DONKEY IN THE STRAW ~~~ Saga of the Sanpitch ~~~ 1974

  Git up here, you stubborn, lop-eared jackass, you,‖ a hoarse, half-whispered command forced its way out through clenched teeth as Will Arthur Cox tugged on the rope in an effort to get the donkey up on top of the straw stack. The object of this indignity was the property of a would-be suitor who had traveled from Nephi to court some young Manti girl. This night he had chosen to heap his attentions on one of the Cox sisters, but their mothers had decided that they would all be favored, and they had spent most of the afternoon trying to make themselves the most attractive. 

Ed‘s toes dragged along on the ground as he rode toward the younger sisters who stood watching him close the gap between them. Of course, the older ones busied themselves nonchalantly about the dooryard while Ed grinned broadly and waved vigorously toward them. The Indians had raided the settlement of Nephi a few nights before and had run all their livestock off. This donkey came wandering home the next day so, because it was the only transportation available, he rode it to Manti. He arrived in time to help with the evening chores before supper and had earned the wholehearted approval of the four wives of Father Cox.

 He planned to sleep with the Barn Crowd in the ―Old Cox Barn‖ for a couple of nights before returning experiences on his trip to Nephi, but now he was the center of a spellbound audience as he told of his experiences on his trip to the Missouri River for immigrants. The girls had to know what the latest fashions were. Did style call for hair piled on top of their heads or worn long? What were the latest dance steps? Could he remember the popular songs they were singing in St. Louis now? Ed told them what he had observed and then he added, ―Hell, they‘re just girls, the same as you are.‖ The girls giggled and Louisa replied, ―I‘ll wager their hands aren‘t as rough and calloused as ours are, anyway.‖ The boys had decided to play a trick on Ed because they were being to totally ignored. While he was receiving all the attention they were shoving and pulling, dragging and heaving his donkey up to the top of the straw stack by the barn. ―Black Hawk probably bribed this stupid, onery mule to return home‖ Hase Clark snorted. ―Wonder why they didn‘t kill it and be done with it.‖ 

When the donkey was up on the stack they tied it to a shed post and put and ox bow across its shoulder, then mounted a sack stuffed with straw on its back and left it for the night. Ed left the ―Big House‖ about nine o‘clock and walked quickly to the barn. He was thinking about Lavinia‘s brown eyes, Emmrette‘s tiny waist, Adelaide‘s beautiful long hair—and what a flirt Rosalia was. When he came to Manti again he would have to pay special attention to Louisa. She was quite stand-offish. Emily, Sarah Ann and Esther were really cute, but he guessed they were a little too young. As he walked into the barn a bullet was fired at a know in the rafters above him and he dropped to the floor instantly, whipping his gun out on his way down. 

Then he heard the snicker of the fellows and he moved forward to be introduced to them. There was Fred, Jr., and Will Arthur, John Hall, Ezra Shoemaker, Haslam Clark, Joe Snow, Elias DeMill, Alma Beal, William Richey, George Pectol, Titus Billings Heber Petty, Frank Beal, Gardner Snow, Luther T. Tuttle, and Andrew Van Buren. Marriage and death were the only acceptable reasons for getting out of the Barn Crowd. 

Winter and Summer they slept with their clothes on and their six-shooters strapped to their waists, ready for any emergency or duty. Will Arthur claimed he had slept in the barn for seven years.   Half past midnight they heard some cussing and swearing outside. Cautiously, Will Arthur made his way to a guard post and he saw Hebe Petty slipping and sliding up out of the creek. He had had a little too much whiskey and had slipped off the bridge into the icy water below. His clothes were frozen stiff, his teeth chattered, and he was shaking with cold. Will and Ed went after him and put him in bed between them to thaw him out. First, he was wet and miserable, then he was sick to his stomach, and then he was humble and penitent. No one got any sleep that night! 

Early in the morning, Ed went to get his donkey. No donkey! He knew it couldn‘t have gone very far because he had hobbled it when he turned it loose. He checked with the settlers close by. He looked inside the fort walls a block away. He searched through a sailor's glass (telescope), from the slate hill to the north, swinging it around slowly. Still no stray donkey! When he got back to the Cox home he asked, ―"Will, can you go with me and show me a few of the places that ornery cuss might be hid up?" Will pondered. ―"Well, I really can‘t afford the time to just go looking‘, but I‘ll tell you what I‘ll do. I‘ve got to bring a load of firewood out of the mountains today while the Indians are wintering down south. If you want to go with me, we‘ll keep a close vigil for that animal while we‘re gone."‖ ―"Well, I guess that‘s the way it‘ll have to be."
 Ed remarked. 

Late that afternoon as Will and Ed rode into the rear on top of the wood; Ed spotted the donkey up on the straw stack, silhouetted against the cold gray sky, bearing the oxbow and straw-stuffed sack valiantly. Ed turned to Will and said, ―"Will, have you known about this all day?" ―
"I can‘t honestly say I haven‘t," Will answered, ―
But I do know this, I sure got a good days work out of you while we were on the lookout for the ornery cuss , and I want to thank you".

 Ed jumped off the wood immediately and went to bring the donkey down. He found a partly filled tub of water so he knew the family was in on the trick too, or had learned about it during the day. He didn‘t stay to solicit the attention of the girls after supper, and he took the ribbing of the Barn Crowd good-naturedly, but he was gone in the morning before anyone stirred—without saying goodbye. Emily cried. She was the soft-hearted one of the family. ―"Well,  Will drawled,  
I guess we were a little rough on him. Next time I see Ed I‘ll have to apologize".

Source: Taken from an Auto-biography written by Will Arthur Cox

Norma S. Wanlass