The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-07-13
the eyebrows dow to the chin, the knife had
removed every feature.

the eyebrows down to the chin, the knife had
removed every feature.
Wolves | in~voluntarily exclaimed, look
ing al The CHASTITY sight, and turning away.
Mot much," replied Bill, "that job was
done by a squaw. l have seen this kind of
work before"
"Ysu are right, Bill, and still with all of
thai shooting and cutting, he still breathed
when l came in last night"
You think it was him yelling, Jack!" said
Tex.
81 am sure of it,"
"Well, let us get to work, So" you, Tex
and myself, will plant these bodies i'll thr
floor, while Bill ties them up. We must get
out of here. Indians sometimes double back
Oh their trail. That shot OF yours last night,
"Z," may raise a fuss YETI.
With The Sc last significant words, Jack
knelt Oh the floor and drew with his knife a
line TO correspond. with the width and length
of the hole we had to dig. Quickly we got
TO work in the black loan, and at last it was
done.
We placed the Old man in, with his face
down. The youth was laid in the same man
ner on top Of him. Willows were then spread
over them, and the dirt stamped tightly oyer
all. What was left we put in our hats and
threw on the root. No sign was left, and
six walls of strychnine over the spot as a pre-
y~entitive for wolves completed our work.
Going without we rolled of two roof logs
and banked up the door, and then, turning
away, lett under the sod, sunshine and
shadow the unknown dead.
Quickly crossing the opening we struck the
trail. In slleRce, with rapid, n~oiseless tread
We came into camp. Quickly packing up, the
stock was brought in and loaded, and then
taking a game trail up the little cooley we
struck the broad Indian trail on the bluffs
and followed it down the river. Jack and
Bill, who were ahead, had halted on the trail
l looked down into the quiet bottom. We
were opposite the house. Everything seemed
quiet around the III fated spot.
81 have heard Of many a green and grassy
mound where in eternal sleep lay the voice
less dead, and often wished that my last home
could be as theirs, but L would prefer any
place away from here, and almost any death
in preference to that of the men lying under
those c~ottonwoods | wonder what ever
made them build there?"
"Mayoe they wanted to see a war party,
jack" said Bill in response to his partners
inqairy.
"Or he'd all idec that foxes skinnin' wolves
aroun' here mout need q hotel sometimes.
Wot do you think?"
"That your view is not tenable, Tex. l
have been able to find no indication of what
particular business brought them here, and
while the subject very properly belongs to the
field of conjecture, J. have no heart to dea!
with it in a facetious manner"
81 amt speekin' light of this business, Il,
nor wouldn't; but a man must be crazy that
would maze camp about here. Eff he never
seed all lnjun, he might hev knowed better,
an'-see that sinking kyote snuttin' around
the door. I've a mind to shoot his coward!y
liver out..' exclaimed Tex, eXcitedly raising
his gun.
"Put it down, Tex" said Jack to the angry
faced southerner " he can't get in"
Tex lowered his gun Che always obeyed
Jack PROMPTLY remarking as he did so,
'You're right 'twont do no good fur Them
Resuming The original subject Bill observed
that the man was a stranger beyond a doubt
and must have had a wagon and team.
"The boy was his son, maybe" said Jack.
"There was no boy" replied Bill, looking
straight before him.
YOU'RE right" said Tex, backing out into
the trail "thar war no boy"
Jack had remained behind. Bill heard
him utter a low whistle. "What is it ?' he
asked, riding up again.
With finger pointing to the house, Jack
looked at his companion, "Sioux" he eX-
claimed.
Standing on top of the logs before the door,
two warriors were looking through the roof
within. The two wolferS silently watched
them. Tex and myself started for the packs.
The animals were getting FESTIVE and kept us
busy.
"WhaJ's a-keepin' them fellers now. !
wonder, Z?'
81 don't know replied, but with my
thoughts still bent upon the dead, in turn
queried: elf there was no boy, what then,
Tex?"
GA gal!'
"What? 81
ga woman, as I'm a living man.
Our companions moved hastily by US
"Come, drive up quickly" said Jack, 81
think we are in for it,"
We rode swiftly into the timber.