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William T. Cox's
“ T H E    H O D A G    A N D   O T H E R   T A L E S    O F   T H E   L O G G I N G   C A M P S ”
(  90th  A N N I V E R S A R Y    H Y P E R T E X T   E D I T I O N  )
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the lariat away from the engine and slipped the noose off the rock. Having rolled my trusty lariat up into a coil, I started down the track towards Bozeman, paying no attention to the fleshy woman, who was showering me profusely with thanks, for having saved her child.
    I was in a daze and my body ached all over from the many bruises I had received. ‘Well’, I thought, ‘I must brace up.’ I was alive and I still had part of my wonderful lariat, with the aid of which, I had saved the life of the child. Of course, one hundred and seventy-six politicians had paid with their lives and perhaps there had been some good men among them. I suppose that was the law of average, the innocent must always suffer with the guilty. On the other hand, I may have saved my government millions by ridding it of those parasites so that they could not rob the government of mineral sites, coal fields and oil properties.
    I stumbled along for quite a distance, when I suddenly met a great throng of Bozeman people, headed by the mayor of the city. In some way, they had found out about the wreck and were on their way to view it. Some of them x
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were kind in assisting me to the hotel, where I received medical aid and was put to bed. I slept until the next morning, I was so tired out from my experience. Although I was stiff and sore, I was able to get up and dress.
    When I went downstairs, I found a group of the people of Bozeman waiting for an in-terview. Included in this group were the mayor and two high officials of the Northern and Pacific Railroad. The details of the happenings of that day and the honors which were bestowed upon me would take too much time to tell. As you know, I am a modest man, the applause of the public and being in the lime light having no appeals for me. I had done my duty as I saw it.
    After I had told my version of the wreck, the mayor asked me if there was anything more I could add. I told him that the only thing was that I had saved the child but had killed one hundred and seventy-six men but aside from that last, everything was all right.
    An official of the Northern and Pacific Railroad gave me an honorary pass, which was really an international pass on air, land and water for life. That very night, I took x
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