Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-09-28

PIC W the uisease. Was it at al
strange that grew TO look upon Him
as my best friend in the world 81
that | loved him, yes. loved him bet
ter than anybody or ANYTHING on
earth? Why, often thought wonld
have died, and died gladly, for Jim.
Tod bless the dear old fellow'smemo.
ryl There never breathed d truer OF
II nobler gentleman than Jim.
FINALLY, whenI got to be strone
enough TO da something for myself
Jim came 10 me and said: walter.
my boy, we're on our last legs
about. The Claims cleaned out.
and there's not hnlfa dozen ounces
IN the sank. To make a long story
short, we were relocated few days
later IN a place some twenty OF
twenty-five miles dissantf where
some big finds were being name.
Our luck was almost phenomenal.
Every night the buckskin sack ip
which we stored our treasure was
made considerably heavier. This
went ON until we both were sure o.
realizing our utmost hopes Of for
tune.
Zone morning. the first thing after
jumped into the hole, | turned uu
a nugget, a howldero fpure gold, that
iairiy took my breath away. II lust
knelt down and kissed its yellow
( sides and cried over il and acted like
n crazy man. When Jim saw IL he
too went nearly Wild; IL was such Il
i big one. We didn't work any more
that day, but laid out under ths
trees with the nugget safe between us
! planning what We were going to dc
with our wealth.
Some way or another, however
the nugget had brought me a queer
feeling OF distrust Of everybody
around me. iiincied that every on,
IN camp wanted to rob me OF IN,
heavy hoard Of dust. even watched
I old Jim II ought 10 have been strucl
dead for that lest he should max,
away with the treasure. That night
! WAS wnkeitll. knowing that thu
whole camp was aware Of our grca'
luck, and fearful that some Of Ia,
more lawless crowd might attempt
/ a robbery during the darkness. Som
time along IL the morning awok
with the cold perspirhtion oozin;
from every porc. felt, rather thar
knew, that something was wrong.
reached over Ia where Jim slept AM
found his blnnkeis-eIupty. Next
20 where the treasure was buried
Ms hands could srnroc perform thei
oii!rc "a tore up the earth. Il wa
gone
Il rnshc,l out into tho faint moon
Hight. Not soul w8s In sight.
hGrrigSi bBck, got Il revolver, slippe
on boots and trousers, and rn
toward the nearest cabin, intcndin.
"a give the alarm. but Just as
pnsHnl liillc fhictei ! snw Jig
knceling oyyr what ! know instinct
Nrly was the stolen gold Slippin
softly up oypT the grass-carpe;e
ground ! c,ntchcl my heavy rrvol'
rr by the barrel and raised IL {
stviLc. A. TINT instant, and rs III
blow aimed with all my strength d
arrutrgl, there was n rush behind m'
an oath, "a shot. and ] knew n
aor. When ! nwokc Jim's liecles
body las beside me covered wit
d rough blanket. A group " sterI
fncni miners stood nbnut me, and q
| arose I was seized and pinionr'
when I collected INV scattered vii
enough To ask what Il all meant, n
answer was merely 20 point to Il
pistol still grnsped in my hand nm
10 the ugly wound that shove
where n heavy blow had crushe
, in inns head. Suffice II Ia 81
; that tho peculiar circumstances
the affair were such ms
make my guilt doubtful, and that
I, found no difficulty in burrowing NJ
! wny out Of the shanty where ! VI
! confined over night For days M
2 weeks, | suppose. roamed the hill
! living ON Wild berries and sleeping
J, thc undcrbush until | was fairly J
:. sane from grief and privation. lht
= killed Jim, the man who had CIV
= mo my life. the man TO whom HI
. owed mosr than | ever could hn'
{ cpnld. Was his rohbing me M
o Justification Of the crime? No.
I. wonld have gladly given him {,
d times as much II Icould have broug
y him back TO life.
\ ~ think Il must have been 8
!, months or more afterwards that
= went hnrk To tho scene of my erin
y had gone back to san Francis
= AMI tried TO start over again, but
e WINS no use. Nightly ! lived oy
= again the horrors Of that night, nj
:; woke trembling 50 that my tee
l G,irly chattercd. So went back.
q wns evening when ] reached I
y nlnce and walked into the salo'
Y whore everybody used TO cong
u rnte nftcr the days work W
. 5one W'hen I told who I was n
said that was ready to be punish
" rs might seem most fitting there "
u n silence of n minute or two, and IN
!, some one stepped up beside me- y
:, hooking curiously into my face, bui
! into a loud guaaw, and calculate
~ ,Whv Won darn fool, the chaI "