Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-04-11

States (here the tears began TO roll
down his bronzed cheeks), who never
hellees her eyes 'Ihout prayin' fur God
50 tesend,me back to, her, I'D laugh at
death, an help you to fix the rope;
but when i think o that darlIn' old
soul, git weaker'n wounded ante
lope. tell ye, fellers, I've been tufi
fcuss ever sense | struck out fur tht Sc
.uountains, and s'pose the sEOfld'll
lbe better 'thOut me in il. Ay Sold
fTnotherll suffer, i know that, for L I'm her
only kid, an hev sent her every OuRce
of dust ihet l could spare, an it's all
she he'd To live on. She's been a good
iun to me, God bless her, an I'm sor :
fry- heven't lived SO Z can camp with
her up thar (raising his fearful eyes to-
ward beaven); an boys, won't some o.
We write to her? Tom Kirk, thar,
knows whar She lives am tell her ]
got let out by an lnjun, or pegged out
ERsi'Esliy. For GUd's sake don't let her
know / war strangled. The news 'ud
Kill her. But then, I'll cheese this CAB,
or you'll think Pm weakenin', an the
man don't live as kin skeer Tiger Jim.
Elevate me, boys, jist hs quick as ye
please. Pm ready, when you are.'
Not word was spoken for few
seconds.
During this recital, Jim's eyes were
filled with tears, and a close observer
would have detected silent weeping
lupon all sides. That magic word
mother had awakened tender recol-
lections in the breast of every one OF
those hardy mountaineers. Men whe
could face death in any shape without
ia particle of feeling, did not try TO hide
their tears at the mention of that sa-
lcred name, 'Motherp How sweet il
Isounded In their ears. 1t carried them
back TO the happy days in the past
wiien they were blessed with the love
Of parents, before the insatiate tbiFst
for gold had led them fnto these noun
tain wilds. Not word was spoken
for few seconds, and then old job
> drew his horny hand across his watery
eyes, and said, in husky voice:
\ Tige. ye wouldn't break an oath,
would yep
! NO, job Dawson, not for friend oil
foe. Thar amt boy in the hills as
kin say thet Jim went back on even
his given word. I'm ruff 'un, an dC
sum. N itey wicked things, but when
saya thing, ye kin gamble every dol
you've got on it bein' straight
Il wall, Tige,i we had Intended to
Iswing ye, an ye deserve swingin', but
L can't git rid o. thet mother chinniD
ye give US. | 'spect the old lady's sci
her heart on seein' ye again an is
wearin' her old eyes out a lOOkin' fol
dye. I've got an old mother myself,a AN
though l hevn't sot eyes on her sense
'49, her picter's right hyar in IEy heart,
an it's pleadin' fur yer old woman,
Tige. It's ruff, Tige, ruff, an'-lemme
4 see-yes, darned ell don't do it. Jack,
cut them ar strings, SOS he Can git his
hands loose. Thar, thet's it. Now,
ITige, hold up yer right hand, and ei
you ever swore strong, do it now. Do
Iyou swar by the great God, an yei
) blessed old mother, tibet eff this court
discharges ye, yell lite right out fur
Ithe States, an' go hum tothe old lady,
lam love her and comfort her as long
las she stays out of heaven. Do you
lswar to this Tige, before the Almighty
|, God an this c0urt?'
Il do, job, an thar's my fist on it.
4 Put 1erA tfar..AI swar it, and III pull
|, stakes rite off,
Then ye're released on them terms,
! am the boys I'll help ye git yer traps
i downit the station; but, mind, j tell
ye, Tige, eff yer ever caught in the hills
!, agin' yell go up a tree. Fellers, the
courts over, an the prisoner dis
charged = ~ Er II
1 And big Comanee Bill, who stood
back in the crowd, drew his pistol and
said:
i Amen! and any snoezer that says
Jobs law aint level, has got to fight
me right hyar.' .,-....... ...yj ,.g.7 o.
When the Union Pacific train was
about to leave Laramie, the following
day, a number of mountaineers might
have been seen shaking hands and
bidding farewell to a bucksKin- clad
companion, who stood upon the rear
platform of the train. The citizens OF
the place paid no attention to their
movements, as it is an everyday oc-
currence for some miner, who has Ell
1 rher struck it rich and made his pile,
i or has had bad luck and has become
discontented, to embark for the States.
The traveller was Tiger Jim; and as the
train flew past Fort Saunders, and
began the ascent of the Black Hills
range, ehe sazed upon the distant
peaks, clad in their garments of eter-
naLsnow. and his breath came hard as
he muttered: ss.ss.
'Irs hard 10 leave ye, old hills; but
it's either the States or neck tie festi-
val, for me; and then I'll stick to that
cast iron oath o. Jobs Of it takes the
hair off. - .,.-