Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-11-22

didn't like Bill mono too well, nohow.
He steps up when they comes along. an
says lie: 'Mornin'. Bill sMornin'. Big
Smith, says Bill, and stops his sesni. i
see you got Pearl Queen with you, says
Big Smith. It does pear that way,
says Bill. i b'lieve 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. T. Crack an Bill hit him
one on the jaw SO we could all hear it,
sayin' at the same time: What is it you
know9' Big Smith fell ike a log an lay
there for most minute, Bill all the
time waitin' for an answer. Pertty soon
Big Smith got so he could kinder roll a
little, an then said: Bill it amt worth
mentionin'r Then Bill whistled to bis
mules and went on.
Nothing but fights for Bill jerks af-
ter that. He 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 Greek, 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 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 tho mule so much
after :he first trip cept when they were
goin' inter town, when Bill always had
her ride it, SO that if there was anybody
round wanted to make any remarks, that
she would tract their 'tention an they
would make 'em, an Bill would stop an
have it out with 'em. But it 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 pictur' men tried t.
take their pictur' with Pearl on IL
mule, but Bill caught him at it an vert
over an kicked one O the legs off his out
Git. an as that only left two on it, it
didn't stand very steady. an the cuss
looked kinder sheepish, put it under his
arm an made a sneak.
bill alays fixed her up 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. s'pose it was
very pleasant for her to hear Bill swearin
at tho 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 own bacon, but
she done his cuokin' right along, an good
cookin' it 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 home! Bill an Pearl
al avs got along powerful fine together.
They wasn't married reg lar, 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 steady thing; an it was.
well, it was 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
house an not hardly ever being in one at
all, 'cept occasionally mebby store, or
freight depot, or something. But she
seemed to stand it first rate an not want
nothin' else. Bill was mighty careful
bout her stayin' n the wagon an keep
| in warm in cold or rainy weather, SO
dunno mebby the life was bout as easy
as any she was used to. Her n Bill was
al'ays happy anyhow, an s'pose that's
better record than some folks that live
| finer an are more soldier married can
show.
"Well, I reckon there aint SO very
much more to tell, though it's kinder
hard work to tell it n tai. One night
way long this summer l camped back
here, near SturSis / got up early and
pulled out for Deadwood, not thinkin'
bout anything. I'd gone six or seven
mile an was gittin' long fine, when |
como round bend in the road right
'mong the biggest of the mountains,
when what should see but Bill jerks
outfit camped ahead ways. 1t want
no reg'lar campin' place, an couldn't
! make it ont at first, but then | see Bill
a.wal&n' baC,i'ards III for'ard3 side o
the wagon with something white in his
arms, an then. says |. L know what's
/
up. Git, You mulcs!' An elm on the
near one AN hit each of 'em q crack
with The whip, an III be hanged if /
didn't co;Ac Up to where he WAS on the
trot ! stopped an was goin' to yell,
an then thought hadn't better cause
it might not be the thing for such an oc-
casion. Then was glad didn't, cause
as Ell come over, saw tears in his eyes.
! First Thought he felt bad, then I lowed
| he was glad, then | didn't know; but
Bill steps UP side the mule an I'll be
tcctotalIy Llankcd-4yes, sir, Wilt he
didn't tma back some sort o soft cloth
OH the bundle an showed me the all
! fircdest. Gankcst. smallest, little cuss--
baby, you know-that you ever seen!
! That's what he done, an my
! eyes stuck out foot, though
| knowed. soon as seen Bill
walkin' what was comm, too. Then
says Bill: Gene, that's my boy. Don't
he look jcs like me2' was stuck for a
minute cause couldn't sees it looked
like anything 'cept jes' baby, but
braccd up. an says |: Bill he's the pic
tur' OF you 'cept his eyes-he's got his
! No uig