Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-12-07
I dreamed I had a wife and child, but I

v iAik AhAAA AAAAss NsN
tonight, Jack, it all came back to me;
the haunting dream came back and then
II all cleared up. and | find | am not Joe
Dougan, but Fritz Bauer. Tonight l
went by the cabin of the boy you call
.'Dutchy:" for some reason i looked in,
as he sat there in the dark; he held a
photograph in his hand; | caught a
glimpse Of it. And, Jack" Dougan
lowered his voice almost TO a whisper,
''my life upon it, it was my wife (and
God he praised for these eyes for once!
Don't YOU understand, Jack-it was my
wife and this boy is my boy, my son,
my Fritzchen"
my God!' exclaimed Hinton, and
Dougan could see that his face was as
white as a sheet.
..What is it, mani For heavens sake,
speak" cried Joe.
Hinton stared at him a moment in a
dazed way.
'.You didn't speak to him, did you,
joel" he gasped.
..No. mol What Of thatT'
"Why, he thinks you're dead" con-
tinued Hinton. hoarsely.
"Well, what of that? / amt" cried
Dougan.
.'But-but"- stammered Jack. "His
your wi-fe-thinks you're dead!"
well" reared Dougan, didn't l tell
you | ain't2 What's the difference?"
But, joe" began Hinton again,
TREMENDOUSLY, ''she-she's married again
there. | had to say it, Joe. The
youngster told me all about it last week"
Dougan sank down on the edge Of the
couch with a low moan. Hinton looked
at him helplessly; once or twice he es-
sayed to speak, but no words came from
his lips.
Zach! mein Fritzchen-und meme
schoene lIclena-noch NAL ~verloren!'
moaned Dougan, with his face in his
hands. Then he arose and staggered from
the cabin. Hinton watched the lettering
figure cross the stretch of moonlit ground
until it was lost from sight in the uncer-
tain shadows.
Just after dark the next evening Joe
Dougan went down the road toward the
young Germans cabin. but finding it
empty he walked on. He did not notice
the figure following him in the twilight.
II was Jack Hinton. 1t grew dark as
Dougan strobe on. He turned of from
the road and went upthe slope. where by
day the yawning mouths Of several scat
teren tunnels could be seen.
"Dutchy's working night as well as
day now and he's going to see him, "
muttered Hinton to himself, as he OBJ
served the direction Dougan had taken.
Il grew still darker as Joe proceeded up
the hill. At last he stopped at n of the
dark openings. Hinton crept nearer and
was about 10 speak when Dougan sud-
denly turned and walked on in diagonal
direction up the slope. The action puz-
zled Hinton, but there seemed to be some
method in it, as if the man had caught
sight of something up the mountain. As
Dougan proceeded further up his form
emerged from the shadow Of the distant
mountains, and Hinton could see it dis
tinctly against the starlit sky, for the
moon had not come up yet. Then all Of
q sudden Jack saw the form of his friend
drop down. Then he felt sure that Dou,
gan had seen something which was nol
visible to his own ordinary eyes, and haC
laid down TO creep nearer the object Of
person without being observed. Hinton
at once made toward the spot where BIZ
had seen Dougan crouch down. He had
hardly reached il when a pistol shot, fol
lowed by two more in rapid succession,
rang out; he saw the flashes not far
away, and then dimly discerned two
figures flying off down the slope. Hinton
ran to the spot. Acouple Of dark bodies
lay on the ground among the rocks. One
of them moaned and turned, and Hinton
recognized the Glaring eyes of Dougan as
they turned toward him in the darkness,
''Joe!'' he cried, as he dropped on his
knees beside the fallen man and lifted
his head into his lap, ''for heavens sake,
what does this meauy Are you badly hitl'
'Yes, Jack" said Dougan. with an
effort. I'm done for this time, sure; ]
feel il coming. They would have killed
my boy and stolen his claim, Jack.
Thank God for these eyes | have cursed
SO often; / Jaw them up here"
Dougan stopped and ground his teeth
together in pain. Hinton opened hi
shirt and stanched the blood the best h,
could.
They meant" continued Dougan.
brokcnly, ''tO borc-into the cross tun'
nel-and food the mine from the fun,
-to-night-Stop up the mouth-anl
drown the boy like a rat. Jack-so they
could jump the claim-but | aud my
eyes saved hih--tcll him that, Jack
tell him bis father saved the claim fol
him
Dougnn's head sank back on jacks
lap. lis eyes closed, but he opened
them again in a moment, and Hintor
saw that their strange glow was growing
fainter, as the mans life ebbed away.
''Oh, Helenai' murmurcd Dougan
dreamily. I'm coming back-meir
leiDcs Sc~haetzchcn!" and he ran off int
a stream Of German, no doubt coins
back ~ the old days in the fatherland
Once more hc opened his eyes and lookeS
at Hinton. There was a dying flicker Il
them.
"Ach, mcin liebCr FrcuEd. Eue Giueck
liches Wiedersehen-goOd-by JGckp
His head fell back limp and llfelegs-
the light had fled forever from Dougan'
eyes, -
The biz, blonde German stopped, tool
out his handkerchief and blew his nose
At that moment a faint, groaning SCUM