The Benton record., 1879-10-24

mo, Joe ! was hunting you"
"Sure ?"
$50 help me God n
The poor, white face, Scared and dee
scanned BY excesses and sin, grew radiar
with gladness as. Joe kneeled and kisse
her. With seal Of torgiyness, with til
pressure Of bis lips half returned, sb
sank back dead.
Through the service at the simpl
burial the following day Joe stood will
uncovered head, but his bronzed ane
immovable features betrayed no emotion
nor vouehsaied any clue to the mystery
that enshrouded the cofined outcast ano
himself.
The evening Of the funeral the Wol,
called on me at my rooms. Seating
himself without preface, he said
las a man of sense an no coward, yer
can look at brave mans agony in the
right way. The past I've hidden fur
twenty years, fur aiu't the kind to carry
my heart on my sleeve for DAVIS to peck
at. But thars feeling as though Id
choke if | didn't talk to some one. The
woman buried to day war my wife. Here
are some letters the wimin folks found Oh
her an give to nc. You look then over
while chin fur I'm slow on the read.
We war married in the States when she
war l6, and just come Of age. A bit
afterwards | got the gold fever and went
to Californy. In a couple OF years Ishad
made quite pile, an went home for her.
She war changed, an it warn't long before
| heard the stories, and found it to be
true, that she had gone wrong. lie war
4 tne-haired chap who had come to town
while war away. I war likely young
fellow then, but the blow turned me into
4 devil. / went fur him, but he heard of
t an slid out for Calitorny. I followed, t
md fur twenty years I've ben hunting
lim all over this coast. A voice Of hell
las urged me on, and I've killed men
bet the taste of blood might keep fierce
ny hope Of revenge. I've never found
INA. During these years I've heard about
er once and while, an how she war
rinking and going to the bad. Id allus
.oesn' go aee l1ef~s when I'd settled with :
I'M. His name war Bill Armstrong"
The letters taken from the dead woman
hlch / had been looking over, were !"
ostly answers to inquiries regarding IA
e whereabouts Of her husband. AL =
letter of her own to some Ia
end in the East, and dated few DAYS :"
eVious to her death, showed that to this e'
or, lost creature, with the grasp OF p
ath upon her, there had come back the LII
Try OF heE first and only pure love, and
unconquerable desire to die at his 'l9
{, freed from the burden of his curse. co
angely enough another letter gave aP
ormation of Bill Armstrong, and DO
ted that he was living near Boise CITY, 90
Idaho. These two [ read to the des NO
ate man who sat before me, his burning Sln
5 cleaning with pain, and his lips eNe
.e with anguish. When | ceased, be .
sped my hand with, Thank yer, .Mna 10
niger, and left the room. watched 'a'
mount his horse and ride out into the 'ee
K night. The Wolf was again on the
ba c;rcnn,stono 49,. .,, fish
lily recalled to mind during my present poe
70 Battle Mountain by cansually
ap account Of a fatal shooting 'toA
II between Bill Armstrong, mining = aEa
ulator, and Joe the Wolf, at Boise ool e
in 1878. The details Of the rencontre
e in the words Of the narrator, who N'1l1
N eye witness:
oe met Armstrong on the street, and, saa s..o
the single exclamation, i am Aggie,s ~ -
andl pulled aud fred. From some !, - :
,ountable reason lie missed. Arm. 80 :.
returned the fire, shooting Joe I,st l
} through the heart. He fell on one '
and, for second, swayed like d -
before the storm. Grand in his 80 -,
sal strength, il the power Of his i
he recovered himself AS from bis
lips sang out the old cry. It's
en inches between my eyes, and 7 ao. ,
like wolf! he fred killing Arm st.i,.
instantly, and fell upon his face, nod -
n.en was 1
: ol' soasht eae the dc
= field, and stood before the rude .,,,.;,
cad board which bore the name of IA !,
ose weakness had destroyed three a. |;
4 was almost hidden By elamps Of ssnd !
ash, which, unsightly and pallid baxa !
we're fitting growths Of anhaliowed iii i
III, one oi
q, II all the epochs of the world, 4
grains Of sand that drifted over
ely, uncared for grave Yet rarely Geo
seonPense for sin 50 terribly neted y COW
In the tr.ijric enH an1 ,,.,,..a3 ayppIle