The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-06-05
e - Jack Bullets Broken H6arf.A 4
BY NJ. QUAD.

BY NJ. QUAD.
A hundred men weresdigging fer gold
and they had named the place ..Jo
Whites Dream ------------------,
Singular name, but they were slngula
men, brawny, rough, grizzicd, and SOM
of them, wicked. Theywcre men from tn
East, digging, edelying, in sort of ffeuzy
Hfoor tlre wealth afCaliforfia. @-A
On this day all work had ceased Thu
men formed circle on the grass, and il
the centre was Jack Bullet. His hand
were tied behind HIM, there was an ole
.blood-stain on his face, and from hi
wolfsh eyes he sent smurderolls. GLANCE!
from one. face to another, and at hs
called ont "I wish had3knifed sorrcs O
ve.'
None Of the men replied. Some wert
pale, others nervous, and none seemed tC
relish the business ON had, which was the
hanging of Jack Bullet. By-and-by q
meek and humble looking man, named
Elder Graves by the. boys, entesci the
circle and, standing with one hand on
the prisoners shoulder, he began:
Jack Bullet, dhisis a solemn morning
for us ali! Here is h,erope= there is the
limb-aI4d We are all~gathered to hang
you. Yrf came to Joe Whites dream
weeks ago, poor, hungry and i'll. We fed
and nur~"d you, and when you We're well
enough 10 work, Il fulliclaim was staked
ont for ou How have you repaid us,
Jack Bullet. You have stolen dust from
the men, Brought discords among us, ex-
cited rows and riots, and last night you
were detected when about to murder your
partner and steal his few hundred dollars
We try to be white in this camp, and use
all men right, but we cannot turn you
loose tc prey upon some other party. The
men are Going to hang you.'
Let en- hang: can't die but once.
suikily replied the prisoner.
Jack Bullet said the Elder, 81 am a
PRAYING man, and + want to pray with
you. You are a strong man, and you are
to die like Il dog. Maybe you have a
mother in the East, or You may have a
wife and children. God help them
The elder sank down on his knees be-
fore the prisoner, and prayed such pray
er as the rocks have never echoed again.
Before he had finished there were tears
in the eyes of half the men, and Big Sam
bent ever to Curley jim and whispered
Now that's what call religlum-thc
real old bangup reiigium as we used to
git way back in NeW-Hahlpsire -
When the prayer had ended, new
spirit came to the men. They scanned
Jack Bullets face and saw that it had
Softened, and as Elder Graves stepped
aside, the president of the camp cut Jack s
bonds, and said: o., s.-, ,-,:,.s,
ave don't want your blood, though you
sought ours. You are free to go, Jack
Bullet, but don't you ever enter Joe
Whites Dream again.
The reprieved man moved away with
out word, nor did he look back as long
as he was fnivicw. When he had rdisap-
peared from sight. the miners returned
10 their work, each oAe so busy with his
thoughts that but few words were spoken.
That day two weeks man came up from
"Cardhoard City and reported that Jack
Bullet had been eaten up by a grizzly.
Every man in the camp felt glad then
that his. town had escaped the disgrace of
a hanging, and in the afternoon we saw
Elder Greyes shoulder spade and turn
down int, a little valley. 1t was BEAU
tiful spot, always full of mellowest sun
shine and the pretticst fowesrs.s When
the boys had knocked off work for the day,
they all descended into the place, for
what reason no one knew, but by COM
mon consent. In the centre of the valley
the earth had been heaped up like grave:
AT its head was It board-at its foot a
wild rose On the board Elder Graves
had cut with his knife:
CK BULLET,
AGED FORTY.
Men may not have given him a chance,
BUTGoD WILL!
Iou wouldn't think that these rough
men had sentiment in their hearts, but
they saw through the Elders's motives in
an instant, and the toughest man in the
lot stopped down and carefully rear
ranged ol:e of the sods. .f. .-.-.,-.
Three weeks more went by, and one
evening Jack Bullet came into Joe White
Dream, alive and well. He stood on the
little square in the centre of the town,
and said not word till the. wondering
men gathered about him. Then he point
ed to the grave in the valley, his eyes
filled with tears, and he choklngly said !:
Boys, | sneaked back here this morn
ing to Kill some one in revenge, but
cum across that-that grave down-thar,
and-and ~
He held out his hand to the men, and
the tears blinded him so, that he could
not see face. Elder Graves went down
on his knees again, every man with him,
and there were tears, and prayer so
beautiful and tender and true that Jack
Bullet sob:,ed like child. His heart
was broker, and all the satan in his ma
ture was driven out in a moment.
Joe Whites Dream was mining camp
many months after that, and that Jack
Bullet was one of the best men IN it.
The head hoard grew gray as the rain
beat down and the sun shone, and the
beautiful wild rose grew till it covered
all the grave, but no one disturbed sod
The grave was sigma beacon light, as
it were, and perhaps miners we're right
when they said of our town:
They've had revival up thar, an
they are the best chaps an the hardest
workers on the slope