Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-09-16

ulunI like IlI lfilt tOO Ntil, UbUoN,
lie steps M when they comes along, an
SAYS he: Mornin', Bill Mornin', Big
Smith, SAYS Bill. and stops his team. i
see YOU got Pearl Queen with YOU, says
Big Smith. 1t does pear that way
says Bill. i b'brve I'm somewhat
acquainted with Pearl myself, says Big
Smith, kinder smart like. i low YOU
don't know anything bad bout her, says
Bill, bitin' his teeth together hard
We'll, r. Crack! an Bill hit him
one on the jaw so we could all hear it,
sayin' at the same time: What is il you
knowl Big Smith fell like a log an lay
there for most n minute, Bill all the
time waitin' for an answer. Pertty o
Big Smith got SO he could kinder roll a
little, an then said: Bill il amt worth
m%entionin'r Then Bill whistled to his
mules and went on.
''Nothing but fights for Bill jerks af-
ter that. lie had to stop an lick the
man that KEEP the Red Corral fore he
got out o. town, and he pounded two
freighters at Willow Creek, an at Bad
River he an the man that run the road
ranch there fit twenty minutes, an Bill
finally got him up on the bank Of the
stream an showed him in an that settled
him. He would meet a man, the man
would say something about Pearl or go
TO GRIMM. an Bill would stop an step
up an whale him, come back, kinder
mop off the thickest of the blood with
his sleeve, swear at the mules an go on,
while Pearl reached down an patted him
on the shoulder an cheered him up.
pearl stayed with him right along.
She didn't ride on the mule so much
after the first trip 'cept when they were
goin' inter town, when Bill always had
her ride il, so that if there was anybody
round wanted TO make any remarks, that
she would tract their 'tcntion an they
would make EN-, an Bill would stop an
have it out with EN-. But il wasn't long
fore folks got over sayin' much in Bills
hearin'-awful unhealthy practice. One
day when they was pullin' into Rapid
CITY one of these picur' men tried to
take their pictur' with Pearl on the
mule. but Bill caught him at it an went
over an kicked one o. the legs off his out
fit, an as that only left two on it, il
didn't stand very steady, an the ctIss
looked kinder sheepish, put it under his
arm an made a sneak,
''Bill al'ays fixed her up a nice place
to ride in the trail wagon, an when she
wasn't there or on the mule she would
walk long by his side. Is'pose il was
very pleasant for her 10 hear Billswearin'
at the mules all day, cause she thought
a heap of him. When one o. the rest Of
us camps, Of course we al'ays have to
rustic round an cook our w bacon, but
she done his cookin' right along. an good
cookin' il was too, cause Bill asked me
to eat with them sev'ral times, Biscuits!
wy she used to make biscuits that tasted,
wy, durn it all, they tasted most like
they used to at homel Bill an Pearl
al'ays got along powerful fine together.
They wasn't married regular, you know.
Bill said he didn't believe in any such
monkey business, an | reckon she didn't
neither, but Bill told me it was going to
be a steady thing an it was.
"Well. it was q hard life for the girl,
al'ays on the road-cold an stormy
through the winter an hot and dusty
when summer come-never sleepin' in n
house an not hardly ever being in one at
all, 'cept occasionally mebby a store, or
freight depot, or something. But she
seemed 10 stand it first rate an not want
nothin' else. Bill was mighty careful
bout her stayin' in the wagon an keep
in warm in cold or rainy weather, so !
dunno, mebby the life was bout rs easy
as any she was used 10. Her m Bill was
al'ays happy anyhow, an ] s'poSe that's
a better record than some folks that live
finer an are more solder married can
show.
well. / reckon there amt SO very
much moro t. tell, thuagh its kinder
hard work 20 tell il Il tail. One night,
way long this summer | Campnd back
here, near Sturgis. | got up early and
pulled out for DpadwOgd, no thiukin'
bout anything, I'd gone SIX or seven
mile an was gittin' long fine, when |
come round u bend IN the road right
'mong tho biggest of the mountains,
when what should | see but Bill jerks
outfit camped ahead a ways. 1t want
no regular Campin' place, an | couldn't
make it out al first, but then | see Bill
a-walkin' back'artls in for'ards side o
the wagon with something white in his
arms, an Ilipn. says /. Il know what's
up. Git, YOU mules' Anil elm on the
near one an hit each Of 'em a crack
with the whip, an I'll b. hanged if |
didn't come up TO where lac was on the
trOt! | stopped an WAS goin' to yell,
an then / thought | hadn't better cause
II might not h. the thing for such an oc-
casion. Then / was glad didn't, cause
ns Bill come over. | saw tenrs in his eyes.
First | thought he felt bad. then | lowed
lac was glad, then | didn't know; but
Bill steps up side the mule an I'll be
teetotaliy blankcd-yes, sir. | will-if he
didn't turn back some sort o soft cloth
on the bundle an showed me the all.
firedest, blankcst, smallest, little cuss-
baby, you know-that you ever seen
That's what he done, an my
eyes stuck out a foot, though
| knowed, soOn as | srcn 1911
walkin' what was comm, too. Then
says Bill: 'Gene, that's my boy. Don't
he look jos like meF | was stuck for a
minute cause | couldn't secs it looked
like anything 'cept ies' baby, but
braced up. an says /: Bill, he's the pic
tur' Of you 'cept his eyes-he's got his