| OCR Text |
Show 42 TALES OF THE COLORADO PIONEERS. was refreshed with food and stimulants he told his sickening story. "Three brothers set out from Illinois in a one-horse cart for the gold region. From Leavenworth they took the Smoky Hill route. Guided by incorrect ideas of the distance, they were poorly prepared for the hardships of the journey, and their provisions gave out before they were half way. They killed their horse for food and loaded their cart with it, taking time about in the harness of the slaughtered animal. It was tedious, and their strength was rapidly going. When the last piece of flesh was gone they sat down in despair to die, for they had wandered away from the trail in search of water, and had no hope of being found by a human being. One sank faster than the other, and when dying requested the surviving brothers to live upon his flesh and try to get through. He died, and they commenced their cannibalistic feast-ate the body, and again saw starvation staring them in the face. Another died, which furnished food to the remaining brother. He said he had even crushed the skull and eaten the brains. " Mr. Williams, conductor of the Express, after hearing the story, had the Indian pilot him to the spot, where he found the bones of the one who died last, and buried them. " We took the miserable famished creature in the coach to Denver. His body regained health and strength, but his mind was gone. He remained always an imbecile. The citizens of Denver made up a purse and sent him to his friends in 'the States.'" "FIRED OUT." "Speaking of coach rides," said another pioneer, "probably the most exciting, for those engaged in it, occurred |
