him jumping on me. He followed and fired 
 again but missed his aim. The next shot was mine, the ball 
 making a scalp wound above and a little back of the left ear. 
 He pitched forward, and I, thinking him dead, turned to shoot 
 the Marshal, who was now flying toward the street door. I 
 had recovered from the shot produced' by the Sheriff's first 
 bullet, and could easily have killed the Marshal, but my fath- 
 er's words, "Never strike a man in the back," were as truly a 
 safeguard to him as if the Chinese wall had been between us. 
 The Sheriff, instead of falling as I had anticipated, recovered, 
 and while my face was toward his contemptible colleague, 
 fired at me again, the bullet entering the back part of my 
 head, a little to the right of the occipital protuberance, passed 
 around the skull and came out at the edge of the hair, directly 
 above the right eye. I again wheeled around to confront ny 
 terrible and determined foe, but could not see him( as his shot 
 had not only blinded me but momentarily stunned and con- 
 fused my mind, and before I could recover my antagonist 
 closed with me in a life and death struggle. Around and 
 around we went over tables and chairs, the former yet covered 
 with the breakfast dishes which were scattered hither "ind 
 thither. Mrs. Davis, with baby in her arms, stood in one door 
 and the hired girls in another, screaming at the top of their 
 voices as the fight progressed, turning the room into a perfect 
 pandemonium. While waltzing around to our own music, we 
 each fired two shots, but neither took effect. We finally fell, 
 side by side on the floor, discharging our pistols at the same 
 time. I was shot through the left wrist, and the Sheriff slight- 
 ly wounded in the left shoulder. My wounds bled freely, and 
 being almost blinded with my own blood, coupled with the 
 last shot in the wrist, which numbed my arm, causing me to 
 drop my pistol, gave my worthy foe a momentary advantage 
 over me. He had but one pistol which was now empty, while 
 I had another, loaded, in my belt, and was making frantic ef- 
 forts to get it out, but the position in which I lay (on my left 
 side ) prevented my doing so, and hence gave up the unequal 
 task of holding a strong man with one hand while trying to 
 draw a pistol with the other, and "set my face like a flint," de- 
 termined to win the fight or die in the attempt, and was about 
 to attack the officer with my sharp, strong teeth, which have 
 helped me out on several occasions when other resources failed 
 The Sheriff doubtless divined my thoughts, and, seeing f he 
 formidable rows of ivory shouted, "Help, help." The bravo 
 Marshal (?) slipped back to the door and seeing us, and my 
 
212 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 pistol ten feet away laying on the floor, mentally remarked, 
 "Now is the time to show my courage and win the laurels that 
 justly belong to another/' "Suiting his actions to his thoughts/' 
 as Mrs. Holmes would say, he tip-toed across the room, picked 
 up my pistol, threw his two hundred and twenty pounds avoir- 
 dupois on my prostrate form and commenced pounding me 
 on the head with the heavy weapon. The first blow caused 
 my nerves to relax, and the second completely paralyzed my 
 whole frame, yet I was conscious of all that was said or done, 
 
 Polk Weils Captured at Randolph, Wisconsin. 
 
 and finding myself powerless to act and no one likely to ccme 
 tq my aid, I concluded that it was worse than madness to fight 
 against such powerful odds and, thereby lose my life, so I said, 
 "Gentlemen, I surrender." But the brave Marshal ( ?) had not 
 his courage- aroused for nothing, and so he struck me two 
 more heavy. blows on the head, whereupon the Sheriff cursed 
 him.; "D n you, stop when the man says enough," said he. 
 I was '.raised to my feed bleeding furiously, and led away to the 
 other hotel: Here I was disarmed,, laid- on a Ipunge and a doc- 
 tor summoned to dress- my wounds; he^did nothing; however, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 213 
 
 but take a couple of stitches in the gashes cut in my head by 
 the Marshal. Norris sat close by heavily ironed and looked the 
 very picture of despair. I felt much worse over our capture on 
 his account than my own. We boarded the west bound train at 
 eight P. M., and of all the acquaintances and friends I had 
 made in Randolph, there were only two who showed any sym- 
 pathy or had the courage to bid me good-bye. Those two were 
 Mrs. Russell and her little daughter, Clara. The former shook 
 my hand warmly, and the latter put her arms around my neck, 
 kissed me tenderly and said, "Farewell, Uncle Harry." 
 
 Mr. H. E. Davis, my supposed uncle, and father of my 
 partner, P. H. Davis, is, or was, an honest gentleman in every 
 sense that the word implies ; his wife and daughters were as 
 perfect ladies as I have ever met and were as kind to me as I 
 could wish a real relative to be. The old gentleman, at my re- 
 quest, gave me a letter of introduction to Mr. F. F. Zimmer- 
 man, carriage manufacturer, of Waupun, who, shaking my 
 hand warmly, said I could have all the vehicles I wanted and 
 on time to suit my own convenience. I ordered one buggy and 
 two extra heavy platform-spring wagons, but they were not 
 yet delivered when I was called away. I next purchased a 
 piano of Messrs. Hawley & Hawley, music dealers, of Beaver 
 Dam. When the instrument was delivered at the hotel I paid 
 part down, and gave my note for two hundred dollars, payable 
 in sixty days, for which Mr. Davis gave them a check on the 
 bank. When my real name and character were unfolded, by 
 arrest, Beaver Dam society ostracized him and his innocent 
 family. His introducing me as his nephew, together with the 
 piano and wagon trade were subjects of discussion in the par- 
 lor, on the street and rehearsed in the daily papers. His daugh- 
 ters could not go on the street without being subjected to such 
 remarks as, "Hello Polk Wells," and, "Where, oh, where, is 
 Mr. Warner." Mr. Davis was shunned by old friends, openly 
 accused of being accessory to my crimes, and of sharing in the 
 profits thereof. I admit that the circumstances in the case were 
 very discrediting to his character, and carried with them an al- 
 most unquestionable proof of his guilt, but I most solemnly 
 declare that he was absolutely ignorant of my real name or 
 calling until I was arrested. No words I can put together will 
 express the regret I feel for having brought shame to the face, 
 and disgrace upon the character of this noble man and his fam- 
 ily. As for his son, P. H. Davis I, have no apology to offer. 
 
 The news of my capture spread rapidly and when we 
 reached Portage the depot was crowded with people eager to 
 see me. Here Sheriff Farrell had a skillful surgeon dress my 
 wounds. Next morning we arrived at Chicago and were taken 
 
214 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 to police headquarters to await the west bound train at one 
 o'clock P. M. Sheriff Farrell went out to get my breakfast, 
 and returned in time to hear a blood-curdling remark by the 
 Police Captain, who had been looking at my pistols. The 
 Sheriff's eyes flashed fire as he said, "that's my prisoner, sir, 
 and you can't abuse him in my presence, whereupon the Cap- 
 tain disappeared and one of his own men said, ''No brave man 
 will abuse or wound the feelings of a prisoner, either by word 
 or act if he can possibly avoid it," and complimented the Sher- 
 iff for his timely rebuke. On account of my bunk, on which I 
 left the hotel, we were obliged to ride in a mail car, and about 
 midnight the officers went to sleep, and when the train stopped 
 at a small station, Norris slipped out of the car. I tried to 
 follow but could not. The train gave a sudden jerk in start- 
 ing that the officers were awakened and started in pursuit of 
 the fugitive ; he was recaptured and returned to the car in tri- 
 umph by Sheriff Chandler. Every station was, during day- 
 light, lined with people who were anxious to see me and offer- 
 ed money for that privilege. I could have sold a thousand dol- 
 lars' worth of pictures if I had had them on this trip. 
 
 We were met at the depot at Sidney, Iowa, by a large 
 crowd of people who escorted us to the jail. Norris was put 
 into the "cage," while I was kept in a side room adjoining the 
 Sheriff's house, and, by order of the court, was given the best 
 medical treatment the city afforded. Thomas Hatton and 
 Tinker Wells (not related to me) were engaged to guard and 
 wait upon me. Mr. Hatton was exceedingly kind, careful and 
 obliging, and Dr. Stephens (an old Missourian) treated me 
 tenderly and skillfully and responded to my every wish or 
 want as readily as if I were a prince. I shall ever remember 
 these two grand, noble-hearted men with feelings of love and 
 gratitude. 
 
 I confessed to robbing the Riverton Bank, but exonerated 
 Norris, who was immediately discharged. I did this to keep 
 the Missouri or Kansas officers from getting him, and hop- 
 ing th?t he and other friends would rescue me before court 
 convened, the latter part of March. The people from far and 
 near came to see me. The gentlemen brought cigars, tobacco 
 and apples, and expressed great sympathy, while the young 
 ladies brought nuts, candies and other sweetmeats as their 
 offerings of good wishes and compassion for me. The bank- 
 er's daughter, a charming lass of sixteen summers, said, "Mr. 
 Wells, I really hope you may get an opportunity to escape." 
 Messrs. Morgan and Simon, editors of the Democrat and 
 Union, called quite often to see me. They treated me kindly, 
 and correctly reported me in their papers. Mrs. Chandler. 
 
Excni.xc DAYS AND DARIN*, DKKHS 
 
 the sheriff's wife, was very kind and attentive. Every day 
 she brought something nice in her own hands for me, and 
 made the best lemon pies I ever ate. For these expressions 
 ui sympathy and acts of kindness from the gentlemen, young 
 and old ladies, editors and Mrs. Chandler, I was then and am 
 still thankful, and I shall ever pray God's richest blessings 
 for them. 
 
 On the '25th of March, Sheriffs Chandler and Farrell as- 
 sisted me into court. I plead guilty to the charge, where- 
 upon Judge Reed sentenced me to ten years, at hard labor, 
 in the penitentiary at Fort Madison. Next morning Sheriff 
 Chandler and Thomas Hatton started with W. O. Fimple and 
 myself for the prison. We traveled in a spring wagon from 
 Sidney to Riverton, where we had to wait some time for the 
 train. I was taken into the depot and laid on the floor. The 
 room was soon filled with the town's people, many of whom 
 grasped my hand in a most friendly manner, inquired of my 
 health, and complimented my courage and determined fight 
 with Sheriff Farrell. Presently the postmaster (Mr. Spears, 
 who had been to Missouri with Sheriff Chandler in search of 
 me, and who had found in the woods one of my old crutches, 
 which he brought home with him), accompanied by a dozen 
 young ladies, entered the room, shook hands with me, and in- 
 troduced me to the ladies, among whom were six daughters 
 of the banker I had robbed, and the daughter of Mr. Thomas, 
 the man who shot me when leaving the bank. This beauti- 
 ful girl presented her album for my autograph, in which I 
 wrote: "Kind miss, I entertain no ill feeling toward your 
 father for shooting me, but rather respect and honor him for 
 doing his duty," to which I attached my signature. She read 
 it and said, "Mr. Wells, I heartily thank you for this state- 
 ment." When the albums were exhausted the depot agent 
 furnished the ladies with strips of paper, on which I wrote my 
 name. I was thus kept busy until our train arrived, where- 
 upon I bade these good people farewell and was lifted into the 
 passenger coach. Here our party was joined by Sheriff Far- 
 rail and four deputies, who remained with us to the end of our 
 journey. 
 
 Ed Prather, a devoted friend of "Big Mike's," got a few 
 of the boys together, intending to rescue me from the officers, 
 the failure of which was caused by a delay in the branch train 
 from St. Joseph, therefore our train had passed the junction 
 an hour before the rescuing party arrived, and thus a bloody 
 encounter was providentially averted, for Prather and his 
 comrades were brave, resolute men, and would have made a 
 desperate effort to take me from the officers. 
 
 There was on the train a commercial traveler, who, hear- 
 
216 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ing of my presence, came into our car and engaged me in con- 
 versation. Mr. Yocum, that being the gentleman's name, said 
 his mother was a Wells and claimed to be a cousin of mine, 
 and on her account he would be glad to assist me in an honor- 
 able way. I noticed the "all seeing eye" (emblem of Odd Fel- 
 lowship) pinned to his vest, and gave him the usual sign, 
 which he recognized, and, grasping my hand, asked, "Where 
 do you belong?" "Wyoming, Mountain Lodge No. 3," was 
 my reply. I revealed my membership in order that he might 
 console his mother with the fact that I was once a respected 
 and honest man (for no known rascal can join the Odd Fel- 
 lows), and not the thief from birth, as represented by some 
 shallow newspapers and more shallow hereditary theorists. He 
 was now doubly proud of his relation to me, and expressed 
 his indignation at my having to ride in the same car with a 
 "common horse thief," referring to W. O. Fimple, who was 
 heavily ironed and sat opposite us. Our conversation attract- 
 ed no special attention until the alert ears of Sheriff Chandler 
 caught the words, "Lodge No. 3," to which he attached an 
 ambiguous and deadly meaning, and regarded my friend as an 
 outlaw and emissary of the rescuing party; consequently he 
 seated himself near us, where he remained until Mr. Yocum 
 left the train at Creston. I tried to explain the mystic figure 
 "3" to Sheriff Chandler, but he would not accept my story, 
 and, no doubt, believes to this day that the stranger was a 
 desperado and comrade of mine. I was suffering intense pain, 
 which, now that my friend had withdrawn his cheerful pres- 
 ence and sympathy, became almost unendurable ; therefore 
 Sheriff Farrell telegraphed a surgeon, at Chariton, to meet 
 us at the depot. The doctor responded promptly, and gave me 
 a hypodermic injection directly over the pain in my breast, 
 after which I fell off into a peaceful slumber and did not 
 awake until our arrival at Burlington. Here we changed cars 
 for Fort Madison, which place we reached at 8:30 a. m., and 
 were driven immediately to the prison. In the turnkey's of- 
 fice I was placed in a barber chair and carried, by two gentle- 
 men in stripes, into the hospital, where A. W. Hoffmeister, 
 the prison physician, examined my wounds. He said he could 
 do nothing for me ; that I must be patient and trust nature to 
 effect a cure, and laughingly remarked that he would turn 
 me "over to the care of the chaplain/' 
 
 Sheriffs Chandler and Farrell, after visiting through the 
 prison, returned to the hospital to bid me good-bye, and to 
 inquire what they should do with my clothes and pistols. I 
 gave my fine overcoat to Thomas HSatton, my kind and faith- 
 ful nurse, and directed my other clothes sent to Al and Nora. 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 217 
 
 I sold one of the pistols to Sheriff Chandler and gave the 
 other to Sheriff Farrell, as a token of my appreciation of his 
 kindness to me, and further as a mark of my respect and ad- 
 miration of his dauntless courage. He is, without doubt, one 
 of the bravest men of the age. I do not say this because he 
 captured me, but because the facts in the case warrant it. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 When the "big gate" closed behind me 1 felt that, so far 
 as I was concerned, the joys of this life had practically ended, 
 and when the kind words of Sheriff Farrell ceased to ring in 
 my ears, a feeling of inexpressable sadness and loneliness 
 seized upon me. A dozen or more convicts, all as silent and mo- 
 tionless as statues, sat about the room, apparently exulting 
 over my misfortune. The hospital steward, too, regarded me 
 with a fiendish-like expression of satisfaction on his otherwise 
 handsome countenance, and seemed to rejoice in my sad con- 
 dition and depressed feelings. Even the huge stone walls ap- 
 peared to look down on me in special triumph, as if to say, 
 "We told you so." After this hasty view of the situation, I 
 spread a handkerchief over my face to shut out the somber, 
 melancholy scene, and soon drifted into a troublesome slum- 
 ber, in which the world appeared to be passing in review. 
 The whole earth was covered with zebras walking on their 
 hind legs, and at their sides were huge elephants, also walk- 
 ing erect, directing them with their trunks. I was aroused 
 from this horrid nightmare by a terrible "clang" nearby, 
 which proved to be the prison dinner bell. I looked out on 
 the yard through the window and beheld my dream virtually 
 realized. Long lines of erect figures were moving in every 
 direction. After rubbing my eyes and collecting my thoughts, 
 I saw that the zebras were really men dressed in striped cloth- 
 ing. The elephants also proved to be men, arrayed in citi- 
 zens' garb, and their trunks were simply huge hickory clubs, 
 carried in their hands, and I saw that instead of the various 
 lines marching in different directions, as I first supposed, the 
 whole menagerie were pointed toward a common center the 
 dining-room. Next morning when the doctor arrived at the 
 hospital about twenty-five prisoners were marched in for 
 treatment. They were afflicted with all sorts of ailments, 
 from a pain in the toe to quick consumption. The expression 
 on some of their faces and writhing of the body would have 
 done justice to a professional contortionist, and I really ex- 
 pected to see some of them expire before their cases could be 
 reached. They stood in line, like men at a public delivery 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DAKINC DKKDS 
 
 819 
 
 window in a postoffice waiting their turn to be served. This 
 scene was repeated every morning-, and I watched the per- 
 formance with renewed interest and profit. Some of the men 
 were excused for a few days from work, others put to bed, 
 and those whom the doctor had reason to believe were "play- 
 ing* sick to get rid of work" were treated to a "fly-blister," 
 which usually convinced them that the remedy was worse 
 than the disease. 
 
 Charles Cook and George Fitzgerald were both prisoners. 
 The latter was at work in one of the contract shops, and had 
 about six months yet to serve. Cook was acting as assistant 
 hospital steward, and his time expired June first. He was 
 trusted both inside and outside of the prison, and was, there- 
 
 Life in Fort Madison (Iowa) Penitentiary. 
 
 fore, familiar with all the possible avenues of escape. His 
 mind had been poisoned with the notoriety accorded me, and, 
 thinking he would be a great fellow if he should succeed in 
 scaling the prison wall with me, he made a proposition to that 
 effect, which I, at first, spurned to consider, as I thought he 
 had been prompted by the officers to ascertain whether I en- 
 tertained such an idea. I listened patiently, however, to all 
 he said. Every word he uttered was music in my ear, and my 
 soul rapidly filled with hope of freedom as he unfolded his 
 plans of escape. "There is," he said, "only an inch board, with 
 
220 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 a sheet of tin on it (the hospital roof) between us and liberty. 
 All we have to do is to tie the night guard, cut through the 
 roof, step from this onto the cell room roof, which joins the 
 east wall, over which passes within easy reach, a guy running 
 from the top of a smokestack to an anchor on the outside of 
 the wall." I had nothing to lose, and everything to win, by 
 accepting this proposition, which I did after convincing myself 
 that he was in earnest and his plan of escape practicable. On 
 the twenty-third of April Fitzgerald and six other men, all 
 with measles, were brought into the hospital for treatment. 
 The doctor now ordered a strict quarantine on the room, 
 which contained twelve prisoners, including myself. The hos- 
 pital steward remained on duty from seven a. m. until seven 
 p. m., when Mr. John Elder, seventy-three years of age, took 
 charge for the night. Cook soon got an opportunity to speak 
 with Fitzgerald, who readily agreed to join us in a move for 
 liberty. By Sunday, April thirtieth, the men were all well 
 and seated around the stove. I saw a vacant chair beside 
 Fitzgerald, and asked to be placed in it until my bed could 
 be stirred up. Fitzgerald, in reply to my question as to 
 whether he really understood the nature of our proposition, 
 and fully knew his own mind concerning it, said, "Yes, sir; 
 and if you think I am not in earnest, I will take the initiative 
 step," that is to say, he would be first to attack the night 
 guard. 
 
 Ed Hoffman, captain of the cell-room night guards, 
 whose duty it was to visit the hospital at intervals of two to 
 three hours every night, was relieved during the quarantine, 
 consequently this feeble, inoffensive old man was left alone 
 with twelve prisoners. The officers feared nothing from me 
 as yet, for I was unable to walk across the floor without as- 
 sistance, but had misjudged Cook, who learned from the 
 steward that the measles men would be sent back to the shops 
 Monday morning and the quarantine declared off; therefore, 
 we decided that our escape must be made "tonight or never." 
 Mr. Elder arrived at seven p. m., and entered upon his duties 
 for the night. We had agreed to choke him into silence, and 
 then by intimidation keep him submissive to our will ; but af- 
 ter reverentially regarding his extreme old age, comparing his 
 silver locks to those of my own dear father's, and remembering 
 his many kindnesses to me, I declared to Cook that I could not 
 in violence lay my crime-stained hand upon his honest throat. 
 Hence the chloroform, instead of being a premeditated con- 
 tingency, was thought of and substituted at the last mo- 
 ment as a more gentlemanly and humane agent to employ in 
 dealing with the old man. On two or three occasions I had 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 221 
 
 seen this drug administered to my father (who was at the 
 time older than Mr. Elder) both internally and by application 
 without harm, and after some reflection on the matter I con- 
 curred in Cook's proposition to give Mr. Elder a small dose 
 in a glass of wine. 
 
 Cook had access to the key which unlocked the cupboard 
 containing chloroform, liquors and some of the most deadly 
 poisons known to medical science, either of which, had we 
 
 i 
 
 John Elder, Age 73 Years, Drugged in order to Escape from 
 Penitentiary. 
 
 meditated, could have been substituted for the chloroform. 
 At nine o'clock the men were all in bed and the lights all out 
 but one. Cook now drank a glass of -wine, and asked the old 
 man if he would have some too. "Don't care if I do," he re- 
 plied, taking the glass in his own hand, while Cook poured 
 the wine into it until he said "Stop." He tasted it and ex- 
 claimed, "Good gracious, how bitter." Cook produced the- 
 chloroform and said, "Let me put some syrup in.it for you" ^ 
 then measuring half a drachm in the graduate, he emptied it 
 into the wine, which the guard disposed of at. one .gulp. He 
 
222 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 coughed a little, said something about the wine being strong 
 and bitter, then seating himself under the gas light, took up 
 his paper and began reading. Half an hour passed, each mo- 
 ment seeming to be an hour, and no drowsiness visible in the 
 large blue eyes of the solitary reader. I was beginning to 
 think and hope that the drug would not operate, but it was 
 doing its work cautiously and its effect was instantaneous. 
 The hands dropped into the lap, like inanimate things, and 
 the old man tumbled off his chair onto the floor. 
 
 The knee in which I was shot was not yet well when I 
 was arrested, and two months of inaction rendered it so weak 
 and tender that the leg was practically useless ; besides an 
 abscess was forming around the bullet in my breast, causing 
 great pain. In consequence of these ailments I could not (a 
 moment before the old man fell from his chair) have crossed 
 the room without assistance, but was now instantly trans- 
 formed from 1 a penitent weakling into a fierce and terrible 
 giant who will say that the Devil does not care for his own? 
 and consequently sprang forward, raised the unconscious 
 man (who weighed at least 160 pounds) bodily in my arms, 
 carried him to my bed and laid him on it. I took off his hat 
 and pants and put them on myself and spread the blankets 
 over him to prevent him from getting cold. Cook now hand- 
 ed Fitzgerald a bottle containing about eight ounces of chloro- 
 form, and instructed him how and .when to use it on the old 
 man. He- then entered a closet and went to work on the roof 
 of the building, his tools consisting of one pocket knife, one 
 small shoe knife and a pair of barber shears. By this time all 
 the other prisoners in the room were aroused, some sitting 
 up in bed and others standing on the floor. I saw they were 
 halting between two opinions : first, whether it would be pru- 
 dent to join us, and second, whether it would be possible or 
 safe to give the alarm. I had no desire for the former and 
 determined they should not do the latter ; therefore I seized 
 a heavy cane, and, advancing toward them, said, "I want you 
 fellows to lie down and keep quiet." It is said that "actions 
 speak louder than words," and it can be truly said that a 
 man's looks will sometimes transcend both words and actions 
 in effecting a desired end. Such was the case in this instance, 
 as I had scarcely uttered the last word ere the men had re- 
 sumed their former positions in bed. The physical strength 
 of either of these men was far superior to mine, even in my 
 best days, yet not one of them had the courage to ask for an 
 explanation, much less to offer a protest. 
 
 For three hours I walked the floor like a caged lion, with 
 the cane under my arm and whetting knives on a scythe stone, 
 
DAYS AND DARIN*, DKKDS 223 
 
 which I gave to Cook when sharp for his dull one. At half 
 past one o'clock Cook broke the roof, which created a noise 
 sufficiently loud to attract the attention of Ed Hoffman, who 
 immediately came up to see what was the matter. He knocked 
 at the door, which was locked, for admittance. I turned the 
 key and invited him to come in. As I swung the door open 
 one of the prisoners said, ''Boys, you are done for now." 
 Hoffman heard this remark, and becoming suspicious, asked, 
 "Are you the guard?" "No, sir; he is on the bed asleep," was 
 my reply, and at the same time seized the terrified Hoffman 
 by the collar, jerked him into the room and locked the door 
 again. The captain immediately recognized me, and began 
 begging for his life to be spared. "Keep quiet and you shall 
 not be hurt," was the only answer vouchsafed. I tied his 
 .hands and made him sit down. Cook continued his work as if 
 no interruption had occurred, but Fitzgerald had become so 
 excited that he left his post. The old man threw the blankets 
 back as if he were about to rise. I sprang to his side and 
 covered him up again. His respiration was regular and per- 
 fectly natural, which assured me that he was in no danger, or 
 even pain. Ten minutes later Cook said, "Come up boys, I am 
 through." Cook got out first, myself next, then Fitzgerald. 
 We stepped from the hospital roof onto the cell-room, and 
 from this to the east wall, over which passed the smokestack 
 guy, heretofore mentioned), which afforded us an easy de- 
 scent, and on reaching terra firma we scurried over the hills 
 in a northwest direction as rapidly as possible. 
 
 When I allow my mind to dwell upon this affair, T be- 
 come more thoroughly convinced of the practicability and util- 
 ity of presentiments, or of the visitations of disembodied spir- 
 its, "heretofore alluded to, and which I will endeavor to ex- 
 press according to my light and convictions in a future chap- 
 ter. The whole scene was as dramatic as it proved tragical, 
 for the old man ceased to breathe soon after our departure, and 
 in consequence of his death Warden McMillan offered a re- 
 ward of two hundred dollars for my return, either dead or 
 alive, and fifty dollars each for Cook and Fitzgerald. My 
 whole being was charged, as it were, with the electricity of 
 excitement and hope of liberty, and it was this artificial 
 strength that carried me lightly ajid unaided over the rough 
 ground for more than half a mile from the penitentiary, but 
 having obtained freedom by surmounting the obstacles that 
 created this strength I breathed easier and felt perfectly safe. 
 When this thought took possession of my mind a terrible re- 
 action occurred, and I suddenly dropped to the ground, com- 
 pletely exhausted by the four hours of uncommon mental and 
 
224: 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 nervous strain superinduced by the fickle goddess of liberty; 
 a result I might have foreseen had not my reason been blinded 
 with the love of freedom. I struggled hard to rise, but could 
 not do so. I then urged the boys to leave me in the hands of 
 fate and save themselves; but they would not desert me, and 
 after a short rest assisted me to rise, and with one under each 
 arm I was hurried along until daylight, when we entered the 
 barn of Mr. Winterbottom, and concealed ourselves in the 
 haymow. This was Monday morning, May first, 1882, and by 
 ten o'clock the whole country was alive with men searching 
 for us. About noon half a dozen men stopped at the house and 
 
 The Escape of Wells, Cook and Fitzgerald. 
 
 insisted on searching the barn, but Mr. Winterbottom .assured 
 them there was no one in it, so they continued on their 
 course. We lay in a row with our backs against the wall, with 
 about one foot of hay over us, Cook's head resting on my hip 
 and Fitzgerald's head on. Cook's. After dinner Mr. Winter- 
 bottom, to satisfy his wife .that we were not in the barn, came 
 in, picked up a three-tined pitchfork and commenced thrust- 
 ing it into the hay in a manner that showed he did not be^ 
 lieve we were in it. He came nearer and nearer, thrusting 
 his fork into the hay at every step. I could see every motion 
 he made and felt certain he would plunge the fork into me, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 225 
 
 therefore nerved myself to bear it without flinching. The 
 first thrust I received two tines struck the head and the other 
 one entered the side of my neck, behind the ear. He looked 
 surprised at this resistance to the fork, but thinking he had 
 struck the wall (as he afterward testified), took another step 
 and plunged the fork into my breast, but I did not move a 
 muscle, so he made another step forward with his fork pointed 
 direct at Cook's eyes, and the thought of their being put out 
 was so horrifying that I could no longer restrain my emotions, 
 shouted, "Hold on, sir !" He sprang back and began scream- 
 ing like a woman scared at a mouse. Again I was endowed 
 with extraordinary strength, which enabled me to make a 
 heroic effort, and I sprang toward the farmer. He struck me 
 a tremendous blow with the fork, laying the skull bare for 
 four inches. I wrenched the fork from him and run him out 
 of the barn. The hired man had just led two fine horses, 
 with harness on, into the back lot. Cook and I mounted one 
 of them, and, expecting Fitzgerald to mount the other, rode 
 rapidly toward the timber, leaving the old farmer shouting 
 like a Sioux warrior. On reaching the woods we dismount- 
 ed (as I could not ride any farther), turned the horse loose 
 and started him. toward the barn. Fitzgerald, instead of fol- 
 Jowing us on the other horse, crossed the road and surrendered 
 to an old farmer, who returned him to the penitentiary that 
 evening. 
 
 Cook and I encountered a dozen men, and escape now 
 seemed an utter impossibility, but I had no idea of giving up 
 until compelled to. I forged ahead of Cook, and, on reaching 
 Mud Creek, stepped into the water. and waded upstream about 
 twenty yards to a short bend. Here the bank was some ten 
 feet high, with the upper edge projecting two or three feet, 
 and quite a number of roots hanging down to the water. We 
 quickly dropped into this friendly cave, and soon buried our- 
 selves in the water and sand. In less than an hour there were 
 five hundred men gathered about us. They rode up and down, 
 on both sides of the creek, crossed and recrossed it many times 
 within a rod of where we lay. This dress parade continued as 
 long as daylight lasted. We remained in our uncomfortable 
 hiding place until long after dark, and when I attempted to 
 rise, I found myself helpless, and, had I been alone, must have 
 perished or surrendered to someone passing by. The boys 
 had nearly torn me to pieces in getting me through the hos- 
 pital roof, and the pitchfork thrusts, coupled -with this cold 
 water bed for nine hours, had well nigh finished me.. Cook, 
 however, finally succeeded in getting me out on dry land. He 
 wrung the water out of our clothes, and, after rubbing my 
 
226 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 limbs for an hour, I was able to stand up. We worked hard 
 all night and probably traveled two or three miles. At day- 
 break we hid ourselves in the straw on top of the cow-shed 
 near the road, and not more than a mile from Winterbot- 
 tom's barn. It was here the house dog discovered us, and, as 
 the road was lined with men all day, some going to the chase 
 and other returning from it, kept us in a state of terror. H ; e 
 would bark at us until a searching party came in sight, then 
 run back to the house, only to return when people had passed. 
 
 Late in the evening Mr. Willard's little boy came out to 
 gather up the eggs, after which he climbed onto the shed and 
 grasped an armful of straw within a foot of my head. After 
 dark we tried to milk the cows, but they would not let us do 
 so; then a search for eggs was made, but without desired re- 
 sults. We then entered the barn and secreted ourselves in the 
 .hay (which had been turned upside down by our pursuers) 
 for a sleep. I felt assured that this barn would not be 
 searched again, therefore, we unreservedly delivered ourselves 
 over to the goddess of night and soon fell asleep. During the 
 ni)?ht one of the horses broke his halter, got out of the stall, 
 and, when I woke up next morning, was standing at the end 
 of the barn to shelter himself from the rain. Presently two 
 boys came out to feed the horses. One of them mounted the 
 hay and began pitching it to the other boy, who shouted, "Old 
 Tom's out again." The boy on the hay spied the horse through 
 a crack, and, instead of going after him as I thought a well 
 trained boy should, ran across the hay and planted one of his 
 big feet right across my nose and eyes and began kicking the 
 wall with the other, and cursing "Old Tom" because he would 
 not move. After a while the horse concluded to go around to 
 his oats, and the boy returned to his task. He seemed to 
 weigh a ton and it appeared to be an hour that he stood on 
 my nose. 
 
 When our pursuers could hear nothing more of us, they 
 lost their enthusiasm, gave up the chase and returned home 
 a result I had fully anticipated. We left Mr. Willard's barn 
 after dark and traveled about two miles west that night. At 
 Mr. J. Sturger's we concluded to make another search for 
 eggs, which proved fruitless as before. The cows would not 
 allow Cook, on account of his stripes, within a rod of them. I 
 got an armful of corn and laid it on the ground before a large 
 white cow, and, while she ate it, filled the crown of my hat 
 with milk, which I gave to Cook ; then milked a hatful for my- 
 self, and thought it the sweetest milk I had ever tasted. Mr. 
 Stenger had some fine horses, and I felt sure of his having a 
 light vehicle of some sort for family conveyance ; so we de- 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 227 
 
 cided to wait until morning to make a survey of the premises 
 and determine if possible which of the outhouses contained 
 his carriage, and acquaint ourselves with the location of gates 
 so that we might move intelligently in the dark ; besides, I was 
 in no hurry, and, having found a crib full of corn and a cow 
 to milk, there was no danger of starving. 
 
 Curling up in the haymow Cook soon went to sleep, but 
 such was out of the question so far as I was concerned. Early 
 next morning the old farmer and his son (both large, power- 
 ful men) came out to feed the horses. The old gentleman 
 sprang into the mow, pitchfork in hand, and gently raked the 
 hay from over my face. I was suffering terribly and was 
 about half glad of this opportunity to honorably surrender. 
 Therefore I said, "Hold, sir, I will come out." He dropped the 
 fork, and seized my arm in a vice-like grip, and asked, "Are 
 there any more in that hole?" "No, sir," said I. It was my 
 purpose to give Cook a chance to escape by remaining quiet, 
 which he might have done, as the farmer took me for a tramp 
 on account of my dress, but when he, being true and brave, 
 loomed up in his stripes, the young man shouted, "Look out, 
 father, that is Polk Wells you have hold of." Cook seized the 
 fork and ordered the old man to let loose of me, which he did. 
 The Devil again took possession of me and I made another 
 desperate effort to escape. We rushed from the barn lot and 
 started towards the woods, with the old man following close- 
 behind us. The young man quickly returned from the house 
 with a double-barreled shotgun, which he pointed at my 
 breast and said, "Surrender or I'll shoot." I saw that death 
 was my portion unless I obeyed orders, and, since I was not 
 morally fit to die, made a polite bow and unconditionally sur- 
 rendered to the stalwart young German. Cook, being some 
 distance ahead, and seeing I had given up, came back and 
 surrendered also. Our captors marched us up to Mr. Rice's 
 house. That gentleman, his son and another man, shook hands 
 with us, and informed us that Mr. Elder, the night guard, had 
 died soon after our escape. Had I known this a moment soon- 
 er Mr. Stenger and his son would have had to fight, but now 
 ic-sistance would have been worse than folly, as we had five 
 strong men to contend with, instead of two as before. Mrs. 
 Rice invited us in to breakfast, while Mr. Stenger was getting 
 his team ready to convey us back to prison. We had had 
 nothing to eat, except the little drop of milk the night before, 
 since Sunday noon, and this was Thursday. Cook ate greed- 
 ily from the start, but not so with me. The feeling of hunger 
 I had experienced the day before had left me, and with it 
 went my appetite. I looked at the rich food for a moment 
 
228 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 with a sort of loathing for it, and began pushing back from 
 the table as I said, "Oh, I am too hungry to eat anything." 
 The good lady's sympathy was touched and she said, "Mr. 
 Wells, drink a little coffee and your appetite will return." 
 Did she know this from experience, or was she prompted by 
 some good spirit? I firmly believe the latter to have been the 
 case. I drank the coffee as she recommended, my appetite 
 returned and I ate the most delicious breakfast of my life' 
 thanks to Mrs. Rice. 
 
 On May 4th, four days after our escape, we were again 
 placed behind the bars. On the nineteenth we were taken be- 
 fore His Honor, Judge Stutsman, to plead to the charge of 
 murder. We were ably defended by Honorable J. M. Casey 
 and son, while Honorable John Von Volkenburg assisted Mr. 
 Bereman in the prosecution. Cook and I were convicted of 
 murder in the first degree and sentenced to life imprisonment 
 at hard labor, while Fitzgerald got off with murder in the 
 second degree at eighteen years hard labor. I was undergo- 
 ing the most intense suffering from my wounds, was desper- 
 ately miserable, and without a single beacon of hope to look 
 forward to, hence I was as unappreciative of the sympathetic 
 smiles that greeted me here and there throughout the vast 
 audience as I was indifferent to the sentence pronounced 
 against me. The only thing in connection with the trial that 
 kept me in touch with my fellows, or in any way affected me, 
 was the presence of my dear, sad-faced sister, from Atchison, 
 Kansas. The trouble and sorrow she endured on my account 
 hurt me far more than any punishment the law might have 
 imposed. 
 
 Cook and Fitzgerald were put to work on the contract, 
 while I was consigned to solitary confinement, where I re- 
 mained from May 19th, 1882, to June 1st, 1884, during which 
 time I was interviewed by all classes from governor down to 
 the plowboy. Scarcely a day passed without bringing me 
 from one to a dozen visitors. It was a great pleasure to me 
 to chat with them ; many of whom spoke kindly to me, and 
 all united in saying, "Polk, you don't look like a bad fellow." 
 I will not dwell upon the physical and mental suffering en- 
 dured during this long period of hibernation, but will simply 
 state that no punishment that human ingenuity can devise 
 will equal solitary confinement. At the end of eighteen 
 months the warden allowed me to have a lamp and some tools 
 with which to make notions to sell to visitors, .the proceeds 
 of sales to be placed to my credit. This one act of kindness 
 banished all ill feeline I may have had toward the warden. I 
 manufactured such things as cowboy bridles, quirts, whips, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 229 
 
 billies, canes, toothpicks, pin-cushions and horseshoe match 
 boxes. I found ready sale for these articles as fast as I could 
 make them. This employment was not only profitable in a 
 financial sense, but beneficial to the body and mind, as it serv- 
 ed to occupy my hands and turn the thoughts out of the chan- 
 nel which was leading me into madness. Surely the people 
 who are so zealously advocating the abolition of convict labor 
 in penitentiaries cannot be in earnest. If they are, a few days 
 of solitary confinement would be sufficient to cure them of 
 this false theory. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Colonel G. W. Crosley, shortly after taking charge of 
 this institution as warden, April 1st, 1884, came to me and 
 said, "Polk, you do not look like a bad man. I see no reason 
 why you should be treated like some wild beast, and kept 
 locked up as a sort of ten cent show, therefore I have con- 
 cluded to put you to work, notwithstanding Governor Sher- 
 man's advice to the contrary." "Warden," said I, "if you put 
 me among the men you will be sorry for it. I have nothing 
 against you nor any one else, yet I would not hesitate to 
 knock you in the head should you stand between me and lib- 
 erty." He replied, "Polk, I have fully considered the prob- 
 ability of such an event, but I believe your intelligence will 
 lead you to think differently after a while. I shall, neverthe- 
 less, put you to work regardless of consequences." He then 
 shook hands with me and walked away, leaving me to reflect 
 on the situation. 
 
 I had asked Warden McMillan to put me to work in the 
 hope of raising an insurrection, through which I expected to 
 escape, but having reviewed my past career, and, seeing the 
 trouble I had brought upon others, concluded to remain in 
 my cell without a murmur, in order to avoid further trouble. 
 I had received many notes proposing escape, and once in a 
 shop they would reach me from all quarters of the prison ; 
 besides visitors and guards passing my cell gave me an ex- 
 alted opinion of myself by such remarks as, "Oh, he's a holy 
 terror," and "They say he's the best pistol shot in the coun- 
 try." I heard so much of this sort of praise, and having my 
 bravery so frequently complimented by gentlemen who came 
 to see me, that I began to think myself a very dangerous 
 man, and, being of a naturally impulsive temperament, with 
 this profusion of praise ringing in my ears made it morally 
 certain that I would yield to the first temptation that offered 
 a probable success, unless some extraordinary moral influence 
 should be brought to bear on me. 
 
 During the month of May, Mr. Jameson, cell-room guard, 
 by order of Warden Crosley, took me out into the yard every 
 afternoon for an hour's exercise in the sunshine. It was,, at 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 first, extremely painful to the eyes on coming out of the dark 
 room into the bright light of day, and difficult for me to walk 
 straight. I staggered from one side of the walk to the other 
 like one intoxicated. June 1st the warden himself took me out 
 for a walk, chatting pleasantly all the while, and after pass- 
 ing entirely around the inner court we came to the greenhouse, 
 into which I was invited to see the flowers, a favor, I must 
 say, undeservedly bestowed, for I was too vile to enter the 
 sanctum of so much beauty and purity. The warden's man- 
 ner, from the first, impressed me with the fact that he was, 
 and is, a man of superior qualities and excellent virtues ; and 
 his frankness, coupled with his uniform kindness and gentle 
 firmness, were evidences of the fact that he expected his or- 
 ders to be implicitly obeyed. There was no begging that I 
 would be good nor fearing that I would not. I wvs simply 
 thrown upon my own resources to act the fool or conduct my- 
 self as became a man of "good sense," as the warden expressed 
 it. 
 
 I was taken to "Shop 12" (shoe contract) and set to work 
 lasting boots. Mr. Huiskamp treated me kindly, and his fore- 
 man, Captain Bradish, was very patient and painstaking in 
 showing me. I had often thought I would like to be a shoe- 
 maker, therefore I applied myself to the task with zeal and 
 determination. My ambition to succeed was only equaled by 
 my inability, from various causes, to perform the work al- 
 lotted me. I was as nearly crazy as it is possible for a man to 
 get without being adjudged insane, and I certainly would 
 have become a raving maniac had I been kept a few months 
 longer in solitary confinement, therefore, the harder I worked 
 the less headway I seemed to make. Everything fretted and 
 annoyed me. My pincers were constantly slipping, my 
 knuckles received the blow intended for the peg, the sharp 
 iron tacks stuck my fingers and I drove the peg awl through 
 the fleshy part of my hand several times. Besides these per- 
 plexities the guard's presence added fuel to the flames. He 
 seemed never to take his eye off of me, which vexed me 
 almost beyond endurance, and I fairly frothed at the mouth 
 with madness, making me a fit subject of the text, "Anger 
 resteth in the bosom of fools." Thus matters ran along for 
 two weeks, during which times I received several notes pro- 
 posing escape, from different prisoners. One fellow wrote: 
 "Friend Wells The foreman (who was a large, powerful 
 man) is constantly troubling Smith and myself (both small 
 men), and if you will agree to engage the guard we'll attack 
 him with our shoe knives." For some reason I did not like 
 (hose men, which fact, coupled with the kindness I had re- 
 
332. ....XlEE-jmD. AP.VENTURES OF .POLK WELLS 
 
 ceived at "the 'hands of the foreman prevented a terrible, and* 
 possibly fatal, row; so my reply to Mr/ Picket was to the 
 effect that""! wished to' he excused from participating in his 
 deadly purpose." 
 
 I received another note, which bore evidence of the earn- 
 estness and feasibility of the writer's proposition to escape. 
 He signed himself "Missouri," and very kindly and thought- 
 fully furnished nie paper and pencil with which to write my 
 acceptance. I confess I seized the pencil to do- so, but for the 
 life of me could not write a single word. My right arm seem- 
 ed 'paralyzed and my whole frame trembled so violently that 
 I became alarmed and threw the pencil down and went to bed. 
 This proposed escape, if carried out, would have involved the 
 lives of several innocent people, and hence I attributed the. 
 strange actions of my arm and the peculiar and indescribable 
 sensations I experienced to supernatural agency, or; in other 
 words, it was the manifestation of power, and almost visible 
 presence, of the good disembodied spirits striving with me. I 
 had felt something like this before when about to commit 
 crime, but had, in each instance, frowned down the "still, 
 small yoice," continued in the broad path of sin, and it was 
 only a matter of time when I would stifle conscience and yield 
 to this Missourian's wishes. Being without money or friends, 
 practically without a hope of legitimate, freedom, the thought 
 of wearing out my life in the penitentiary at hard labor, to fill 
 the contractor's coffers with gold, was hot calculated to in- 
 spire me with very serious, conscientious scruples about taking 
 the life of any one standing between me and liberty. 
 
 Charles Gibbs, the famous pirate, when standing on the 
 scaffold said, "My first crime was piracy, for which my life 
 would pay the forfeit on conviction. No punishment could be 
 inflicted on me greater than that, and therefore I had nothing 
 to fear but detection, for had my offenses been millions of 
 times more aggravated than they now are, death must have 
 satisfied all." In my pressed and depressed condition I felt as 
 Gibbs felt, and thought as he thought, "If I escape I have 
 nothing to fear but detection ; if I elude the officers for a few 
 years (for I expected no more), I am that much ahead. If I 
 am killed, on being recaptured, death must end all ; or, if re- 
 turned to prison, I will be no worse off than before." With 
 these desperate and devilish thoughts surging through my 
 diseased and excited brain, I fell into a troubled sleep, from 
 which I was aroused by the tapping of the breakfast bell. I 
 remained in the shop two or three hours after breakfast, but 
 could not work, and, at my own request, was taken back to 
 my cell. I then asked the deputy warden to telephone Judge 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 233 
 
 Casey, my attorney, to come up to see me. I had no partic- 
 ular business with him, but "must unburden my mind to some- 
 body," and I know of no one who would listen to me so pati- 
 ently and sympathetically as he. He arrived at one o'clock 
 and I was taken to the "bell-house" to see him. I told him of 
 the warden's great kindness to me ; of the foreman's patience 
 in teaching me to perform my work correctly; of Pickett's 
 proposition to attack the foreman, which I had spurned from 
 me, and the Missourian's plan to escape, to which I added my 
 convictions and intentions and asked him to tell me how to 
 act most intelligently in the matter. The idea of asking a 
 prominent and respected lawyer to direct me in an escape is 
 suggestive of my mental condition, and I need say nothing 
 further on the point. The judge is a student of human nature 
 as well as of law, therefore he readily recognized my infirm- 
 ity and treated me accordingly. He listened patiently to my 
 story, which, when finished, threw him into a meditative 
 mood. His prolonged silence was distressing to me, and I 
 was on the point of fleeing from the room, when he raised his 
 large blue eyes and fixed them on my countenance as if to 
 read the innermost thoughts of my troubled soul. I could not 
 look at him, but keenly felt the burning glances of his kindly 
 and pitying eyes, which filled my aching heart with a delight- 
 ful feeling that had Ions: been a stranger to my bosom. Pres- 
 ently the judge broke the silence, and delivered the following 
 exhortation, which I will endeavor to give, as nearly verbatim 
 as a good memory and an honest purpose will admit. He said : 
 "Polk, you have, from the first, been exceedingly frank with 
 me, and I am thoroughly convinced that you have now ex- 
 pressed the honest purposes of your heart. I never fo~ a mo- 
 ment believed you the demon that the papers have so luridly 
 painted you. I know that liberty is as sweet to you as it is 
 to me, yet I am unwilling to believe that you would wilfully 
 take the life of a fellowbeing to gain even so great a boon as 
 freedom, which would only be temporary at best, for you can- 
 not successfully fight the whole United States single handed. 
 I am glad you did not enter into that Pickett affair, and I hope 
 and believe you, like our Savior, will say to all other tempters, 
 'Get thee behind me, Satan.' I beseech you, my dear boy, als 
 a friend, to conduct yourself like a man. You owe it to me 
 and yourself to do so, and gratitude to Col. Crosley, who has 
 rescued you from a living death, calls loudly for your respect 
 and good behavior, which will, I trust, be such as not only 
 merit the warden's kindness and good wishes toward you, but 
 also enlist the sympathy and friendship of those outside, who 
 now believe you to be void of manly principle and unworthy 
 
234 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 of human treatment. A single act of violence on your par! 
 would subject the warden to the severest censure and pro u - 
 ably cause his removal by the governor. Now then, Polk, u 
 the face of these facts, I say you owe the profoundest respect 
 and the strictest obedience that your manhood is capable of 
 to Col. Crosley, who has shown himself to be a brave, good 
 man by taking you out of -that miserable old cell, thereby ig- 
 noring public sentiment through his humanity toward you, 
 and which I am confident you fully appreciate and will ac- 
 knowledge by deporting yourself as becomes a man of good 
 sense." I was taken back to my cell with a lighter heart, 
 and feeling happier than I had for years. The germ of hope 
 (which never dies) being well irrigated by the judge's logical 
 advise and fatherly sympathy, instantly begun to revive. 
 
 The beautiful, loving and beloved Theodocia once wrote 
 her father, Aaron Burr, these words : "I contemplate you with 
 such a strange mixture of humility, admiration, -reverence, 
 love and pride, that very little superstition would be neces- 
 sary to make me worship you as a superior being." The char- 
 acters of Col. Crosley and Col. Burr are diametrically oppo- 
 site, yet they excite similar emotions, as I entertain that feel- 
 ing for the former that the gifted Theodocia has so beautifully 
 expressed for the latter; but mind was so clouded that I could 
 not comprehend my duty toward the warden until Judsfe 
 C?sey prompted me by" gratitude, reverence and obedience" 
 to the man who had delivered me from a fate worse than 
 death. I lay down on my humble cot, and mentally thanked 
 the judge for his consolation, blessed the warden for his kind- 
 ness to me and went to sleep, breathing this prayer, "Oh thou 
 merciful God, help me to think right and to act ri^ht." I 
 passed a restful night and awoke next morning much re- 
 freshed. 
 
 September first the warden took me to the hospital. The 
 doctor pronounced me an unsound man, and not able for con- 
 tract work. I expected the warden would return and take nit 
 out of the room, but he did not ; so I informed the steward 
 that I would not remain with him any longer. He notified the 
 warden, who sent Mr. Whitney, assistant deputy warden, to 
 see me, and who said, ''The warden says you must stay here 
 today." "Tell him I shall not do so," was my impudent re- 
 ply. I did not mean to be uncivil to the officer or in any way 
 disregard the warden's order, but when "anger is in the wits 
 are out," and hence I failed to say what I most wanted to say. 
 The warden came ,up and approached me in a calm, kind and 
 dignified manner. "What is the matter, Polk why do you 
 not wish to stay here?" he asked. "The smell of medicine 
 
EXCITINC DAYS AND DAKIN<; DKKDS 235 
 
 makes me sick," I said. If I had said, "The room recalls un- 
 pleasant memories," the warden would out of respect for my 
 feelings have taken me away. For a moment he remained 
 silent, bending his large brown eyes upon me with an expres- 
 sion difficult to depict. There was in it a mixture of pity, 
 reproach and indignation, which seemed to say, "This is the 
 way you thank me for having been kind to you." "Your ex- 
 cuse," said the warden, "for not wishing to re-main here is in- 
 sufficient." I made no reply, and he continued in a voice 
 freighted with tenderness and firmness, "Polk, the doctor has 
 ordered you a day's rest in the hospital, and you say you will 
 not stay. It is my place to see that you do ; so you and I had 
 as well come to an understanding now as any other time. I 
 say you must stay here today." 
 
 Dr. Talmage says, "There is no monstrosity of wicked- 
 ness that can stand unabashed under the glance of purity and 
 honor." So it was in this case, as I had risen to confront the 
 warden, but quailed beneath his reproachful glance, and stood 
 abashed and silent. He saw that I was completely subdued 
 ?nd left the room, and in which it is needless to say I re- 
 mained that day. I have had many a hard tussel in my life, 
 but Warden Crosley is the only man who can boast of having 
 whipped me, and he did it without a lick or an unkind word, 
 yet so neatly and thoroughly that I shall feel the effects of it 
 until the day I die had he approached me in a blustering, 
 bragadocia manner, the results would most likely have been 
 different. 
 
 In a preceding chapter I have disposed of all my Utah 
 and Wyoming associates in crime but Callahan, and will now 
 dispose of him and those in league with me after my return 
 to Missouri. Callahan was killed in Waco, Texas. James 
 Dougherty, a participant in the Nortonville Bank robbery, was 
 hung for horse stealing in Texas, by a band of Texas Rangers. 
 Bill Norris was recaptured in Watertown, South Dakota, taken to 
 Kansas and tried for the Nortonville robbery and was sen- 
 tenced to twenty-one years in the penitentiary at Leaven- 
 worth ; and the next morning after arriving at the prison, was 
 found dead in his cell, having butted his brains out against 
 the stone wall. Wilson, my partner in the bank robbery at 
 Riverton, Iowa, was captured by Sheriffs Farrell and Chand- 
 ler in Nebraska, taken to Sidney, where he plead guilty and 
 was sentenced to eleven years in this prison. P. H. Davis, 
 my partner in the hotel at Randolph, Wisconsin, was disin- 
 herited and disowned by his proud old father, his wife left him, 
 and he became a wanderer. The six men composing the Hall's 
 Station "Mob" have all come to grief through sin ; one was 
 
236 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 hung for stealing cattle in Colorado by the invincible cow- 
 boys'; two died most horrible and agonizing deaths; two were 
 sent to the penitentiary at Jefferson City, and the last one be- 
 came a wandering vagabond, his wife having completely 
 wrecked his fortune and happiness. I had many opportunities 
 to kill these six men, but only once, did I entertain the thought 
 of doing so,, and that was. one day while they had me sur- 
 rounded in the woods near the little log cabin. I secreted 
 myself near the roadside, fully determined to shoot, into the 
 first party that came along. After waiting two or three hours 
 I came to the conclusion that their evil, unwarranted reports 
 could not injure Nora, and immediately abandoned my deadly 
 purpose. The only thing I blamed these men for was their 
 unprincipled efforts to break down the character of a pure and 
 innocent woman (Nora), and their unscrupulous and unrea- 
 sonable charges against me, while on the other hand I had 
 some degree of respect for their bold defiance and open en- 
 mity toward me. 
 
 Al and Nora, soon after I left Missouri, were arrested at 
 the instigation of "The Mob" on a charge of adultery, and 
 thrown into that horrid jail at St. Joseph. They were finally 
 released, and returning to their .home only to find it sacked, 
 the furniture strewn about the yard, the house shockingly mal- 
 treated, the stock turned on the common and their crop ut- 
 terly destroyed, and were, for two years, unjustly and unmer- 
 cifully persecuted by these men ; but they are today, thank 
 God, in a healthy and prosperous condition, and enjoy the 
 love and confidence of all their neighbors. Although they suf- 
 fered much on my account, they had never even intimated 
 that they thought so or in any way referred to me as being 
 the source of their troubles. They are certainly two of the 
 best people God ever gave existence; they did everything in 
 their power to keep me in the paths of honor, and risked their 
 lives in bringing me food and trying to save me from the 
 clutches of the law ; and this, their friendship and love for 
 me, was .their only crime that is, if such an attachment can 
 be called a crime. I certainly would have been a Devil had 
 it not been for the wholesome influence they exerted over me. 
 
 In this connection I wish to say that the statements ap- 
 pearing in the columns of several newspapers, of recent date, 
 imputing to me the murder of thirty-seven men are gratuitous 
 errors. One man killed in Utah (in self defense) and partici- 
 pation in the act which subsequently resulted in the death of 
 the guard at this prison, constitute the sum total of my oper- 
 ations in this respect. I was an expert with the rifle and 
 pistol, cool and fearless, and always shot in the interest of my 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 237 
 
 comrades, as I thought that there was no harm in dead In- 
 dians, with whom I was engaged in many a deadly strife, and 
 it may be that I killed thirty-seven of them, but I do not know ; 
 I can only say positively that I killed three of my ill-used 
 brothers, namely, those attacking "Scotty" and myself on the 
 Missouri in Montana. But these homicides cannot be classed 
 as murder, for the laws defines that as a "malicious, premedi- 
 tated act." My courage and marksmanship were always com- 
 mendable, and if, by use of them, I sent a number of Indians 
 to the "Happy Hunting Grounds," was, to use a familiar 
 phrase, "good riddance to the country," which tended to rend- 
 er the peace and safety of the inhabitants of our western 
 frontier more secure, and their property less liable to unlawful 
 appropriation. 
 
 There are two events of my life which, legally speaking, 
 were penitentiary offenses ; but, looking at them from a moral 
 standpoint, were just and right, and my re-ason for omitting 
 details of them is to prevent unsavory reflections being cast 
 upon good and innocent persons. These were acts against the 
 letter but not the spirit of the law, and were punishable by 
 imprisonment for from six months to two years. I performed 
 my part in these incidents simply out of sympathy for the 
 other parties to the contracts, my being already an outlaw, 
 rendered the offense against society purely a matter of indif- 
 ference so far as I was individually concerned. I make the 
 above statement in order that those acquainted with all the 
 facts relative to the two cases cited, may not have occasion to 
 say, "If he eliminates or ignores these events in his life, it is 
 quite probable that he has omitted others equally as repre- 
 hensible." 
 
 Aside from the overt criminal acts described, the two ir- 
 regularities mentioned above and a too liberal use of profan- 
 ity, my life has been approximately pure and correct. But 
 these delinquencies were amply sufficient to bring me to this 
 institution, a description of which may as well be given here 
 as anywhere, since the story would, it seems to me, be in- 
 complete without it. It was established in 1839, gradual!}' 
 developed from a mere stockade into one of the most mapf- 
 ificent and humanely disciplined prisons in the United States. 
 It is situated on a knoll, commanding a splendid view of the 
 grand old Mississippi River. The four high stone walls en- 
 closed four acres of land, on which are built the various work- 
 shops, numbering from 1 to 18. The latter is known as the 
 "State Shop," by reason of the laundering, tailoring and cfen- 
 eral repairs for the entire prison being done there. The bath- 
 house is admirably arranged, the stalls, thirty in number, be- 
 
238 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 ing supplied wdth both hot and cold water pipes, so the bather 
 may temper the water to suit himself. While bathing, once 
 each week, and which was compulsory, the soiled clothes ars 
 taken up and clean ones put in their places. Each prisoner's 
 registered number is on his clothes, so that he gets his own 
 each week. In addition to four ounces of chewing or smoking 
 tobacco each week, he is allowed his choice of cotton or 
 woolen socks and of woolen or cotton flannel underwear. The 
 clothing is of the best material, warm and durable, and is made 
 up neatly and substantially. The most prominent building 
 in the institution is a large two-story structure, occupying a 
 central position, and is called the "Bell House," in which is 
 located the deputy warden's and clerk's offices. Between 
 these is a hall, leading into the large dining-room, with its one 
 hundred clean tables, each capable of accommodating four 
 persons. Adjoining this is a culinary department, which has 
 lately been supplied with a steam cooking apparatus. In a 
 side room is the oven, in which cords of bread are baked 
 every week. The provisions used are the best quality and 
 unlimited in quantity. Immediately over the dining-room is 
 the chapel, a large, well-appointecj room, with seating capacity 
 of four hundred. Adjoining the chapel is the hospital, a 
 spacious and well-ventilated room, supplied with all needed 
 medicines of the best quality; easy chairs, tables, flowers in 
 abundance, papers and clean, inviting beds and various other 
 articles adorn this room. The sick are treated with skill, fidel- 
 ity and kindness by Doctor Casey. The light formerly used 
 was gas, which was superceded by electricity, a system of 
 perfect illumination. The entire institution, including- resi- 
 dences of the officials, is lighted by this system. Each cell 
 is provided with a ten-candle-power lamp, and each corner 
 of the outside walls has a large headlight reflector placed on 
 it. Steam is used for heating purposes, and a comfortable 
 temperature is maintained during the season requiring arti- 
 ficial heat. 
 
 On the bluff overlooking the prison is a large reservoir, 
 into which is pumped water from the river, whence it is dis- 
 tributed into the various shops and residences on the prison 
 ground. Back of the reservoir is the prison cemetery, where 
 many of my crime-stained brothers were laid to rest, whose 
 bodies eventually found, or will find, their way to some 
 medical institute, or into the private sanctum of ambitious 
 students throughout the state. 
 
 The prison yard is set to blue grass, and is beautiful and 
 cheerful to the unfortunates here ; flowers and shrubs grow 
 in profusion along the walks and adorn the shop windows, 
 
K.\< ni\<; DAYS AND I)AKI\<; l)i-:i-:ns 
 
 and trailing vines scale the walls in every direction. A green- 
 house is kept for preserving these beauties of nature, and in 
 front of the "Bell House" is a fountain, in which are growing 
 beautiful water lilies, about whose stems sport lively gold- 
 fish. 
 
 The cell-room contains three tiers of cells, styled ''first, 
 second and third ranges, north," and "first, second and third 
 ranges, south," which furnish homes for the boys, at present 
 about four hundred. 
 
 The prison library contains eight thousand volumes of the 
 choicest reading matter, on a wide range of subjects, and books 
 are distributed to the cells on Tuesday and Saturday of each 
 week. The night school, which commences October first and 
 continues until the following May of each year, is one of the 
 most beneficial features of the institution. Many young men 
 come here who are unable to read, and who go out at the ex- 
 piration of their sentences with a practical education. The 
 chaplain, W. G. Gunn, conducts both the library and the 
 school, and is, therefore, doing a grand work for the state 
 and humanit}'. 
 
 The contractors give their men salaries ranging from two 
 to six dollars per month, which money they are allowed to 
 spend for groceries, etc. The goods are delivered on Saturday 
 of each week, and, under the immediate supervision of the 
 clerk, are put into the cells, the doors locked, and when the 
 prisoner returns at night finds everything he ordered. 
 
 At six o'clock every morning the men are unlocked and 
 marched to their respective shops, where they wash, and at 
 each tap of the bell a company starts for the dining-room. 
 When all are seated at the tables, the deputy warden rings a 
 hand bell, whereupon the men set to eating, and the noise they 
 create with the "click" and "snap" of knives and forks fills 
 the new recruit with a variety of peculiar sensations. A score 
 of waiters are kept busy carrying food, but no one is allowed 
 to speak during the meal a silly, barbarous rule. If one 
 wants bread he must hold up one hand ; coffee, a cup ; meat, a 
 fork. Thus everything is carried on by signals, and when the 
 men are through eating the deputy taps his cane on the floor 
 and they rise, company after company, and march back to 
 their shops. The same maneuver is repeated at dinner. At 
 supper time they march past a long table, from which each 
 man takes as much bread as he wants, a slice of cheese or 
 sausage and a cup of coffee or cake, and passes on with the 
 company to the cell-room. Each man enters his own cell, 
 
40 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 closes the door and holds his hand on it until it is locked 
 thus the treadmill continues week after week and year after 
 year. 
 
 Men wishing to see the doctor must report to the "sick 
 table," where bread, rice and water constitute a meal. On all 
 holidays, as a sort of compromise to the "sick table" affair, 
 a Delmonico spread is provided, which I consider to be one of 
 the most pernicious features of prison life. 
 
 Prisoners are allowed to write once in six weeks, except 
 there be urgent business, and in that event a special permit 
 to write is granted. They are also allowed to subscribe for 
 any of the weekly or daily newspapers, or their friends can 
 send them such as they wish. 
 
 The attendance at religious services Sunday morning- is 
 compulsory, owing- to there being work in the cell-room which 
 cannot be done while the men are in their cells. The attend- 
 ance at Sabbath school is voluntary, and about two-thirds of 
 the men respond. Mr. Samuel Doyle is our superintendent, 
 and the classes are taught by benevolent ladies and gentlemen 
 of Fort Madison. Conspicuous among these are Mr. Pound, 
 Mrs. General Gilchrist, Mrs. Knoch and others, and up to his 
 death, of recent date, the venerable Judge Beck, who, twenty- 
 five years ago, established the Sunday school, visited us, and 
 with his s'uperior wisdom unfolded the word of God to a class. 
 Messrs. Holt, Doyle and Foster and other gentlemen are also 
 untiring in their efforts to encourage and enlighten the boys. 
 These good people have led scores of men to see their folly, 
 and have, by their patience and loving kindness', won them 
 back to themselves and to society. 
 
 The late Miss Jennie Cassiday, of Louisville, Kentucky, 
 who had been an invalid all her life, thought she would like 
 to do something that would bring sunshine and hope to the 
 inmates of jails and penitentiaries, therefore she organized a 
 "Flower Mission Society" in her own state, and, on her birth- 
 day (June 9th) of each year, sent a beautiful bouquet to the 
 prisoners. The W. C. T. U. ladies of Iowa grasped the idea, 
 and each year visit this institution, presenting to each pris- 
 oner a lovely bouquet of lovely flowers as a token of Miss 
 Cassiday's love, but specially to remind them of what God 
 would have them be. Heaven alone can measure the sfood that 
 is being accomplished by these divine Sunday school teachers 
 and blessed angels of the "Flower Mission." Besides, these 
 pleasant features of prison life, the warden takes special p^ins 
 to secure public speakers of note to address the boys. 
 
 Atheists say that the founder of Christianity is an im- 
 
KXUTI.M; DAYS AND DARING DKKDS -J 1 1 
 
 poster; that his followers are "canting fanatics," etc. Sup- 
 pose I admit this to be true (which I do not), does it follow 
 that the principle of Christianity is also false? Not by any 
 means. Christ has brought forth a doctrine that will save 
 us all if we will only abide by it. He may have been a Devil 
 incarnate, and these angels of mercy "canting fanatics," I care 
 nothing about that, as I do not embrace any man or woman 
 in my religious faith. All I care for is the truth, which I will 
 accept from Saint or Devil. These self-sufficient people, who 
 style themselves "free-thinkers," gather around the festive 
 board, bump glasses and utter this prayer: "We thank thee, 
 O illustrious Bacchus, that we are not as this impostor 
 (Christ), who wants to rescue the perishing, or even as these 
 publicans dressed in stripes. We are as treacherous as hell, 
 get drunk twice a week and pay to thee tithes of all that we 
 possess. While we thus honor and adore thee, oh mighty 
 Bacchus, these 'canting fanatics' the loveliest, best and pur- 
 est women of our glorious country are going about the jails 
 and penitentiaries, and even into the hedgeways of vice and 
 sin, making proselytes of our former associates and leading 
 them to a higher plane of thought, hope and happiness ; there- 
 fore, Oh Supreme One, we beseech thee to stop this interfer- 
 ence with thy fiendish purpose and turn the army of souls to- 
 ward thy brilliant throne of fire," and the glasses clink with 
 their hellish "amen." These same people say that "assistance 
 in time of need and good will toward men is the best and most 
 practical religion to embrace." Do they practice this doc- 
 trine? No. I have been in this prison nearly twelve years, 
 and have yet to see a party of infidels here with flowers, 
 papers or a band of music to cheer and comfort the boys. If 
 any person ever needed "assistance and good will" it is the 
 convict. 
 
 Infidelity says, "The criminal is a creature of destiny and 
 unworthy of consideration." Christianity holds that he is 
 made in the image of God, and has in him that which entitles 
 him to salvation. Therefore Christ's angels of mercy and love 
 pursue the wayward boy, rescue him from the very jaws of 
 hell, and make it possible for him to again became a useful 
 and respected member of society. Christianity has trans- 
 formed the prisons from veritable hells into homes for the 
 friendless and prodigal sons, and has opened wide the gates 
 of charity so that a little sunshine and mirth may enter to 
 cheer and gladden the hearts of those bound in the fetters of 
 civil law. Warden Crosley and the prison contractors gave 
 the boys an entertainment on Christmas day, 1885, since 
 which time we have had on each recurring holiday some sort 
 
24:2 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 of a jollification in the chapel, followed by two or three hours 
 of uninterrupted intercourse with one another in the yard, 
 supplemented with "music by the band." 
 
 There is no place on the globe that affords a better op- 
 portunity in which the study of human nature 1 can be more 
 thorough and complete than a prison. I have, from my earli- 
 es youth, been a close observer of the habits and peculiarities 
 of the domestic animals, as well as of their wild brothers on 
 the plains, and must say, since I like to study human nature, 
 that I like a prison for my teacher. Everything in and about 
 it is so convenient and comes so natural that I need only keep 
 my eyes open to what is passing around me to learn lifelong 
 lessons of practical usefulness ; besides the prison presents ex- 
 tra advantages no other institution can offer. It is admirably 
 adapted in many ways, if not desirable in others, therefore I 
 have a grand opportunity in which to gratify the natural bent 
 of my mind in the study and contemplation of man. While I 
 have been closely observant of the traits and peculiarities of 
 my fellow prisoners, I have not neglected to take a peep into 
 the innermost recesses of my own nature, from which I con- 
 clude that the individuality of man is an extraordinary thing, 
 and extremely difficult to comprehend. I have, however, come 
 to know my own pretty well from having had, in these long 
 years of confinement, on the one hand, to rely solely on my- 
 self, and on the other, from having had to associate in silence 
 with people who are strangers to me. This self-dependence 
 and enforced silence breeds thought, and thought, coupled 
 with judicious reading, has brought me a genuine discrim- 
 inative knowledge of men and things, which enables me to 
 judge something of their nature and relations to each other. 
 The more I read and think, the more my mind expands and 
 reaches out into realms of the unseen in its effort to grasp 
 the meaning of God in nature. 
 
 I once stood before the furnaces of the great smelting 
 works in Salt Lake City, and watched the process of extract- 
 ing the precious metal from the rough, unsightly ore. I had 
 no idea then that I must pass through a similar fiery trial 
 before my better self, like the silver, would appear. But such 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 243 
 
 has been the case, for what giant powder and the smelter did 
 for the quartz, in order to reveal the pure metal, sorrow, ad- 
 versity, imprisonment and sympathetic friends the latter, all 
 instruments in the hand of God have been necessary to bring 
 out the gold and silver of my nature. I mean to say that, 
 through this awful process of smelting and refining, I have 
 refound those pure thoughts, honest purposes, sturdy, manly 
 principles and the desire to do right which was so character- 
 istic of my youth and early manhood, and which I shall, by the 
 grace of God, retain to the end. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 My parents were inveterate readers and thoroughly versed 
 in the scriptures, and, of course, had many friendly argu- 
 ments on the promises of God and the plan of salvation. 
 Father was not by any means an atheist, nor yet a universalist 
 in the broadest sense. He thought there would be made a 
 vii-tinction in the future disposition of men, "If not, why the 
 many mansions of our Savior," and "The seventh Heaven 
 which Paul was permitted to see": He believed there were 
 even more Heavens than the number named by the apostle, 
 "Else why stop at seven, why not say the last Heaven?" He 
 also believed that truth'fulness, honesty, chastity and charity 
 were the only requirements necessary to attain to the highest 
 state of future bliss. Mother, on the contrary, clung stoutly 
 to the tenets of orthodoxy, and held that faith in, and belief 
 on, the Lord Jesus Christ was the only way in which eternal 
 happiness could or would be attained. She, dear soul, taught 
 me at her knee to pray and reverence our Savior, and in all 
 my youthful follies, wanderings on the plains, and participa- 
 tions in crime I have not been able, except at short intervals, 
 to escape the holy influences of her prayers, though she has 
 been dead nearly thirty-five years. My earliest recollections 
 are that I slept in the same bed with her, and each night, be- 
 fore retiring, lisped on my knees a sweet little prayer, and each 
 morning, kneeling in the bed, put up my little hands in the 
 same manner and repeated the Lord's Prayer; was then 
 kissed, washed and dressed and taken in to breakfast. Since 
 then I have, by turns, been a skeptic and a scoffer, not at the 
 principles of religion, but at those who professed them; yet 
 failed to carry them out in deed as well as in word, and am 
 now conscious that I was as sinful in the sight of the Lord as 
 those whom I condemned for insincerity. I sinned in not 
 heeding the lessons taught me by my sweet hearted mother, 
 which were, and are still, of greater value to me than the 
 treasures of Ophir ; and had it not been for the essence of the 
 Devil in my nature, I should have identified myself long be- 
 fore I did with the true lovers and followers' of the Lord whom 
 she served and adored. She was a member of that much 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DKKDS 
 
 abused sect denominated "Shouting Methodist." The holy 
 character and divine teachings of my mother have served me 
 well in my confinement, for since June, 1884, when Warden 
 Crosley allowed me to join the prison Sunday school, they 
 have been constantly before my eyes, urging and admonishing 
 and gently leading me into the ways of righteousness. For 
 four years I was instructed in the laws of love and purity by 
 Mrs. Sophia Deomude, a most excellent Christian lady of Fort 
 Madison. On entering her class I was as ignorant of the 
 higher orders of literature, mental philosophy and sacred and 
 profane 1 history, as I was indifferent to the blessed truths she 
 so beautifully unfolded to me. She continued, however, to ply 
 me with questions that would tax the erudition of a Beecher 
 or a Talmage to answer. "Now, Mr. Wells," she would say, 
 "What do you think of Paul's doctrine of election?" and 
 "How do you interpert this passage concerning the return of 
 the prodigal son?" She finally interested me, or at least made 
 me ashamed of my stupidity and ignorance in such momentous 
 subjects ; therefore I searched history, the Bible and religious 
 literature for matter relative to each Sunday's lesson, and 
 studied hard in order that I might be able to render an intelli- 
 gent reply. I succeeded to such an extent that she referred 
 all the difficult questions asked by other members of the class 
 to me for an explanation. It affords me great pleasure to ac- 
 knowledge my gratitude and obligations to this splendid little 
 woman, who is the true mother of my intellectual and spiritual 
 growth, as well as my contentment. The fortress of doubt 
 and the sophistry of infidelity were undermined by her zeal 
 and childlike faith, and it is to her sweet voice, patience and 
 kind advice that I ascribe my invincible love of reading, which 
 I deem more precious than the treasures of many Eldorados. 
 
 Having distinguished myself as a Bible student, I was 
 then permitted to join the choir class, which was taught by 
 Mrs. Edna M. Crosley, wife of Warden Crosley. This angel 
 of a woman seemed deeply interested in me from the start, and 
 sought, in every honorable way possible, to win me from my- 
 self and from the snares of the Devil. I confess, with shame, 
 that I was sometimes so ungallant as to ask her perplexing 
 questions regarding the "reasonableness and justifiableness of 
 vicarious atonement," the "improbability of the divine nature 
 or element in Christ," and presumed to class his miracles in 
 the category of fraud and jugglery." She was very kind, and 
 ordinarily timid, but, when I provoked her, became bold and 
 aggressive, defending her cause with dispatch and effective- 
 ness ; her lustrous brown eyes, flashing with holy enthusiasm, 
 as she, in verification of her position, poured forth a stream 
 
246 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 of eloquence that would have delighted a Phillips or a Cooke. 
 These outbursts of eloquence and enthusiasm were very bene- 
 ficial to me, and this is the only excuse I have to offer for 
 occasionally drawing them out. The mantle of love, patience, 
 kindness and Christian helpfulness so modestly and so effec- 
 tively worn by Mrs. Crosley could not have descended upon 
 a more zealous, intelligent, Christ-like character than Mrs. Dr. 
 Smith, of this city. This eminently cultured, world-wide 
 traveler and Biblical scholar built largely and widely upon the 
 spiritual walls (the foundations of which were laid in my na- 
 ture by my dear mother) so gently and so rapidly reared by 
 Mrs. Deomude and Mrs. Crosley. She, by her wisdom and 
 devotion to the Master, broadened my mental horizon, in- 
 creased my faith and strengthened my grasp on the blissful 
 beyond. 
 
 These three blessed women, with the exception of a few 
 weeks, have been mjy spiritual guides and comforters, and, of 
 the teachers heretofore mentioned, they stand pre-eminently 
 above them all as Christian workers. Mrs. Smith has at 
 present sixteen men in her class, every one of whom loves and 
 respects her, and believes her to be a true friend, not only 
 in the spirit but in the flesh as well. She possesses, in a 
 superlative degree, that finesse (sometimes called tact) so 
 essential to success in handling grown pupils. Her presence 
 inspires respect, but neither fear nor awe, and her extreme 
 politeness is 1 equalled only by her apparent sincerity. She 
 makes war upon vices, not persons; and corrects those that 
 err without insulting them. Her selections and explanations 
 of scripture texts excites none but happy passions, which 
 move the heart without depraving it. She pleases us without 
 soothing our frailties ; engages our attention without amusing 
 us with trivial and ridiculous tales ; makes us know God with- 
 out representing Him under images unworthy of the divine 
 nature; surprises us without leading us astray through fan- 
 tastic regions and chimerical wonders; always agreeable and 
 helpful ; noble by bold expressions, glowing figures, and still 
 more so by the blessed truths with which she fills the mind 
 and heart. Ten thousand such teachers working in concert 
 would, in one year, sweep the rum traffic and infidelity into 
 Hades, to keep company with their triplet brother, Slavery. 
 
 I shall ever reverence and remember, with feelings of 
 love and gratitude, Mrs. Deomude, Mrs. Crosley and Mrs. 
 Smith (three star-crowned ladies) for leading me "into the 
 light that lighteth every man (who is willing) that cometh 
 into the world." Besides my gratitude to these ladies, I am 
 under lasting obligations of love and respect toward many 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 247 
 
 other good people, among whom are ex-Governor Wm. Larra- 
 bee, of Clermont; Rev. J. G. Lemen of Council Bluffs; Hon. 
 W. G. Ken, Judge Casey, M. T. Butterfield, Samuel Doyle and 
 others of Fort Madison, Iowa it is worth some years of life, 
 even in prison, to have won the admiration and friendship of 
 such a galaxy of kind, gentle, intellectual, refined Christian 
 men and women, and I feel exceedingly proud of the fact ; and 
 to me the unaffected love of one such man as Senator Kent is 
 of greater value than the treasures of India. 
 
 Some of my beloved friends have passed over Jordan, 
 others are far away, yet the spirits of all are set about the 
 firmament of my existence, encouraging me to righteous acts 
 and pure thoughts, always directing or leading me toward 
 the Lamb of God, which is, to my mind, an absolute demon- 
 stration of the visitation of embodied spirits to which I have 
 already alluded. I believe that the spirits of men, though 
 their bodies are a thousand miles apart and alive, yet dead in 
 sleep, communicate with one another on a variety of subjects. 
 Greater men than I believed the same. Shakespeare believed 
 that the spirits of the dead, in some measure, affected the liv- 
 ing. Napoleon had his star (a friendly spirit) which led him 
 to success. Constantine, the great, saw a cross in the sky 
 (the spirit, no doubt, of one of the apostles), which he in- 
 terpreted as an omen of victory. Jesse James, when about to 
 commit some unlawful act, invariably saw the same white 
 horse and rider at his side, and which was invisible to his 
 comrades. I never heard what interpretation, if any, Jesse 
 put upon this stranger's visits, but I venture to say he was 
 always affected by them. The actions of all men are affect- 
 ed, more or less, by the invisible. The bodies of Socrates, 
 Milton, Raphael and Mendelssohn have long ago crumbled to 
 dust. Are they dead by reason of this fact? No. Socrates, 
 through his philosophy ; Milton, through "Paradise Lost" ; 
 Raphael, through his matchless paintings, and Mendelssohn, 
 through his music, speak to, and influence, thousands, and 
 will continue to do so as long as the human race shall last. 
 The law makers, and especially mobs, should consider this 
 subject and govern their enactments toward the delinquent 
 members of society accordingly, for I most solemnly declare 
 that the soul of man is not the result of material organization, 
 but is a principle capable of exercising its faculties inde- 
 pendently of the bodily organs ; therefore by killing, or even 
 by imprisoning, the body of an offender, he is not by any 
 means disposed of, as the revengeful essence, the evil spirit, 
 still lurks about and waits to take its revenge, through some 
 disconsolate individual, upon its adversaries. 
 
248 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 Spirits do return under favorable circumstances, and any 
 one believing the Bible dare not deny it. And these same 
 favorable circumstances are governed by the individual's pa"- 
 ticular mood. If he contemplates committing an unlawful 
 act, legions of the imps of hell are instantly at his side, 
 prodding him with reminders of his real or imaginary wrongs, 
 offering suggestions and urging him forward. On the other 
 hand, when, after having accomplished his purpose, he re- 
 flects on his evil act and begins to feel sorry for doing it (the 
 inevitable result of every sin, I care not how desperate the man 
 may have become), then the white-robed hosts of heaven, 
 having followed him all the while, though he comprehended it 
 not, now approach him and console him with the promise, 
 ''Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and 
 I will give you rest," and ''Turn ye from thy sin and I will 
 remember thy transgression no more forever." Then he 
 makes the grandest and noblest resolutions, only to break 
 them again and again. Many a time have I passed through 
 such an ordeal, and, on various occasions, thought my body 
 would be rent asunder, so fierce was the contest between the 
 emotions of right and wrong. I shall write another book on 
 crime, criminals and prison management, in which I will dis- 
 cuss more fully this subject of good and bad influences of 
 disembodied spirits. 
 
 Mrs. Deomude, my first Sunday school teacher, having 
 created in me anjntense desire for knowledge, and determined 
 to find out, if possible, the true religion, the will and pur- 
 poses of God concerning me, I "girded on the whole armor" 
 of zeal and persistent effort. From fiction and daily papers 
 I turned to the graver sorts of literature. The first thing 
 that impressed fne was Solomon's advice : "My son, hear the 
 instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy 
 mother." I felt deeply convicted of my sin for not heeding 
 the one and ignoring the other, and, falling on my knees, be- 
 sought God to cast behind Him 1 my transgressions and re- 
 member them no longer against me. Having read the Bible 
 through, dwelling upon the promises, as well as the denuncia- 
 tions, of the Lord, I took up Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of 
 the Roman Empire," and, lingering with the fifteenth to the 
 nineteenth chapters carefully compared the zeal, faith and con- 
 stancy of the "Christian Martyrs" with that of their nineteenth 
 century brethren, much to the dfscredit of the latter, excepting 
 always, however, my Sunday school teachers. I next read 
 Shakespeare, Pope's Homer, Virgil, "Life of Christ," Voltair's 
 "Philosophical Dictionary," "Age of Reason," "Pilgrim's Pro- 
 gress," "Mistakes of Moses," "Natural Selections," "Origin of 
 
, EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 
 
 Species," "Chips from a German Workshop," "Origin of the 
 World," by Dawson, the celebrated debate between Professor 
 Huxley and Doctor Wall, and many other works similar to 
 these were devoured by my insatiable mind. I have, in fact, 
 read around the entire circle of classical literature, comparing 
 everything with the Book of all Books, and wherever I found 
 a "truth," either in God's or the Devil's literature, "bound it 
 upon the tablets of my heart," but casting aside everything 
 conflicting with the word of God. 
 
 There is much said and written these days about ungodly 
 and pernicious literature, which, to me, seems very much out 
 of place, since trials and temptations are necessary to the high- 
 er development of the bodily as well as the spiritual functions. 
 I can say, with all candor, that I never read a book in which 
 I did not find something to console and benefit me, something 
 to excite my pity and compassion for my fellowman, some- 
 thing to encourage me in all good works, something to 
 strengthen my belief in the wisdom and goodness of God. 
 Even in the "Age of Reason," whose author, Thomas Paine, I 
 have been taught all my life to regard as the pope of atheism 
 and hater of God, I find this declaration of faith, which is as 
 beautiful as it is extraordinary: "I content myself," says Mr. 
 Paine, "with believing, even to a positive conviction, that that 
 power (God) which gave me existence is able to continue it 
 in any form or manner desired, either with or without this 
 body ; and it appears to me more probable that I shall con- 
 tinue to exist hereafter than that I had existence as I now 
 have before this existence began." On the other hand, I have 
 found much that is calculated to lead one further and further 
 from God, unless he has, like myself, learned wisdom through 
 the things he has suffered. For instance, Professor Huxley 
 says, "Star-dust is the material out of which the world was 
 formed." Agassiz holds that "Man sprung, not from one cen- 
 ter, but from several centers ; not from one human pair, but 
 from more than half a dozen human pairs." Herbert Spencer 
 maintains that his theory of force is sufficient to account for 
 the world as it is, and for the origin of the human race, while 
 Dr. Darwin is equally positive that "evolution" is the royal 
 road by which man ascended from; an inanimate, senseless 
 atom of Nile mud to a mighty giant of activity and intellectu- 
 ality. Ministers of the gospel, men whom we naturally ex- 
 pect to uphold the word of God, join the caravan of science 
 (so called) and by their sophistical, and in some instances 
 blasphemous, utterances, are filling the land with doubt and 
 skepticism. Geologists think they have given the Bible its 
 "death-blow" by proving that this little planet of ours has 
 
250 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 been in existence for millions of years. Evolutionists scoff at and 
 ridicule the idea that God created all things out of nothing; 
 and scientists have "demonstrated, beyond a doubt," that it is 
 asolutely impossible for a whale to swallow a man, while 
 Bible apologists render themselves contemptible in the sight 
 of man and insulting to God by attempting to show that the 
 "great fish," with which Jonah had such a remarkable en- 
 counter, "was in all probability a white shark." Instead of 
 these ridiculously absurd propositions, I prefer to accept the 
 plain, unvarnished statements of the Bible, i. e., that God in 
 the beginning, "created all things," and, by the power of His 
 word, or, "out of nothing," made man in His own image. To 
 me it seems infinitely more reasonable to believe that man is 
 the product of an all-powerful and all-wise being than that he 
 should evolve from nothing into a tad-pole and from that into 
 a monkey, etc., and as for myself, take pride in believing I am 
 a child of love and intelligence, rather than a result of blind, 
 insensible laws ; and from what I have heard and read con- 
 cerning the capacity of the shark, am doubly certain that Jonah 
 was not in that creature's maw; besides, I believe the Lord 
 knew what He was talking about when He said, "Jonah was 
 three days and three nights in the whale's belly." 
 
 The efforts of these super-wise gentlemen to account for 
 the origin of the world and the creation of man are as unsat- 
 isfactory as their theories concerning the end of the former and 
 the final disposition of the latter. Having thoroughly studied 
 the pros and cons of the profoundest thinkers on these sub- 
 jects, I conclude that it is of little consequence as to how I 
 came into the world, while there is infinite importance attach- 
 ing to the manner and condition of my exit. If science fas- 
 cinates and perplexes the mind, the platitudes and inconsist- 
 encies emanating from the pulpit lacerate the soul, and either 
 destroy faith in the purity and love of God, or, at least, render 
 it extremely vacillating. For instance, the man standing on 
 the Lords rostrum hurls over the sacred desk, in tones equal- 
 ing, or meant to equal, the thunderings on Mount Sinai, such 
 incongruities as "if you multiply one hundred billion by one 
 hundred billion you will obtain some idea of the intensity of 
 God's hatred for sin," and in the next breath declares, "God 
 is infinite love, and, while He desires to and will punish sin, 
 pities the sinner." What dazzling, monstrous, childish ab- 
 surdities. The absurdity lies in the personification of the 
 criminal act, "sin," and the declaration "God's hatred for sin." 
 We are told that to "please God" we must "love what He 
 loves" and "hate what He hates," and a little later we are con- 
 fronted with the terrible assertion, "God is infinite in all His 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 251 
 
 attributes, therefore your most magnificent gifts will not add 
 one iota to His treasure ; your most eloquent prayers will not 
 secure the slightest addition to His mercy, nor will a lifetime 
 of good works insure immunity from punishment." The Lord, 
 if I read the Scriptures aright, was delighted with Abel's of- 
 fering; that "whatsoever a man asketh, believing, shall be 
 given unto him," and that "God loves a cheerful giver." Many 
 of the Psalms commence in melancholy and end in triumph, 
 and God, in answer to prayer, sent an angfel to "strengthen 
 Him" Christ. All the good that has been accomplished is 
 the result of earnest, agonizing prayer; all the evil that has 
 been committed is, also, the result of prayer. God loves to 
 answer the prayers of His children ; and so does the Devil, 
 with alacrity and in hellish glee grant the petitions of his 
 subjects. 
 
 The popular thing of today is to scoff at the "old-fash- 
 ioned Hell" of John Wesley and the stern Tertullion, as well 
 as to heap ridicule upon the Hell of the Bible, and instead a 
 sort of a classical Hell a careful separation of the sheep from 
 the goats is set up. I once encouraged Nora to ask my 
 father if he believed in a "lake of fire and brimstone," where 
 the ungodly would be punished forever and forever. "No," 
 said he, "no human being could stand it for a moment, to say 
 nothing of enduring it for eternity." There are living germs, 
 declares science, that cannot be destroyed by boiling water, 
 and that the salamander (an extinct quadruped) was capable 
 of living in fire. History records instances of men having 
 been subjected to. that element for hours, and in some cases for 
 days, before death ensued. In 1820, in what is now Crowley 
 County, Kansas, a brave general of the United States army 
 was captured by the Comanche Indians, who kept him in a 
 circle of fire and compelled him to walk barefooted on the 
 live coals for two days, thus burning him to death by de- 
 grees, and the burning of the negro in Texas recently is an- 
 other proof that man is able, for a short time, at least, to live 
 in a veritable hell. It is said that man is so constituted that he 
 can adapt himself to almost any condition or environment. An 
 evidence of this is noted in women washing dishes or clothes, 
 they can, without experiencing any pain, hold their hands in 
 water so hot as to remove the skin from a man's hand, and 
 the Sullivan-Corbett fight convinces me that human flesh can, 
 by proper treatment, be prepared to undergo the torments of 
 Hell. The punishment that Sullivan endured would kill half 
 a dozen ordinary men men unprepared for such an ordeal. 
 Heaven and Hell will be to the unprepared man what Cor- 
 bett would be to an amateur pugilist. Transport a man to 
 
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 Heaven, without any preparation for the change, and the joy 
 and splendors meeting him there would be as fatal to his exist- 
 ence as if he had dropped straight into Hell. I cannot escape 
 the conviction that there is future joy or pain awaiting man- 
 kind, but no one will go to either place without his, or her. 
 own consent. I have it in my power to defy God or the Devil, 
 but the lines are so closely drawn that I cannot ignore both 
 the love of the one and the hatred of the other at the same 
 time ; I must choose between God's mercy and the Devil's 
 vengeance. 
 
 Col. R. G. Ingersoll, the priest of infidelity, makes a great 
 deal of fuss, and pours out sarcasm by the barrel, about the 
 "Saints lookin^ over the battlements of Heaven and rejoicing 
 to see the greater portion of mankind undergoing the tor- 
 ments of perdition." "Such a thing," says he, "would be ab- 
 solutely impossible for a civilized human being." Let us ex- 
 amine this statement a little. There are, according to the lat- 
 est prison bulletins, about eighty-two thousand human be- 
 ings confined in the various penal institutions, jails and re- 
 formatories in the United Sates, all subjected to more or less 
 punishment, yet the rest of the sixty-two millions of people 
 (Mr. Ingersoll included), being conscious of this fact, seem 
 to get a liberal share of joy and satisfaction out of the situa- 
 tion. Fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, 
 lovers and sweethearts patronize the ball-room, theater, circus, 
 state and county fairs and other places of amusement, and. 
 despite the fact that some one near and dear to them is lan- 
 guishing in prison (in torment), seem to enjoy themselves im- 
 mensely notwithstanding. Now then, if people can become so 
 steeped in the venalities of this world to forget, for the time 
 being, the sufferings of their dear ones, it is quite probable 
 (certainly possible) they will be able, when experiencing the 
 delights of Heaven, to do so on the other side of Jordan. 
 
 Again we are told that the Bible is full of contradictions, 
 and that the road leading to perdition is well lubricated so as 
 to accelerate our movements in that direction. As to the first, 
 I have to say that the discrepancies found in the Bible are 
 due to the Devil, not God. I believe the Bible is as much the 
 work of the former as it is the word of the latter ; that the 
 prophets and sacred writers often mistook the voice of Satan 
 for that of Jehovah. God admonishes us to "Turn ye, turn 
 ye, Oh house of Israel, for why will ye die?" while the Devil 
 commands us tx> "Go* in, slay old and young; spare not one 
 alive." As to the slippery road, I must say that I found it 
 heavily sanded, and covered with such obstructions as honor- 
 able desires, worthy purposes, lofty ambitions, the up"aised 
 
KxrniNG DAYS AND DARING DKKDS 253 
 
 hands of little children, the pleadings of sisters, the friendship 
 of brothers, the entreaties of wives, the counsel of father, the 
 prayers of dear mother and the eternal love of my blessed 
 Savior. Sam Jones says, "There is but one road, one end of 
 which enters Hell and the other Heaven." I have traveled in 
 both directions, and, at first, found progress Heavenward fully 
 as difficult as the opposite course. 
 
 When I gave my heart to God I thought I would have 
 nothing further to do but serenely sail into the glory on 
 "flowery beds of ease" ; but I was sadly mistaken, for, at first, 
 I met at every turn in the road with new and terrible diffi- 
 culties. Temptations, to which I have already alluded, beset 
 me on every hand; I felt morose and suspicious and suspected 
 that everybody was trying to injure me ; and the many little 
 kindnesses bestowed on me by sympathizing friends were at- 
 tributed to sinister motives ; besides the more I read and the 
 harder I studied the more my mind became imbued with doubt 
 and skepticism. At times I seemed to lose sight of the prom-, 
 ises of God, and the consciousness of the drawings of His 
 holy Spirit, and gave myself up to feelings of vengeance, dis- 
 trust and even hatred toward my fellow man. I laughed at 
 the idea of an "immaculate conception," and seriously ques- 
 tioned the genuineness of miracles, yet all the while believing 
 in the goodness, wisdom and power of God. . About this time, 
 1889, while so terribly wrought up by these matters, I hap- 
 pened, providentially, no doubt, to get hold of a magazine 
 containing one of Professor Huxley's masterful arguments, in 
 which he said : "From all I know of physiological and patho- 
 logical science, I find nothing in the story of the conception 
 and birth of Christ, as related by Mark, that contravenes 
 probability." This remarkable concession, by the leading sci- 
 entist of the day, relieved my mind very much, and I said, 
 "This intellectual giant having virtually admitted that Christ 
 is the son of God, then why should I longer entertain doubt 
 as to His divine origin?" A few days later Mrs. Crosley sent 
 me a copy of "Robert Elsmer," with the request that I should 
 "carefully and prayerfully read it through." I had read many 
 adverse criticisms on this book, emanating from the clergy, 
 therefore, I never read any work with deeper interest, or with 
 greater determination to comprehend its meaning. I returned 
 the book with a note stating I heartily and cheerfully sub- 
 scribed to the "New Brotherhood," the motto being: "In thee, 
 oh eternal, have I put my trust: this do in remembrance of 
 me." The more I studied over this book the more thoroughly 
 I became convinced that "Robert Elsmere" had failed in his 
 purpose. With all his love and eloquence he could not shake 
 the faith of the sweet, the pure and devoted Catherine, who 
 
254 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 said, "I will never give up hope ; I will pray for you (Robert) 
 night and day. God will bring you back." Assailing Cather- 
 ine with skeptical philosophy of himself and friends, together 
 with the sophistry of Squire Wendover, and a strong appeal 
 to her love for him,, Robert succeeded only in wringing from 
 her heart this concession : "I will learn to hear the two voices, 
 the voice that speaks to you and the voice that speaks to me." 
 
 "Robert Elsmer" declares that Christ is merely a "sym- 
 bol," and that a miracle is a "natural product of human feeling 
 and imagination." Yet he allows his imagination to clothe 
 Christ ("a being composed of ordinary flesh and properties") 
 with attributes that, admitting Him to be only human, resolve 
 themselves into a more stupendous miracle than any ascribed 
 to our Savior. I read another paper from the pen of Professor 
 (Huxley, in which he, in speaking of one of Christ's miracles, 
 says, "There are physical things, such as taenia and trichinae, 
 which can be transferred from man to pigs and vice versa, and 
 which do, undoubtedly, produce most diabolical and deadly 
 effects on both. For anything I can absolutely prove to the 
 contrary there may be spiritual things capable of the same 
 transmigration, with like effects * * * so I declare that I 
 am unable to show cause why these transferable devils should 
 not exist." The reading of "Robert Elsmer" and Professor 
 Huxley's articles removed all doubts as to the incarnation, 
 resurrection and miracles of Christ, therefore, the transition 
 from a physical to a spiritual faith was sudden and decided. 
 Here then we have an instance of pernicious literature (so 
 called) working a miracle in the life of a so-called "very bad 
 man" "to the pure in heart all things are pure," and "to him 
 that esteemeth a thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." 
 Having once for all made this transition from evil thoughts and 
 malicious purposes to worthy ambitions and holy desires, my 
 life became calm and less easily disturbed by outward circum- 
 stances. Occurrences that once set my brain in a whirl of 
 excitement, now pass me almost daily without affecting me 
 in the least, except to arouse my sympathy for, and desire to 
 help, others to correct their errors. The enemy of my soul no 
 longer has any power over me, and when he does appear for a 
 moment with his winsome ways and beguiling smiles, I only 
 need to breathe the Lord's name to banish him from my pres- 
 ence. 
 
 Men of superior intelligence ridicule the idea that invis- 
 ible spirits have anything to do with the good or bad actions 
 of men, yet they are unable to otherwise account for the 
 righteousness and wickedness surrounding them. I believe, 
 unqualifiedly, in a personal God and a personal Devil, and by 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DAR.NC DEEDS 255 
 
 cultivating, or encouraging, the latter I could keep him con- 
 stantly at my side, just as easily as I now, through prayer, 
 dwell in the presence and love of my Savior. I know that God 
 is pained when He sees men exercise themselves in treachery, 
 deceit, malice, revenge, intemperance or any other hurtful vice, 
 but pleased when they deal in justice, sincerity, friendship, be- 
 nevolence, love and all helpful virtues ; while the Devil de- 
 lights to have them practice the former, and roars with rage 
 if they do not omit the latter. 
 
 There is a dual existence in the world all nature cries 
 aloud. The earth has its centripetal and centrifugal forces. 
 God sends the sunshine and the rain to fill the land with fruit 
 and verdure for man's use, while the Kansas cyclone, the 
 furious breath of the Devil, sweeps across the country, par- 
 tially destroying everything in its course. This leads me to 
 declare that I firmly believe, not in one, but in two trinities: 
 "God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; God Satan, Devil and 
 Beelzebub" ; both infinite in their purposes. They are coeval, 
 co-existent, co-eternal and co-equal in power and wisdom. The 
 one cannot destroy the other, but men, by co-operating with 
 either, can raise to the throne of grace or descend to the pits 
 of torment. They worked harmoniously together in the crea- 
 tion of this planet and its manifold species of vegetable and 
 animal life, on up to the entrance of Adam and Eve into the 
 Garden of Eden. Here a controversy arose between them as 
 to the disposition of their crowning work Man. Having cre- 
 ated man in their own "image" (which implies the power of 
 choice), they could not deprive him of the right to choose 
 whom he would serve, and not being able to amicably settle 
 the dispute, they mutually agreed to separate, and, leaving 
 man in his original state, made an interchange of attributes, 
 God assuming all that was pure and elevating, conceding to 
 Satan all that was vile and debasing. God said, "I will win 
 man to my standing and by my manifestations of love, kind- 
 ness, gentleness, patience and the assurance of a home in 
 glory." Satan replied: "I shall induce him to follow me by 
 direct appeals to his animal passions, and a guarantee to make 
 him a conspicuous figure in my kingdom." The lines being 
 thus drawn the struggle for supremacy for man's favor be- 
 gun, which reached its maximum intensity during the latter 
 part of the century preceding the birth of Christ. Since that 
 time the world has steadily grown better and more beauti- 
 ful. Famines, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and the 
 scourges of other devastating elements have been less fre- 
 quent, and the people are learning (through arbitration) to 
 "beat their weapons of war into plowshares and pruning 
 
256 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WELLS 
 
 hooks/' thus showing that if Satan was a long time in making 
 up his mind to dissolve partnership with God, he is equally 
 slow about concluding to resume the old relations. There- 
 fore, I conclude that hell may continue to exist for some thou- 
 sand years, but it and death will finally be swallowed up in 
 victory as Christ said they would, when Satan's abode will be 
 turned into a vast bakeshop, from whence the sweetest of 
 bread will come to feed the millions of the redeemed and 
 purified. 
 
 Elsewhere I have given an account of the "cowboy" and 
 the origin of the "Maverick," and a description of its disposi- 
 tion. The world, as I see it, is a vast stock range, and the 
 people are cattle on a thousand hills and valleys, and are con- 
 tinually being "rounded up" and driven into the corrals of the 
 two great cattle kings God and Satan. Those who will not 
 accept God's mercy, and are indifferent to the hardships that 
 Satan imposes upon them, are the "Mavericks," and must, 
 sooner or later, run the gauntlet of the invincible "cowboys" 
 with their long lariats. Satan has his headquarters in the 
 breweries and distilleries and obtains his "cowboys" from the 
 saloons, brothels and dens of vice. They are provided with 
 swift, black horses and strong lariats, the strands of which are 
 treachery, deceit, licentiousness, intemperance, lust, envyings, 
 vile thoughts and hatred. God has his headquarters in the 
 tabernacles and churches, and secures recruits for his band of 
 vaqueroes from the school houses and Sunday schools. These 
 are furnished with fleet-footed white horses and stout lassoes, 
 the strands of which are honor, righteousness, temperance, 
 justice, charity, patience, kindness and love. Out west the 
 quadruped "Maverick" sometimes escaped the cowboys by 
 slipping into the bushes where the lasso could not be used, 
 but the elusion was only temporary, for if he escaped in the 
 spring he would be caught at the fall "round up" and, having 
 the hot iron pressed to his tender skin, was no longer a "Mav- 
 erick," but the legitimate property of Jones or Johnson. Just 
 so with the biped "Maverick," who sometimes eludes Satan's 
 cowboys by attending church and Sunday school, or by enter- 
 ing dens of vice where the Lord's vaqueroes cannot reach him. 
 But occasionally one ventures out on the plain, between the 
 heights of purity and the depths of corruption ; then the black 
 horse and the white horse riders St. John saw two such rid- 
 ers on a similar mission make a rush for him. The "Maver- 
 ick" runs this way and that, first giving the advantage to the 
 black, and then to the white horse riders, then running straight 
 ahead, he enters a parte-colored throng and escapes for the 
 time being. Another comes out on the plain and is lassoed by 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DKMDS -j.-)7 
 
 the black horse cowboys, who drag him to the snubbing-post, 
 where they burn into his heart Satan's initial letters, "C. & 
 L." condemned and lost. Still another ventures upon the 
 plain and the eager cowboys, one party flushed with victory 
 and the other stimulated by defeat, make a simultaneous dash 
 for him. He dodges to the right and to the left, then makes a 
 straight cut for the parte-colored throng (a conglomeration 
 of sinners, hypocrites, infidels, Christians and the self-right- 
 eous). Another moment and he is safe. The black horse 
 riders stab their panting steeds with the spurs of despair, while 
 the white horse cowboys ply the quirts of encouragement to 
 the sides of their flying ponies. One more leap and he is out 
 of reach ; but hold, there ! A dozen lassoes hiss through the 
 air, the loop of one of them encircles the neck of the fleeing 
 "Maverick," and a white horse cowboy claims the prize, which 
 is led away to the snubbing-post, where it is branded in the 
 forehead with the large initial letters, "F. & S." forgiven and 
 saved. Then the celestial hosts stand still while the victorious 
 cowboys send up a shout to the throne of God : ''There is more 
 joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth than ninety and 
 nine just men who need no repentance." 
 
 This exposition of the biped "Maverick" may seem some- 
 what metaphorical, yet it is a literal experience in my own life, 
 for Mesdames Deomude, Crosley and Smith chased me over 
 the mountains of obtuseness and silly pride, up and down the 
 valleys of despondency and desperation, and finally surround- 
 ed me on the great plain of hope, and, dexterously slipping the 
 noose of their Master's lariat over my head, led me away in 
 triumph to the foot of the cross, where I heard the joyful 
 words, "Come ye, blessed of my father, where I a,m there shalt 
 thou be also" hence I am no longer a "Maverick," but an 
 heir of God and a joint heir with the Lord Jesus Christ. These 
 blessed angels of love and mercy are doing for others what 
 they have done for me, thereby adding jewels to the crowns 
 that are being prepared for them in the land of glory where 
 they shall hear the glad approval: "Well done, thou good and 
 faithful servants, enter ye into the presence of thy Lord." 
 
 Before my conversion, when hearing people in prayer 
 meeting testify that God had forgiven them I wondered how 
 this information reached them ; but now the manner in which 
 consciousness of forgiveness is manifested is perfectly compre- 
 hensible, and for the benefit of those who are similarly per- 
 plexed I will state how the knowledge of full and free for- 
 giveness came to me. I first cultivated a desire for purity, 
 goodness and peacefulness, but, trusting in my own strength 
 and wisdom to reach this state, found I was still unforgiven. 
 
258 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF POLK WKI.LS 
 
 Then I began praying to God to put me in a proper mood to 
 receive his grace and smiles. Night and morning I knelt be- 
 side my cot and asked Heavenly guidance, and besought 
 Christ to take complete possession of my soul and free it from 
 every form of atheism, impiety and hypocrisy ; that he would 
 help me to be faithful in the discharge of my duties, to be re- 
 spectful and obedient to the powers that be; that he would 
 help me to refrain from calumny, detraction, deceit, envy, 
 fraud, hatred, lying and ingratitude ; that he would assist me 
 to be sincere in friendship and watchful against pride and 
 anger; that he would fill my heart with kindliness and benev- 
 olence, with tenderness for the weak, with respect and gentle- 
 ness toward the aged and infirm ; that he would aid me in 
 cultivating frankness, cheerfulness and to be ready at all times 
 to rejoice in the good of others, and to have pity and compas- 
 sion on the unfortunate; that he would constantly remain at 
 my side, guiding me in the way of honor, sobriety, innocence 
 and goodness, and make me truly virtuous and magnanimous, 
 and ready to forgive my enemies (if any exist) as willing to 
 accept forgiveness for myself. All of this the dear Lord has 
 done for me, and the last unclean spirit to come forth from my 
 heart was the demon, vengeance. The latter being utterly cast 
 out, I felt that the Son had indeed "set me free" and would to 
 God that all men were as I am, except these stripes and being 
 bound by the law. There is not a person so mean that I would 
 hesitate to enter the flames of Hell to assist in making an es- 
 cape from Satan ; there is not one so vile that I would not give 
 him my hand and help him to raise to a higher plane of life ; 
 there is not a person anywhere against whom I have the slight- 
 est ill feeling. To adore the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is the 
 height of my ambition ; to treat my fellow-men with respect 
 and kindness is my miission ; therefore I know, for certainty, 
 that I am a forgiven, redeemed man ; a "brand plucked from 
 the burning," and a witness to the power of the regenerated 
 influence eminating from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If 
 there were a mountain of doubt as to the genuineness of mir- 
 acles, this transformation of my character would be sufficient 
 to remove it and cast it into the sea of nothingness he who 
 can, in sincerity and truth, make a declaration like the above, 
 
EXCITING DAYS AND DARING DEEDS 259 
 
 may know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is a redeemed 
 soul, "washed clean in the blood of the Lamb." 
 
 In conclusion, and as typical of my return to my mother's 
 God, I will present the following beautiful lines : "Reclaimed," 
 by Susie M. Best, Cincinnati, Ohio. 
 
 "I have grasped in the blackness of darkness, 
 
 I have scoffed at my early belief, 
 I have felt all my faith go to pieces 
 
 Like a vessel that's wrecked on a reef. 
 
 I have mocked at the scriptural teachings, 
 
 And flung them as fables aside, 
 The truth of miraculous marvels, 
 
 My lips have boldly denied. 
 
 I have labored with abstruse questions, 
 
 And vexed my spirit for naught, 
 For in all the lore of the ages 
 
 I have found not the solace I sought. 
 
 I have wandered far off in the highway, 
 
 And swore I would never return ; 
 But back like a suppliant stealing 
 
 The fold I am glad to discern. 
 
 All else but the fond faith of childhood 
 
 Is ruin and ashes I know, 
 And so I am once more praying 
 
 The prayers that I lisped long ago." 
 
I U 
 
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