Huntsville gazette., 1881-08-13
The Two Graves in Poker Valley.

1t was the curiousest thing that ever
happened in the diggins," said the old
man, as he slowly filled his pipe. ''Nigh
onto twenty years ago was about the
date, an, hundred or so Of us miners
had s9uatted in Poker Valley. 1t wasn't
much Of valley, an thar wasn't any
too much poker, an / know / put in
six months o. hard work in that ERE
hole an didn't FAR fifty cents day.
HoWsumever, that haint nuthin' to do
with the story sot out to tell, though it
serves to explain why we were all out o.
temper one afternoon, when stranger
entered Poker Valley by the west trail
an brought his skinny an foot-sore
mulesgo halt in the center Of our town.
1t war airly in the fall, an the weather
was DOWNRIGHT in@sn. 1t had bin driz-
zlin' all day long, an we had cussed an
sulked an loafed around till every man
was ready to answer word with a
blow.
"The mint that stranger rode up we
all rushed out to see who he was an
what he wanted. He was lightweight
chap, muflled up to the ears to keep dry,
and we couldn't say what he could do
with pick-ax or how he'd back
friend in a fight. He didn't offer to git
down from his mule, but began to in
quar- arter a chap whom we called
Sweet William. This William was a
candy sort O. man. He seemed q bit
pious, had soft voice, never cussed nor
drank whisky, an we didn't 'zactly mate
with him. Ten days afore this stranger
rode up Sweet William got out o. his
blankets at midnight, either asleep or in
over bit o. cliff about fifty feet high,
with lot O. jagged rocks to light on
down below. We didn't take on very
much, as he had no partner an wasn't
one o. us, as | menshuned before, but
we gin him decent burial an sold his
traps on the squar' to the highest bid
der.
s'Waal, now, that stranger was goin'
on to ak about William, an was a-say-
in to myself that he had the softest
voice of any man in the diggins, when
sunthin happened. Ole Kentucky Bill
an Deacon Joe had bin growlin' at each
other for an hour or so, kinder achin'
fur row, an at length they went at it.
-
an Joe he out with his pepper an fired
Kentuck to kingdom come. No, he
didn't, either The bullet cut away
lock of hair and did its bloody work
beyond. The stranger on the mule got
it plump thro' the heart, and he was
dead afore he fell into my arms. Hell
No, stranger-'twas q woman! Sure's
-rrou're born, it was woman not over
twenty-five years old, and with a face as
purity as thousanddollar nugget. She
was dressed sort o. man fashion, an she
was bravin' Injuns, bars, storms, and
everything else fur an objeck. What
was it? Waal, | dunno. Was Sweet
William her lover or her husband? Had
he run away from her, or had he cum
thar to make a stake? Must have bin
some powerful motive to have sent that
gal on sich a trip, an we talked it over
an kinder concluded it was love, an
nuthin' else.
"'Twas terrible deal, anyhow, an
| never think of it without feelin' my
heart grow big and my throat choke up
When we diskivered that she was
woman we sot around thar like pegs for
about half an hour. Then we riz up an
kicked them two fighters outer camp
and dug grave 'longside O. Sweet Will
Gam's fur the poor dead gal, an they
sleep thar to this day. Rough and
cussed as we war in Poker Valley, we
had tears in our. eyes as we. put that
poor gal away, an seed more'n one
old grizzly drop his chin when the Ala
bama elder stood at the head Of the
graves an said:
:" sThe Lord gave and the Lord hath
taken away. May they be jined togeth-
er in heaven. '"-DetroH Free Press.