Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-03-13
COWARDLY JIM.
JOEL SLOPER.


It's not much of story, stranger.
But what there is OF il I'll tell,
We found the young chap on the prairie,
Where he said he got lost, and. well,
II was somethiI g about the Black Hills,
AID going on loot and SIGH trash;
We freely remarked that, for fellow with
brains,
We regarded him somewhat rash.
His answer was thin. too, when Johnson said,
"P'raps you won't mind, pdrd. JUST siNlh
OF your personal history to pass of the time"
"As a rule OF his life he'd not mention IL,
Was just what he said; but we made up our
minds
That before he'd got IT of the plains
His fingers had rather too freely,
stuck on TO the wrong bTidle-reins.
I'D that he had ipped the committee.
Or something pretty mnoh thestne cut;
So be wouldn talk out in the meetilr,
But ~lsel! Kept his undeT-jaw shut.
Drive him of Why durnit all, stranger,
We wern't hem nd of hairpinS:
When you find man starved on tn prdlrle
It's no time TO talk OF Old sins.
We led him Just like yourg baby,
On spoon vttles and such soothing thlhes'
Until his stomach got stronger,
Then he tack ed jerkei venison, by 1lnRs.
tie hitched on the centre at camp-puilullis
For darn mis- picture il he'd work hit;
But we male ourselves understood pIahl5
enough,
By the simple remark, you work or git. :"
Brown called him dusn cowardly jim,
And cussed mean skunk AMI al slcn'
Whv, not even kick he r. sented
That Jones gave him down at the dltcn'
And somehow we al got to hate MIN
Till he hadn't q friend In camp,
Aud one day VT said that at sundown
GHe'd leave, or we'd hang the durn scamp
He kinder looked lonesome and sid,
Getting ready to leave US that night;
But some warm work in camD soon after
just gave him kind of respite.
scout had come in and said "lDtd ns!
Well, any body knows what that meant
Who has ever been down on the Rosebud
Where Custer and his brave boys went,
Them Injuns just made our camp lively,
And IN, he pulled trigger with the rest,
He put ia some good Shots, stranger,
Which helped send the devils back west.
But a woman rushed in oil frantic,
And said that, while hid 10 trough,
The red devils ransacked the rancho,
And had carried her bab7 on.
Was there man IN the camp who dared
To venture the rescue, one, or all?
| Not man. nor the whole camp would go,
Twas sure death to venture within shot or
OF the Sioux with Il act monies and fatal aim:
But that ''cowardly Jim" just quietly said
"lf he wern't intrudin' on ans ores rght
| He'd bring back the baby alive or dead.
That stirred things in camp some, you reckoni
| Yes. twas queer kind of language for Jim
| Bnt, str singer, betw cen me and you.
| The3 .iDgest thirg on earth for him
| VAST count that little pony andgo
| Ash lid, and face death, ss be said.
And ride where the brsvest dared not ride
| To bring back the baby alive or dead.
| Twas MANY a prayer went up for Jim.
| And many a tear that fcll to the ground,
| As we watched him going overihe hill,
While pin would have dropped with
sound;
And then we saw him racing for life.
With red devils in swift pursuit;
| riherless pony every minute or so.
And puff of smoke told when Jim woul'
| shoot.
He reeled AMI fell from the saddle;
| That's the blood stained floor where he laid
And he smiled as he said. Here's the baby;
Never IN nd the price that paid
| We knew that his time was all up,
Brave, noble, old cowardy Jun,
| We raised him in our arms to die.
And, stranger, thar wus angels with him.
MY baby is waiting for me-" he said,
- those gates Of pearl. | feel:
Husband. you wronged me; some day you
| know
That our Mfmie was true as steel"
Why, what uld ne mean by al thatf
His husband? Jim WIS out Of his head.
| We laid bare the tOsom, and q icd!
Twas a woman whose life had He'd!
That's her grave over there on the hill,
| Away from home, husband and all;
mamie" is all we carved ON it.,
And alone there she'll wait he last call,
II wern't much of a story. stranger,
But such a. il was ! have told;
And, of all the treasure we found In the Hill!
That heart was the purest gold.