The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-07
RTO1 JIM, OF B3rT0M GARD.
HY G. +. GILLIAN

boys? Did lever tell yer that story bou
| Rich jim. q Rottom Card an his rack
| ct with Curly Jake? No? Wall, I'll tel
yer ther story.
| Yer see his real name was Richard
| James, bat Their first man he struck in
| Their mines shortened up Their tail enc
| o his name frum James ter jim, an
| chopped otfa piece o his front name
| and called him Rich Jim.
Wall. Yer see, some one had struck il
rich at Bottom Card few months afore
| an all o us old pilgrims an er good
sprinklin' o tenderfoots, he'd rushed in
thar an staked our claims. an things
war goin on kinder floutishin'.
Wimm.n o Their right stripe war a
mighty skeerce article in them diggin' 5,
an yer kin ledge how we war all tore
up one evenin' as the stage drawed up
at Their shanty called Their Top Card, -
an leefle womin with a leetle curly
ha red younker, bout 3 or 4 wears old,
clumb out an went inter Their hotel
walked inter Their bar-room after supper
an Doe Means, Their boss of Their place,
war standin' mong lot o the boys at
Their end o Their bar, an, as | come up,
he war iist sayin':
II tell yer BOYS, | war most devilish
sorry fur Their leetle womin, when told
her I'd never heerd o any one i'm these
parts by tibet name. She said they'd all
lived with her mother in Their East some
whar, an Their old woman an her man
he'd he'd er- fallin' out somehow bout
three years ergo when her kid war six
months old. an as she wouldn't leave
Their old lady, he'd left her She heerd
some way or mother that he war
out here at Bottom Card. an as her
old mother kicked Their bucket a few
months ago, she couldn't rest till she
come out here ter hunt Their old man up.
She kinder broke down an Their water
come ter her eyes when she found |
couldn't put her on Their trail o her
man, an it kinder broke me up, too
Yer kin take ME fur a string halted ten
derfoot, boys, eff | wouldn't ante up my
pile fur little womin an kid like
them ar. | calkcrlate she ain I got any
too much o ther dust either. an L be
iieves 1t q be Their squar' thing efwe was
ter raise leetle mong ther boys ter
help her long.
TX rect; now yer talkin' sense" a
teller by Their name o Curly Jake chip
ped in. lie war one o Their toughest
men in Their camp, but he he'd CT heart
in i'm bigger IA an OK, an takin' off his
hal he dropped in IA $50 gold piece.
Il Il see thet. an 60 one better. SAYS
Dec Means us he tossed in couple o
tweuties.
81 can't quite see yer boys, but her.
goes Their only bird We got left. saws
Poker Jim. as he chuclsed lin a shining
eagle.
Curly Jake passed round the room
an Their boys throwed in purity lib raj
till he come ter man who war settin
with his head Resin on his hands At
table right sight Their open door, tibet
led inter Their hall which communicated
With ther dinin room. Curly slapped
him on Their back in a kinder friendly, |
loky way, an says; Rich Jim, we
wants yer ter help us out on er purse |
we re raisin' fur er womin thet>s in |
need
Rich Jim looked up sullen like. an |
says awful short an grufl': Il amt got |
anythin ter give
But this here's er lady, says Curly |
kinder insistin' like
''Oh. git out, an don't bother me, -"
fich Jim answers quick like, an savage
IS Their mischief
Curly eyes flashed mighty wicked,
lra~in hlsseif up an THROWN all then |
corn an contempt he could inter his
'olce he says: ar man thet's struck il
= rich as yer hev lately, an then'll
eiuae ter put up er ieetle dust ter help
4 Womln thet in distress, amt got Ell
cart ia IN as big as "A muskeeter
Nv hat thet yer say. says Rich Jim
pEingin ter his feet with full string o
uss words, an him an Curly begin
rawin' thar shootin' irons II
,Jlst then war hearn Their patter q lee
e feet ON the door o. Their hall leadin' |
ar Their bar room, an "A womin's voice
iyin': Come my darlin yer must not | =
o in thar, an Their next instant, with
scream o childish JOY an mischief, a
'etle chubby faced, curly AIRED boy I
IN inter Their room, an rushin' ter
har Rich Jim war standin' throwed
IS arms round his legs an laughin'
Ike II war lots o fun ter Git away from /,
IS mother, he hid his face eroin .Jim's
nees
1 tell yer boys eff an angel he'd come I
Iuar down from he vim us fellers thar
ther bar room couldn't er been more
Ok back than we war at Their sight o. {
at leetie codger. It'd a done yer I
'arts good boys ter have seen him and
'arn him talk. Rich Jim he list laid .
s shootin iron on Their table without I
ancin' at Curly, an his face war as
'ntle as womin' as, stoopin down,
laid his big rough hand soft like on 3
er curly hair o. Their leetle Teller, an .
Us in a kinder tremblin' voice: What :
'es yer want, my leetle man -
Their younker looked up inter his face r
7 seein' it war kinder sof' ened up, his :.
etle heart seemed ter go right out =
+ him, an he answers brave as yer
ease: e
Il wants my paper Manner said my
Who is yer paper?" says Rich Jim, r
ndin' down an raisin' him inter his a
ms. g
My papers manners paper Is yer t
Y paper?''
Il guess not my leetle feller,' saws u
oh Jim, Their water comm ter his 8
es, as eff the words he'd brung some l
IN ter his mind that touched a soft "
OF 4 wish / war yer paper Q
Won't yer be my paper? likes yer, . a
er leetle un said. pattin' his face easy
tenderlike, with his leetle chubby Is
nds. :; =
Does yer?" Rich Jim says. f
Yes, does, an likes manner. too. ;, 81
rs Their leetle chap, ..Don'tyer want to
ter tiss yer, des like I tisses ma m
II ii.