The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-01-23

pierced the thin canvas walls. Save al
its enterance, the tent was not to be
distinguished from the sight without.
Gazing into that narrow space, we four
who watched that night saw develop o
drama such as was never seen o fmortal
eye before. We saw the heap of tools
within, the bearskin upon the clodded
floor, the pilled-up powder-cans, the
hour-barrel and its attendant stores.
At one side, the rude cot bed, with its
rough blankets and meagre pillow, and
could it be? The form of a man was
outstretcbed OH the bed. He stirred,
he turned in his sleep and rose up
on n arm to look about him and
gaze out into the night, and, seeming
%reassured, sank back again TO rest.
Then another tall shape appeared at the
tent door, rifle in hand, as if
from keeping guard. He bent to
heal the sleeper's breathing. Seemingly
satisfied of the others unconscious.
ness, the c went close be.
side him, put the muzzle of his gur
against the head of the sleeping man
and fred. Oh, tho CHASTITY sight, in
place OF manly beauty. The murderer
set aside his gun; he closely rolled his
dead comrade in the blankets and
dragged aside tho ~stiffening body. He
carried without all the stores and the
bed, and where the cot had stood he
dug deep and narrow grave and laid
the dead man in it, packing and tread
ing the cold earth over his senseless
clay. Then, with breathless ingenuity,
he spaded over all the floor of the tent
until it presented q uniform surface.
Ihe stores, the barrel, the tools, were
carefully replaced, and, last of all, the
assassin set up again the bed in its &C.
customed stand. But the
ton of brutal Indifference was reached
when Lewis coolly stretched himself
uponthat empty couch above the bloody
grave where lay his victim. He lay,
and seemed to sleep; and again the
splendid head and mournful eyes of his
cld-time friend took shape in the air
and bent above the slayer. Lewis
sprang up with q wild ringing cry that
rang through the night with awful
power, and dashed into the darkness.
No need to question longer what had
reused us from slumber; the same
alarm swept over us now, the same en-.
gorged brain oppressed, the same de-
pleted heart-channels, the same waver-
ing, failing members distressed.
The spell was broken. How long
we had been watching, we could never
know; but we must have slept until the
was far advanced aud dawn had
not yet come. The scenes we had Just
witnessed would have occupied hours
IN their actual occurrence;w whereas they
had been compressed intoa brief period
OF time by some subtle process analo-
gous to the swift operation of dreams.
Shocked and stunned we had not moved,
when Alfred Walter spoke:
"Ihis is more thun mere haIlucina-
ton. There is purpose in it. The
manifestation is beginning again. Look
at the mine!"
Beyond a doubt, there was some re-
petitive power here-some purpose of
regularity in recurrence; for we
watched the phenomenon until it had
reached the stage OF locomotion. Then
Alfred Walter stood up with a deep
drawn breath.
"Let us get out the shovels. Instead
of monumcnting q claim, w must open
tomb. t.
The three men lost no time; strong
and active all, it was only o briet
while tall they had dug away the earth
from the mortal remains of Lon
Howard, done to death by the traitorous
hand of the man he had loved and
trusted like q brother. The terrible
task accomplished, young Handle rode
owe the bridget Salvador, and brought
back o crowd of men and a blackboard
to convey poor Towards body into
town.
Our own party returned intact. We
left our melancholy convoy a league
outside Of the town, and FASTENED for
ward to prepare for Its reception. As
we drove through the main street of the
camp, still early in the day, clusters of
men were talking here and there with
the absorbed, impressive air that gen.
orally tells of tragic happening" From
II OF these groups a man we knew, an
inveterate gossip drew apart, and hailed
us.
"Hallol're back already? Heard the
news?
We've heard no news from town.
What is it?"
Crib Lewis was buckin' faro all day
yesterday. He blew in $1,000 the
boys thought all he had-but theyfound
checks for a little fortune in his room
this morning. Say he's sold his mine.
The old 'Fraternity's' richer than the
Comstock. they soy, and the damned
fool blew his brains out last night! Go
up to Doc. Hassler's and see him. I'd
pay to look ut q fool like that!"
DR.. Hassler was the Coroner. His
office was the objective point with the
Ill tidings we carried. And SO once
more they rested, side by side, the
partners in the Fraternity"
Y. H. ADDS, in the Argonaut.
A Portrait of Talleyrand.