Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-12-10
THE TRAGEDY OF MISERY FLAT
A Black Hills Romance.

Heavy laden clouds hung round
the rocky and broken heads of the
cluster of mountains around Har-
ney's Peak, and the sun shone only
now and then through a narrow rift
in the vaporry clouds that hung low
er down, embracing the tree tops,
and at times enveloping the scene in
a dense mass of damp fog. Again,
it would lift, and a struggling beam
of sunlight would steal between the
cloud and fog, and the gray noun
tain side, and halo the scene like
bonison.
Great drops of water shone upon
the grass and many-tinted flowers
like diamonds; and the robins and
mocking- birds made a joyous echo
in shaded nook close by. A small
rivulet of ice cool water made its
musical way into French Greek, five
miles below, and served at this beau
tiful spot to furnish drink for five
two men, two ponies, and Mexican
"boro" or ass. The three animals
cropped the rich June grass most
eagerly, as if conscious that there
was work ahead. A small fire of
pine limbs was burning, and over it
sat coffeepot, while one of the men
was cutting slices of bacon with a
nuge knife, as sharp and. as muder
Gus looking as himself. The other
Law in the wet bundle of blankets
near the fire, and frequently gave
vent to groans and smothered male
dictions at things real and imagina-
ry.
The former, with stolid look on
his heavily bearded face, gave an
occasional solicitous look in the di-
rection of his partner; and, as he
stuck a forked stick through his
slice of bacon, he soliloquized: NTher
amt no use for me to roast this fur
Jack! he hain't eat nothin' ever since
we got to the settlements. He's just
been and soaked his skin until now
he's going to hev them jimjams, sar-
tain. l say, Jack, old pard!"-as he
spoke look of womanly kindness lit
up his sternly stolid face, marred by
a heavenly scar that traversed his
left cheek and hose to its base, and
gave him a singularly forbidding as
pect when he attempted TO smile
''I say, Jack, wake up, old man, and
take cup of this strong coffee
won't yer" Coaxingly-"Come now,
yer Jest as limpsy as a baby" hecOn-
tlnued he, as he raised the blankets
where lay young man of about %
years, with heavy dark hair, brow
wide and smooth, but eyes sunken
and bloodshot; while the lower face
had a bloated and brutal appearance
denoting an easy victim to any weak
ness. He rolled over with a groan,
and raised himself with an effort up
on his elbow and huskily said, F'That
you Bill? Pve been having awful
dreams, and my throat is parched
like an alkali patch; give me drink
of that devils dew-drop,' quick now,
Pm choking"
"No, 1 WON'T" the other replied in
an obstinate tone. You've had too
much devils dew-drop, 'and here you
are going to hell as fast as that drop
will take ye; and ye won't drink
any coffee nor eat nothin', no way.
Come, now, jack" he continued, in
pleading way, stake cup of coffee
and some bread. OF pard, chuck
this inside O. yer, and then I'll give
ye a drink" 81
The other staggered to his feet
with deadly curse upon his lips.
"Whele's that whisky?" he yelled;
'tI'll have it or die! Bill, confound
your internal dirty carcass, do you
mean it?''
eyes, that's ther lead I'm pintin'
for, Jack. Now, amt this a purity
lay out for cbums as lived like sis
through blood and starvation, and
you keeping straight on making
grub stake for that girl in Missouri,
and now, as soon as we've left Mon
tana and got where ye can git pisen,
We make a mean skunk of Digger
out of yourself. Yer a purity pet for
yer mother now, you are! The only
way ter save yer life is spiliing Of
this tarantulaljuice, and we can't git
any more short of Cheyenne"
I The other staggered towards him
and attempted to wrest the key out
of his hands, but Bill took him by
the arms and sat him down by the
fire like baby, and minded not IN
the least the torrent of abuse that
proceeded from his lips. Jack, pros
trated nv his eXertion. began to