The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-08-20

The former was happy. go-lucky
youth, whose only besetting sin was a
passion for an asthmatic ACCORDION he
played day and night, and the second
was his father, whose saturnine DISPOSE
ton and general inclination to sleep
nineteen hours in the twenty-four led
to the popular superstition that he was
partially demented. Both were crack
shots with the revolver, and armed
with this weapon only had been known
than the settlement could eat. 1t was
reported that Joe Greaser and Greaser
Joe were missing. AT first this attract
ed but little attention, except that the
ranchmen noticed the absence of the
agony of the ACCORDION. and it was
supposed they had slipped off as usual
for a hunt. While the fog lasted their
prolonged stay could be explained, but
when it lifted and they did not return a
court of inquiry was assembled The
natural explanation, as they We're greas-
ers, was that they had wearied of work
ing for others and had borrowed a few
choice horses and cattle to start a dis
tant ranch of their own. A ground
up" however. showed that not a hoof
was missing in the neighborhood. A
second theory that they had abruptly
departed for San Fancisco was dis
proved by the discovery that they had
left their entire fortune, which consist
ed of thirty-nine Mexican dollars, in y
pickle bottle in their cabin, and that
the only property they had taken with
them consisted of their revolvers and
the ACCORDION. Hypothesis could go
no further and as days passed the eN-
element dwindlcd; new vaqueros were
hired and Joe Greascr and Greaser
Joe were alike forgotten.
A month later the three jolly ranch
men were returning from trip to
Cloverdalc. 1t was yet early, and they
bethought them to visit the Pieta. AS
they descended the hill they saw that
the bear trap had be sprung. They
cautiously surrounded the structure
with rifles cooked, but no sound came
from within. They cut down stout
sapling, and by its method lifted the
heavy door, dropping it again with a
cry of horror as they saw and knew.
Poor Joe Greaser! Poor Greaser Joe!
There was another shallow grave
dug In Pieta, and another rude cross
spread its arms under the shadow of
that oak There was no need of living
tongue to tell the story. The scars on
those tough beams, where with pistol
and bowie they had tried to cut or
shoot their way to freedom, bore it wit
ness. In one corner the wood was
charrcd; they had even tried to burn an
opening, but the green oak had not
| yielded Then, their ammunition ex-
hausted and their knives broken. they
had abandoned the effort, and with the
stoicism of their race awaited the end
Their fayorite pastmes was theirs to
the last Greaser Joe lay stretched in
between his lips; Joe Grcaser sat in the
corner with an accordion on his knees.
his stiffened fingers still pressing the
stops. There was no DOUBT they had
taken refuge here from the fog, and
through ignorance or carelessness had
sprung the fatal trigger and so shut
themselves away from the ranch and
its Joys and sorrows forever.
These We're two of the legends of the
Pieta told us by an old ranchman, who
himself had never visited the valley.
ON he said. in conclusion, 1--we
hunted catamount n grizzly II Injun,
n I've been hunted lively in my day,
but dog nv cats ef | goes ter sleep il
Pieta, least-wise in the moon time
NO, sirree' | asked him the reason Of
his objections resting mainly with the
nights the moon shines. His reply wax
simple:
Didier never see ghose?'
l assured him l had never seen :
ghost.
IN yer don't wanter see none. OF
Bill Staggers, he crawled inter Piets
onst, druiSer'n cooter, Bill were, T
moon time N next day when Bill
ken home he were looney -chuckle
headed ez blue jay, n that evenin' he
shot grcaser The boys knew Bill
was frolicksomc. n thought he wa
be, but next mornin' he drawed OF
Squire Higgins, n tho squire he didn
hev no turn for humor. he didn't. bein
sober cuss, SO he whanged away I
fetchedlBill deader'n beeswax. Ye XII
laugh if yer will. but if yer go ter Piet'
in moon time n see Joe Grease
playin', n Anguish Dancin', N Grease
Joe beatin' time in the shadders, yer
come back looney."
Other anecdotes were told of spectra
game to be found in Pieta, of ghostl
deer that disappeared utterly whel
shot at. have seen many deer do thi
cheerfully, who were not ghostly an
of a spook spring whose purling water
had the unpleasant habit of vanishing
when the thirsty hunter stoops to drin
: them. Then our host. thus unburden
, ing himself with the kindly air of on
who gives warning and wishes well
, waved us dignitied good night an
left us to our pipes and reflection.