Old Times in the Black Hills 
out from the post to spy upon their move- 
ments. As I rode into camp I noticed they 
were just finishing supper. During the argu- 
ment that followed my arrival and proposition 
to join them, I observed a large, powerfully 
built man, dressed in buckskin, seated apart 
from the rest. He was eating the meat from a 
section of ribs he had scraped out from among 
the coals and ashes. He took no part in the 
conversation until, in answer to a question, | 
stated that I was a Kentuckian. At this he 
rose and settled the matter by saying that if 
I was a Kentuckian he would vouch for my 
honesty of purpose, and that I would stand 
fire in the scrimmages that we were certain to 
have with the Sioux. This was California Joe, 
who for years had been chief of scouts with 
General Custer. He afterward informed me 
that he was from near Danville, Kentucky, 
that his name was Mose Milner, and that he 
had gone West in the forties. I mention this 
from the fact that I have since read an account 
referring to him as one of the most noted 
characters in the West, whose life was sur- 
rounded by mystery, as he always refused to 
tell his real name or whence he came. 
15 
