Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-12-10

shot / don't bar no toolin' with. FL
We betray--"
n shall not betray you"
wall, l amt easy inistook a-readin'
mon, an I'm a-golu' ter trest ye. I've
got ter, somebuddy. soon, Thar's
queer kind O. pain In my side 7 warns
me. Twic't I've lost my senses, an
when come to | dedn't so much
stren'th rs baby coyote. I'll lose
ZEN onct too often. an then-----
Il amt never told Polly ylt Two
kinder hated ter Women is narvous,
an I've ben a-gittin' that way myself
nut ter know what q mis'able feel II
is.
~ he'd pardnor onct; as squar'
man as ever handled n pick. lie
hailed from Boston, an 'twus quite
change, ye'll low. He never told
| an | never ast--what wus the prime
cause t druv him ter the Rockies
Ihar's allus sumthin'.
I'VE warn't much alike. He wus
sober as q jedge. an liked rum. OF
Grizzly an or Steady'-thets what
the boys called us. an we wus lucky.
"ifhen we'd got good pile we'd
make an even divvy; then I'd saddle
my mare an take the trail fer Frisco,
but he'd stay here long o. Polly.
He tended the OIL woman when she
petered out. m done more ter COM
fort tho young I'm IN | could. 'Twus
bout the same s her heyin' two dad
dies.
I'D allus stow some o. the dust whar
Polly'll find it arter I'm gone. an then
I'd help the boys ter hev good time.
Whenever / come back - arter six
weeks or six nonths-rd find OF
Steady goin' on Jest tho Same. But
onct see in minute U he'd struck
his last payin' quartz
dunno what allied him, an, smart 8
he wus, he didn't; but he told me he'd
quit diggin', an nfore he hung up his
tools fer good he'd show me whar he'd
slowed his pile.
Twas all fer his boy t wus ter
college out East, an wus ter hand 1t
over on demand.
lie writ letter. amt never
larned ter read, no more has Polly
ter tell about hisself an what he want
ed done; but blest OF he didn't drap of
student one night an never no chance
ter tell nothin
"Some o. the boys helped bury him.
an we fixed him comfor'ble an solid,
with stun ter his head an his feet.
Warn't none O. us much fer prayin'. SO
the young un. she kneeled down thar
an said the pra'r he'd larned her his
self.
"'Twus orful lonesome arter thet
an the gal cried Il lot; but amt never
ban the same man sence.
"'Twus in my mind allus, wizard
or Steady planted his gold! An how
wus ter be as true ter him an his'n
us he'd ben ter me an Pollyp
IL couldn't sleep sca'ce none, an one
moonlight night went outside an
walked all 'roun' the gully. When
come ter tibet thar heap o. stuns. as
sartln as ye're a sinner thar sot or
Steady on bowlder playln' cyards oil
by hisself !
He'd ben marster hand fer soly-
tary when he wus 'bovo groun', an it
'peared he hedn't lost mono O. his grip
down below. turned all kinder cold
an streakel, an then hotter'n blazes;
but no livin' man'd ever downed me,
an lowed no dead one shouldn't
Hello, pard!' Ihollered. He never
let on. but Jest KEEP a-sortin' an hand
lin his guards same s he'd allus done.
Somehow my legs felt heavy rs lead.
but KEEP on a-draggin' myself nearer.
till all OF student he wus gone!
II didn't tarry long nuther; but
tumbled inter my bunk an cussed my
self fer blamed fool.
Mex night, sunthin' It | couldn't
help fairly drug me out o. the cabin
agin, an 'roun' till brung up ter the
same pile o. stuns, an thar II sot ngin,
big as life an twict as material.
II started fer him-it-plumb
straight. but fust / knowed, thar WIS
my feet a-laggln' agin S OF they
blonged ter somebuddy else. Tket
time, though, edged II leetle clusser,
an spoke out good and gritty.
"'Whats sent ye back. OF SteadyP
Didn't we do tho plantln' job all
reg'larP He wavorcd, an twisted, an
sqil'med 'roun' considerable, an then
he warn't thar!
Tibet blamed thing went on fer
seven nIghts mo a.glttin' madden an
it a-gettin' sassier an stayin' later. till
got so clus | could amost tech it.
"The las one. got good look over
his-its-shoulder an blest II over
one O. them spook guards warnt spades
aces o. spades! | couldn' help larlin'.
Say, pardner whar d ye git tibet pack.
be they from above er belowp'
"He didn't take no notice, Jest KEEP
on a-shufllin' an dealin' 'em out on
tibet bowlder. one arter another, ace
arter ace. We begun these pertracted
meetin's when the moon was in fust
quarter. an now twas later n later
ever night afore he'd come ter time.
] thought I'd settle the hash then an
thar.
=" i asst ye onct, pardner. what sent
We back, an now AK agin.' I'd hen
dom consid'able thinlsin' an cal'lated
I'd struck lead at last WINS it
cause We didn't git no chance ter tell
bout yer pileP
"Thet spook. stopped shufilin' an
raised its head ter onct follered up
the trail. 'Ye don't play nothin' but
spades. reclin thar'll be some dig
gin ter do
"OI' Steady's eyes looked from his
infarnal aces inter mine. ! thought
blizzard d hit me; but l braced up
onct more. 'Be--ye-a-settin-on--
the-spot-pardr l chartered.
"Hopo ter die ef he didn't smile.
The gladdest relievedest 'tever ye see.
It made him look so pert like t clean
| farUot u he'd hen dend nm buried nm