The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-03-10
NEW NORTH-WEST
,EHr LODGE CITY, FRIDAY. MARCH 10
"1He E,'i=-ly Papers,"



A mountain ,rai!-a narrow, tor'uous.
difficult path. Two miners. with their cs-
ia,cs tied up in ropes and slung across their
hacks. scrambl;ag YEARLY w il. Ju.. ut
the sicepest part, The foremost halted short,
turned about, deliberately unsiuns his
pack, sat down upon u and sighed. As he
looked across the green expansc of the val.
ley below. 10 the brown majesty Of tho op.
posite mountain range, and over ii:o the
fa,hom,ess ethcr beyond, Look not Of
earth crcp. into his eyes. informing his face
with something or the glory of the Trans.
fsura!on. lis com, anton, rough and hard
though he Was, observed the change and
appeared TO Eavc some vague and imrcr-
feet IDEA Of its nature for without word.
lie grounded Lis own luggage and sat him.
tc!f thoughtfu!ly upon rock. For some
time the two maintained silence which
was intensified rather than broken by TIE
Just dis,ingu;slah!c murmIr Of the river
thousand fec. below. The wind whispered
i,s eternal secret to the pines. and the sun,
flaming grandly above, flung wave after
wave Of light against the hills, which sent
lack faint ru!sslions Of hcs., as il were IN
echo
"Ji:.".-nni tic voice OF the miner was
chokcd AID husky, AS if troubled in lis low
cr depths hy some struggling emotion
Jim. We two'vc Eccn good friemds-ain't
wei"
Whether il was because lie did not thor.
orghly know what was coming. anl 50 dc.
ciincl To commit himself, or whether he
had d. !icutc consciousness that to reply
to suc!. question would imply 4 l.iscon-
strucl;on Of lis rury):;, Jim maintained
grave silence, merely sLift:ng lis great
hands alternately, The one above the ether,
uroa the vertical handle Of his pick The
uncertain light in the eyes Of the speaker
grew hy inpcrcept;hlc degrees into posi-.
tive gcam Of intense forging, rs he con.
tnuci:
Jim. I'm no, Teller TO ask f.vcrs: you
know that. LIVER since we two'vc been
partners. you've never knowd INC to gita
man 70 hold NY dust while attended TO
the cards, without NY bcin willn' to hold
h;s'n the same Now, rardner, I feel that
caa; drift. no further on this level, and
guess I've go! TO 50 down lower. El. fore
go, want you 10 tell me. honest, who
Twas shot nc that night q: the JandHngo
over 10 Spanish Camp. The thought that
l was fired into by some stranger who
wasn't a.takin' no hand, and come near
havin' my light sy,tfcd out by some one
Inbcknowns to me, is not good thought
TO de on. When get down yOnder, and
they ask ne who made this yer hole in yer
tack |! Ia like 10 tell en-, SOY they could
spo, him wien he comes 'Tain't TO case
for human justice: wo haven got no,hn'
invented yet ash DO it right to him. And
Jim, cont you never 60 for him yourself ::
that mans too mean for killen." The dy
Ing man ceased, hut Jim bowed his head
lower and lower over the PICK. handle in
silence, and seemed struggling to suppress
sob. Finally he asked; in IN almost in
audible tone:
bib, are you quite sure you're a-p!syia'
on, fast!
I'm collin up my RATA. jim"
GLOW long mout You las. YET? ~
mot mcrr'n ten minutes at the outside"
Jim Strengthened himself up On bis rock
with jerk:
"Bill, won't never get after that fellcr-
leastways, not till commit suicide. Itired
that shot that's a.doin' for YOU" Then,
half apo!ogctical!y II didn't know you
then. Bill, or ! shouldn't u shot without
singin' out to you That WIS on IT,"
That extremely moribund miner rose TO
his feet. more properly, there was vast
upheaval of his frame. which seemed to ex.
pnnd ut every point as it finally lowered
soft like blasted cedar:
"Jim." lie famed out, boards fair
play; and ever since We two've been purd.
ners you never knowcd me 10 take back a
curd. Ent in saying what did about hu.
man justice, l throwd away queen when
/ knowcd held bower. jim, take back
that play: I'm: after your scalp, pard"er Nv
The spot is still pointed out ~ tie tray
elcr