Rescue of Big Jack Small.

Otago Witness, Issue 1241, 11 September 1875, Page 20

Rescue of Big Jack Small.

The camp to which Big Jack Small's freight was consigned was a new one, and of course the last days of the trip led the team over newly-broken roads, which fact increased the labour of Mr Small, and gave his face and language a somewhat serious expression. During the last day's drive before coming to camp, the road was particularly uneven, and on the down - grade, causing the long, high waggon-boxes to reel to and fro like boats at sea. Often the waggons, despite the strong friction of the howling brakes, pressed upon the cattle and crowded them upon each other. Then, again, the hindmost waggon, in making a turn, encroached so far upon the inner side of the circle that the brake must be let go to avoid sliding further and overturning, as a rolling wheel slides less than a wheel which is locked.

On one of these sideling turns, on the brink of a shallow, dry water-wash, Mr Small was compelled to stop his team to prevent the overthrow of the rear waggon. As he proceeded to release the brakej which on this particular waggon had its lever low down and between the forward and hind wheel, the wheels from the move they made after being released, settled the waggon just a little, but far enough in its nearly poised position to turn it over suddenly, before Mr Small could fly for safety.

Mr Sighal had been anxiously and prayerfully observing, from the rear of the train, the attitude of things. He heard a sudden shout, a crash, and then all was silent and Jack Small invisible. The unconscious cattle stood quietly in the yoke ; Mr Sighal ran wildly from one side of the waggon to the other, endeavouring to discover some clue to Mr Small, while the Indian walked gravely up from the head of the team, where he had been stationed to keep it in check, and stolidly observed, pointing to the prostrate waggon : —

" Ugh ! one urn waggon heap ketch up Big Jack ! "

Mr Sighal looked in the imperturbable face of the Indian, the Indian looked in the face of Mr Sighal, and they both

looked' at'ttfe waggon. : tfheri the l lndian sat down on the hillside, and Mr Sighal stood pale and sad, turning his hands nervously through _ each other, vainly trying to determine what to do next. Suddenly he called the Indian, .and began actively unloadingthe unfortunate waggon, with the intention, as he afterwards" ekr plained, of iiftirig.it back by hand"; which feat, considering its great size and weight, wasaboutas far beyond the available power there present as to life the_ whole load. ' While thus fiercely engaged, and iirging the Indian to increased exertion in the same direction, he heard a voice as of one crying from the depths :— ' " Hullo, parson !" " Oh, thank G..d, my dear, Mr' Small, you're still alive ?" ' '„ " Yes, sir. I hain't dead yit." ' „ '. , "Are you seriously injured ? ' And' do tell me whac to do, Mr Small. " '"' ,' "Guess not. I'm down yere/in tlg% holler ; but it's mighty close quarters^ like a h'shin' worm under a board. ll ,*'Ef the waggon-box don't settle down on hie,' I reckon I'm about ,all right. ' \Vhat're doin', parson 1 " . ' " Unloading the waggon, Mr Small." '". l \ That hain't no use. Git the cbuplin' chains from the other waggon — but chock' the wheels fust—pass 'em round the box from end to end, 'bout quarter way down from the top, then bring the ends together on the side of the box. Savvey V "I hope I do, Mr Small." ' ' "Then take five yoke b' cattle and another chain — an extra chain, niofe'n ,what would do to hitch for common with —drive the cattle round to the other side o' the waggon, an' p'ini 'em straight acroas from the road ; hitch that extry chainto the chain on the waggon, then hitch, the, Seattle's chain to the extry'cha'ri.' Savvey?" L " I think ,l,do, -Mr Small." ' v ' | " When yer git that, done, holler to me. I Don't hurry!' Work right .ahead' as though •there wasn't nothin' wrong. ' * " . ' The parson conscientiously, yet with' much misgiving, went about his task, and when all was ready, and the cattle sprung, out at right angles with the road, he stepped up to the prostrate 'waggon, and^ turning as one listens down a well^ he' shouted :—: — "Mr Small." , "Hulloo." " I believe I've done as you told, me.!' " Got everything hitched strong>Don't want no slips in this game, yer know ! 'Cause ef this waggon-box slip*3 mpch,' you'll have a mighty flat corpse-tp "preach a funeral on ! " - ' ! , "Oh, dear, dear! Mr Small Y" ex.-,, claimed the parson, vexed and horrified. "What next shall I do?" , ' /. "Give Gov a strong bar'l, ef, yer can git one, or git a big stone ef yer can't gitj", no bar'l, an' place itto the-.edge'of thp;. waggon-box,; ,so ,'at. he, kin put it undjsVi when the cattle lift it. Savvey !.!',, - fft' t " Yes, sir. Alldone, Mr Small. 11 " ■> '{ ' "Now, -then, start .up the cattle, and;: keep 'em to it when they starts An' Gqy, you lookout and help up fix. *' ; ,V .„'<•' .;' r i "Yesh, me sayvey," Baid ,the Indian, ' taking his position, while Mr '.Sighal ' gathered to himself the terrible "whip, and", proceeded to try his powers in a Vote in .. which he had faint hopes of success. He swung the whip round his head, bringing the heavy lash with a rake like ; that of a dull rasp across his own necki and shouted at the cattle. Slowly they tightened nthe chains, and then stood in the pulling, a'tr*, tit ode ; but .pulling not, oneipoundinore .' than just enough, to stretch the .chains,-^ ri Oxen which will pull true euough in the i beaten track, have doubts across country through the brush. >• „ . "Get up! Gee!" shouted ■, the Rev. r . Mr Sighal at the top of his voice, and trying in vain to jerk an explosion outiof „-- the great whip, as he had seen : 3 Mr, Small do. "Get up! Gee! Go 'long." And then, seeing himself unsuccessful; and be-. : coming heated with the exertion, , he/ j added, by way of terror to the. cattle, ', "Confound you. 1 Get up.'"- Still- the/ waggon-box lay flat on .the top, of Mr,.( Small. , -. Hearing a continued rattle ot chains, ;, and much shouting, with no apparent re-. ■ suit, Mr Small called :-r- . „,- . . ,-, " Huilo, Parson ! " - , „.„•, "Sir." " What's the matter ? " " The cattle can't draw it, Mr Small/ replied the parson, sadly. " Can't draw it ! Go for 'em with the brad, an' cuss 'em ! They kin pull it easy • enough." " Curse them, Mr Small ? " cried the . parson, in a voice of impressive solemnity. ' * " Yes; cuss 'em ! " shouted Mr Small. .> ' ' I wish I was out there. " "Mr Small, don't swear needlessly. , This is an occasion of life and death," . said the parson, desisting from his efforts at urging the cattle, whereat he had grown , hot and red, excited and vexed. „■ "Well, well, don't fret, parson. Better .j men than me ha' died in a. better cause. Write a note an' send it down to camp by, the Injun— the boys will come up and git <_ me out, alive or dead." , >...,;} ... { ' Do you think me weak or impractical; . . Mr Small," replied Mr ' Sighal, • with $,"• •, determined ring in his vpice. ,>"-Tell mei:.what to do, and I will do. it, God being judge of my intentions." <_[, " Can you cuss, parson ?" . , -.1 J'\ "It is many years since I uttered an< ! oath of profauity. What is it I am/t0,.do 1 " asked the parson, sternly."Go round to them cattle, commence' ■ on the leaders, an' brad 'em all with that tsteel m the end of the whip-stock^-the* - way you've seen mejdo it; then raise the' whip above your head, start 'em, on the' gee pull an' just lay your head back and cuss as loud an' strong as youcan ßoller -?*«, The Rev. Mr Sighal went round to

"them cattle." There was audible to Mr Small's ears a hustling of ox feet upon the earth, a creaking of ox bows, mixed with an occasional short bawl ; then the sound of the parson's voice elevated with great vehemence — and the waggon slowly arose enough to permit Mr Small to crawl out into the free air. The parson was still shouting at the straining cattle, when Mr Small limped quickly to where he stood, and taking the whip from him with one Band, extended the other, which Mr Signal grasped in both of his, and turning his eyes, now full of tears, toward heaven, eloquently thanked God for His great mercy in the preservation of a life which he hoped might yet be dedicated to good and holy works. " Thank ye, parson." said Big Jack, as he dropped his hand and turned to the cattle ; " you're a good one — thar ain't no go back to you." And then, easing the cattle from the pull, he said :—": — " Parson, when I marry that solid, square-built gal, you shall do the ceremony ef it costs me a thousand dollars to fetch yer where I am." "AhjfMr Small, this lesson should teach ive know not what a day may bring forth." " Well, we'll take the chances, anyway,, parson." What language the Rev. Mr Sighal used to the'cattle is not reported by Mr Small ; the Indian being accustomed to much he does not uuder3tand, made no note of it ; and the wide, gray silence of the desert is no babbler.