Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-22

one On the Jaw so we could al near II,
sayin' at the same time: sWhat is it you
know2 Big Smith fell ike log an lay
there for most a minute, Bill all the
time waitin' for an answer. Pertty soon
Big Smith got so he could kinder rou
little, am 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 be
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 of 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 am cheered him up.
ePearl 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 it, so that if there was anybody
round wanted to make any remarks, that
she would tract their 'tention an they
would make 'en, an Bill would stop an
have it out with 'en. But it WASH long
fore folks got over sayin' much in Bill s
hearin' awful unhealthy practice. One
day when they was puihn' into Rapid
City one Of these pictur' 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, it
didn't stand very steady, an the cuss
looked kinder sheepish, put it under his
arm an made a sneak.
sBin arays 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. Is'pose it was
very pleasant for her to hear Bill swearin'
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 own bacon, but
she done his cookin' right along, an good
cookin' it was too, cause Bill asked me
to eat with them sew raj 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 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 a 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 a
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' IL the wagon an keep
in warm in cold or rainy weather, so l
! dunno, mebby the life was bout as easy
rs any she was used to. Her n Bill was
al'ays happy anyhow, an l s'pose that's
a better record than some folks that live
| finer an are more solder married can
show.
"Well, I reckon there amt so very
much more to tell, though it's kinder
hard work to tell it tall. One night,
way long this summer I camped back
here, near Sturgis. l got up early and
pulled out for Deadwood, not thinl1in'
bout anything. I'd gone six or seven
mile an was gittin' long fine, when 1
come round bend in the road right
'mong the biggest of the mountains,
when what should 1 see but Bill jerks
outfit camped ahead q ways. 1t wa'n't
no regular campin' place, an couldn t
make it out at first, but then / see Bill
a-walkin' back'ards in for 'ards side O
! the wagon with something white in his
arms, an then, says l, 4 know what's
up. Git, you mulesp An elm on the
near one an hit each Of 'em a crack
with the whip, an I'll be hanged if 1
didn't come up to where he was on the
trot! I 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 l was glad didn't, cause
as Bill come over, saw tears in his eyes
First I thought he felt bad, then lowed
he was glad, then l didn't know; but
| Bill steps up side the mule an I'll DO
teetotally blanked-yes, sir, Wilt he
| didn't turn back some sort o soft cloth
! on the bundle an showed me the all
! firedest, blankeSt, smallest, little cuss-
baby, you know-that you ever seenl
| That's what he done, an my
| eyes stuck out foot, though
l knowed, soon as I seen Bill
waikiki what was comm, too. Then
says Bill: Scene, that's my boy. Don't
he look jes' Ike meG 1 was stuck for a
minute cause couldn't sees it looked
like anything 'cept jes' baby, but
braced UP, an says I: Bill, he's the pic
tur' of you 'cept his eyes-he's got his
mothers eyes, Yes says Bill, fhis
mothers eyes, an mebbe her hair, too,
only. it s awful short, Then l started
to say something, but Bill stopped me,
an says he: Pearl is awful sick, an l
want you to get onto one o my mules an
ride on to Deadwood an git doctor to
come down.
so done so. goin' bout as quick as
anybody ever did with a mule that was
kinder set ag'in goin' anyhow, an got
hack way ahead O. the doctor. When
come up there was nobody in sight. l
waited a minute an didn't hear nothin'.
Then tapped little on the trail wagon
an Bill said, Come in, sorter choked
like. an put my head under the canvas
at the back end.
There sat Bill on the bottom Of the
wagon box with the baby on one arm,
| while he was a-loohin' down at Pearl
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