, 1875-10-03
4 BLACK HILLS ROMANCE,

| 4 BLACK HILLS ROMANCE.
Tho Tragedy OF Misery FInt.
Heavy leaden clouds kang round the rock,
and broken heads ct the cluster o. mountain.
around HaEney's Peak, and the Sun shone onl.
now and then through narrow rift in the va
perry clouds that hung lower down, embracing
the tree-tops, and at times enveoping the scene
in dense masB Of damp fog. Again it woult
LIT, aud struggling beam Of sunlight would
steal between the cloud and fog, and the graz
mountain side, and halo the scene like benison
Crest drops Of water shone upon the grass
| and many -tintsd flowers like diamonds snd the
robins and mocking- buds made Joyous echo
in q shaded nook close by. 4 small 1ivuIet OF
ice-cool water made it's musical way INTO French
Creek, miles below, and served at this boauti~
] ful spot to furnish drink for 1ve,-two men, two
ponies, and a Mexican "boro" or ass. The
three animals cropped the rich June graas most
| eagerly, % if conscious that there WIS work
ahead. A small fire of pine limbs Was burning,
! and over it sat cofeepot, while one OF the men
Was cutting slices OF bacon with huge knife. as
| sharp and as nurderons- looking as himself
The other lay in the vet bundle Of blankets near
the fire. and frequently gave vent to groans and
smothered maledictlone At things real and
| imaginary.
j The former, with stolid look On his heavily
[ bearded face, gave an occasional soEcitous look
in the direction Of his partner; and, Is be stuck
I . fo1ked stick through his alice OF bacon, he 60
| hloquized: "Ther amt no use fur me to roast
| this fur Jack he llain't eat nothin' ever since
| we got to the settlements. He's Jest been and
soaked his akin ontil now hes goin to hev them
| i;mtams sartin. I say, Jack, old pard "-as 10
spoke, 4 look Of womsnly kindness lit up his
sternly-stolid face, mnrred by q heavy scar that
trayereed his left cheek and his nose to its bass
and gave him aingularly forbidding aspect
when he attempted to smile. ''I say, JACK,
wake up, old man. and take 3 cup
o this strong coffee, won't yea" Coax
1ngly-" Come, NON, yer jeat Is impsy as
baby he continued, as he raised the blankets
Thete lay o young man OF about 28 years, w;kh
heavy dark hair = brow vide and smooth, but
eyes sunken and bloodshot while the lower
face had bloated and brutal appearance Edenot-
ing an easy victim to any weakness. He rolled
over with Eroan and raised himself with an ef-
fort upon his elbow. and tuslziiy said: "a That
you, Blli7 I've been having awful dreams, aud
my throat is parched like an alkai patch. Give
me- drink Of that. devils dew-drop, quick now,
I'm choking
'No, Won't, the other replied in Al obsti-
nate tone. - You've had too much devils dew
drop and hero YOU are going to he'll as fast
coffee nor eat no:hin', no way. Come, now,
Jack" he continued in pleading way, take
cup of coffee an aotne bread. or pard chuck
this inside o yer, an then III give ye drink"
The other staggered to his feet With deadly
10 Inns hat ohre
he yelled; IN have it or die! Bill, confound
your internal dirty carcass, do you mean it 7"
'sYes, that's rher lead I'm pintin' for Jack.
Now, amt this purity layout for churns as
lived Like sisters through blood an starvation.
an you keepln' straight on maxim grub stake
for that girl in Missouri, an now, as soon as
we've left Montana an git ter where ye can sit
pisen. ye make mean skunk OF . Digger ont o.
yetself. Yer purity pet for yer mother now,
you are! The only way tet save yer life il .
git any more short Of Cheyenne"
The other staggered towards him aud attempted
to wrest the key out of his hands, but Bill took
him BY the arms and sat him down by the ire
rent Of abuse chat proceeded from his Lips Jack,
prostrated with his e1ertion, began to plead and
weep, promising to stop after tho ono
drink and not drink any more; hut the other |
was inexorable, and insisted upon his eating ]
thing aud drinking the coffee. A. last Jack |
dosn a faw swallows Of coffae. but eat be- could
nor H;s cornnaninn nonred Ont a lihera1 drinI
~ np, eI s sn handsa + ~ Kim ~ sna t. VIA a1a
fn,rad ~ r:t1, A1 e,raedv ar;ditv ira Gr1nrard
tb"n br5ahtansd ",h m and lin slow1v a,a h'a I
tlea1ta4 hs I';s e;da '41 @''11 A4"1' "'' '40
Tha 1Sst H1.nbets vera dr;e7 IN tba .u, fin
:. ,,scHa3 tha twn non.aa % s,9d1a,1 ne he
nj np4u tha ~ nav nnnnrts t.hi,'@ the ~
aatoss a4 r,,assrs Fork 5na an-int- craat ~ ~
T.. T. ; G,'1cs naecanS;1o 1on Faa, ~ ro;,s
49, [aaohsa +ha c4aat 1hottom :, ~ 3aaas
i,asyyv ty fos that hnnp n sr;f.a and ,nessss
thst 3ra+ ~ In nio3in9 tr.veiars n the sT;n
.al;a ~ anr;sr;n hesa.a ths+ ,rnsa ~
Mnae ~ tue arnSa. snJ ,;ft w - faes ns
and xii III NaEther of tha tr.ve1srs min'ed the
st'd da,,,,,In tr ma s;tt h;a a1ndi.v od
snan1.nne ~ =, ~ vh;,a ths nthsT WIZ n1 h;o
" a. a., "1a peat1as" "tsn anr M
hs ao1d - nnench H. tnrne",no fras ~;thn
Tt,a ,sog eonsined doan the craeE ~ tat
unus tneS h.t..cp ~ ntce eA.sn Ynnv VI ,n;- ia
an,- an,,rs iinel;ne, 1narr;iv md tha .t1r
:. n5 ioesne sIone under h,s nro,,;srmon5
,aa - hlsnEs1a lsE rn;n,6e.tt and s:ant = coot,ne
',,ast 80 - Tsa e,,1 ~ rjmhed h,eh ahoea ~
,us.,s, ,an-..,.,r aN0 +ers o@ md aent 6nv1 erti
~ -a.a ~ hIistar;np heat wh;ta
~. ~. 5Ta.th ~ coo1 aiE st;rred !, tho
Ientt. I n, he canon. Bn hssl the ioad and moved