Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-09-26
Would you mind telling me some

thing about your friend?" asked.
Il never git tired. sir, OF talking
about Bill" was the prompt reply.
stopped hyar yesterday jest to see
that grave. Put up one or two O the
stuns as he'd rolled down. It's all
right now.
when fust met Bill he was guide
for chaps a'crossin' the plains, Santa
Fe way, for thar want no railroads
them days. A good guide n trusty.
Cur'ou though bout some things
He'd never use cuss words, nor drink.
but Lord! how he'd smoke. all day long
n half the night, too; good-natured,
but the solemnest chap ever struck.
Stranger, 1 never know'd Bill ter
laugh, never, not oncest Told me
his heart was broke, m he couldn't
laugh. What did he mean? Lor, man,
dunno, for he never said much about
hisself. ! asked him his name n he
said it was Bill l ask'd him whar
he was from, n he said from No
whar.' I spec thar was woman in
the case-thar mostly is, | notice. But
Bill was built like clam n kept his
mouth shut.
"Wall, Bill an me got ter be great
chums an l was mighty sorry when ne
quit pilotin' trains, an jined some
hunters, an pulled out into the heart
O. the Injun country.
"Bimeby, year later, havin' got a
bit crazy on the subject o silver min
ing, l struck this same region we are
now passin' through, but we he'd no
luck at all in findin' silver, though l
felt l he'd struck it rich one fine day
when two hunters walked into our
camp, one of 'em being my old friend
Bill.
"Glad to see him, eh? Young man.
eff we'd seen old Bill an me huggin'
ye'd thought we was a couple O bars
for sure.
"Bill had been tharabouts for sew.
erai months an said thar was no sill
yer signs about, an SO our party
pulled up an went farther south. bu
| STAYED with Bill an t'other chap t.
take a hand at trappin' beaver
The old fellow had nice bit O. ;
hut nigh a quiet valley, where tha
was heaps O. beaver, an as thar wa
no redskins around we enjoyed our
, selves immensely.
'But l didn't fancy Bills compan
ion, an he didn't waste any love OF
me either. Bill had picked him VI
on the border jest fer company, an
d took to him bit because he seemed
nervy, brave fellow. He was half
breed Mexican, named Yumez, a small
l. wiry fellow, with sallow cheeks, coal
black eyes and Ratchet face, an
n crafty ways like a fox. At first b
4 showed his dislike of me plain enough
but by and by he became suddenl
!: very friendly. which made 1t muc
o pleasanter all round.
Zone day went up the creek to eS
}, anime the traps, leaving Bill and Yu
: mez mending some of the old ones a
home. Having been gone about a
n hour 1 was gittin' ready to return
when heard the crack O. a rifle an
It bullet grazed the tip O. my ear DRAWN
e drop O blood.
Il reck' n 1 jump'd nigh rod high
d for it was pooty clOst call to elm
>, the stairs, an then looked to Sc
whar the Internal thing come from
Is l seed a wisp O. smoke hangin' over
clump O. bushes nigh the hill top ths
told me all cared to know, an grail
bin up my gun l made for home, vi
der the shelter of the creek bank. at
2:4O gait fearin' second shot frol
the Injuns.
Nigh our hut l met Yumez, gun
e hand, who said he had heard the she
a an started out to help me if needed
Y 1t struck me as bein' curious he cOul
have heard the report over mil
n away. behind the hill, an the win
,, blowin' half a gale in t'other direction
d but O. course there want nothin' to /
= said.
IS Bill was inside workin' on tn
n traps, an when l told him what ha
> happened he was quite Uneasy. an "
discussed the situation as to wh'
e should be done. Meantime Yumt
D had hung his gun on the pegs an
!, gone for bucket O. water.
n Wonder if Yumez seed any InJu
7. signs when he was out?' said Bill.
/, Why sez I, was he out whilst
g was gone? Thought he was hyar wit
y you.
,e He went out with his gun SOC
}? after We did, said Bill I'll ak him
And Bill left the hut
ID THAT gave me another suspicion
v, to L arm that Yumez had left the h.
,e shortly after l did. What for? A
why did he pretend he'd heard Il
IS rihe-shot an come out afterwards
1 see what it meant? / got up an we
Or to the pegs an examined the Mexican
/ rifle. l didn't see the result. for tt
i'll gun wasn't loaded at all! Things HI
an ugly look. While l was putting Il