Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-10-22

drifts anu masses that wet the plodding
traveller to the skin, while the spring
breeze that arose to carry away the damp.
ness and lift the fog was cold and chill.
Neither of the travellers minded the cold
drenching, for one with his stolldity had the
endurance of an OK; while the other, with
his feverish, flushed face and restless eyes,
cOurted the cold TO quench the tormenting
fires within.
Thus they continued down the creek on
that half-walk, half-rack of bronco pony,
their heavy spurs jingling merrily and
the sturdy " boro" jogging along under
his promiscuous load of blankets, mining.
kit and scant cooking outfit. The sun had
climbed high above the mountain-tops and
sent down vertical rays of blistering heat,
while not breath of cool air stirred in the
depth of the canon. Bill had the lead
and moved along in his stoid manner as
if his pony even partook of his masters
peculiar temper and Jack followed
twenty yards behind, while the striped
nosed boro brought up the rear like a
heap of baggage with a head and little
legs.
"Bill, didn't you save me little drop? %
plaintively inquired Jack.
" Nary drop, ole pard. Yell be all
right tomorrow. Stick 'er out, old man,
an wen git back to that home o. your'n,
an you kin git inter the same harness with
that Jenny o. yourn, an she'll pace along
an keep up to yer trot. Come, now, pint
yer snoot high. Cheer up"
The rays Of the summer sun grew hotter
and hotter and Jack fell back sullenly,
eyes blood-shOt, the muscles of his face
jerking, and his hands trembling The
great veins upon his temples seemed to
burst, while the glaring, maddened ex-
preston of his bloated face would have
shown the most careful observer that the
delirium was already upon him. He
grated his teeth fiercely, muttered curses,
and pressed his white teeth through his
neither lip until the blood clotted in great
drops on his dark beard. Squirting up
his pony, he again drew alongside of his
companion and, drawing his revolver, he
began: Bill, / always thought you were
friend of mine" Then, as if his mind
wandered vacantly, he paused, and then
resumed in a whining tone: "But / am
going to shoot you. Bill, it is all your
fault You told 'em to keep me from GO
ing home. See them, nowt" he shrieked /;
they only wait your beck and call
There they are gonel Bill, I've got to
kill you, for you have lied to me, and be-
trayed me. You needn't deny it, Haven't
youp
Yes, Jack, I have, eff ye say so; but l
didn't know when," replied the other, ap-
parenty wishing to humor him in any
fancy.
Yes, l must kill you," resumed Jack,
slowly, while his eyes glared with the
feverish deiirium "you want all the
money, and you want me to die, and you
want my-Yes, you never drink nor gam
BILE; and you'll be there with your hypo-
critical face, and be blessed for saving my
life more than once, just to betray me and
do me the dirtiest trick"
"All right, Jack-poor boy" the other
returned in kind, womanly way, so
strange for one so strong in frame and so
uncouth in dress. "You say enough
pleasant things when yer straight ter wipe
it out, Well jest camp in this likely
place and git yer into the shade" and
they drew up and halted on Misery Flat
Just above Stand-Off Bar. The animals
were turned loose to Craze, and a grateful
cover of aspen and pine boughs was at once
placed over a bed of blankets made for
Jack-all done with an air of unconscious
duty by the powerful Bill, who moved
about with the shambling strength of a
huge grizzly. Cool water was brought
from the stream and was drank in great
gulps by the sick man, who raved and
rolled, groaned and CRASHED his teeth,
tore out his hair and beard in handfuls to
remove the venomous serpent that his de
lirious imagination conjured up. The
bloody froth was blown through his tight
ly-clenched teeth in whistling gusts, broken
by starts of terror, when he would point
and scream; There they are again
They are bound to followi They won't
let me go home! I'll shoot him. I'll kill
you, Billr' This was then succeeded by
a moment of quiet when, with twitching
muscles and heavy breathing, he lay with
closed eyes as if trying to sleep. Then,
with shrek and a yell, another blast OF
terror, horror and despair blended fell
upon the rocky walls of the deep canon.
"Them jimiams is hoopin' it up to
him this time jest awful, and he can't
stan this sort o. thing long without some
doctors pisen o. some kind. There's
! sogers over on the Rapid, an there's
sogers back at Harvey, and they'll hev q
medico dead upon us. Here, Snoozer,' ~
he continued, as he approached his pony,
you an III jest see what we can do for
our old pard, Jack" A saddle was quick
ly adjusted, and, after long and steady
| look at Jack, who for the moment lay
| quiet and motionless, he mounted and
rode rapidly away down the gulch. He
soon reached a miners camp below
"Stnd-OH Bar" camp composed OF
| rough, bearded men, dogs, horses, mules,
bOros and oxen. He quickly bargained
for man to go back TO Harney to the
soldiers camp and engage Il medico al
any price to come with all possible haste
"I'll pay ye fur yer hoss if ye kill i'm
| agoin,' said Bill as he turned TO go back
and he logged along thoughtfully until
he came in sight Of his little camp, when
he suddenly drew up his horse us if tC
| think, when he meditatin gly said: "It'S
| twenty-four miles to Harney, and twenty
four miles back-nigh ON fifty miles
! S'posen he shouldn't find no medico
It's twelve miles to the Rapids; now, I'm
| gOin' ter work this streak clear down tC
bed rock; an if it's bust Jack an I'll
| go together" Going back TO the little
hut containing the suffering partner he
! gave him some water, secured his buck
skin purse lest he should be robbed and
again mounted and went clattering dowr
the gulch on the military trail toward
Camp Crook, on the Rapid.
The sun sank quietly behind the mount
aims and the deepening shadows of nigh
became deeper and deeper, blending int
a mass Of inky sameness the rocks, thu
high walls of the canon and the greer
foliage of the timber. A few stars twin
killed. pensively above the pine tops and /
narrow bow Of silver in the west was al
that could be seen of the young June moon
Not a sound was heard but the soughinl
Of the winds far above and the scream O
a startled curlew that made quavering
echoes of mournful sounds.
When Bill had gone his companion
arose and looked around ham, peering il
that cunning way so peculiar to the crazed
and said, chuckling, while his eyes start
ed in their lnflamed redness from theil
sockets: 81 knew it, but he thought
was asleep and was going to die. HI
took my money, and now's he gone anC
will pass himself for me. I'll kill him
and I'll kiln you all, you damned devils
What do you want with meP Go bach
to your traitor master and tell him that h,
\ has but TO appear TO die;" and, whipping
out heavy revolver from its holster, III
cooked it, and swung IL about his head