St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-12-07

change, yen low. he never told
an I never ast-what wus the prim
cause t druv him ter the Rockies
Thar's allus sumthin'.
I'VE warn't much alike. He -. -
sober as a jedge an liked r.' -,
Grizzly an or Steadx. , "no
the boys called US =. ~. iuoAy
..Wben weS got good pile wed
u.h. -. -.en divvy; then I'd saddle
INV ..ssre an take the trail fer Frisco
out he'd stay here long O. Polly.
HE tended the OIL woman when she
petered out, an done more ter com
fort the young un an l could. 'Twu.
bout the same s her hevin' two dad.
dies.
I'D allus stow some o. the dust whal
Polly'll find it arter I'm gone. an then
I'd help the boys ter hev good time.
Whenever l come back - arter six
weeks er six months-rd find 'Ol'
Steady goin' on jest the same. But
onct see in a minute t he'd struck
his last payin' quartz
'.DunnO what allied him. an, smart e
he wus. he didn't; but he told me he'd
quit diggin'. an afore 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 a
college out East, an l wus ter hand il
over on demand.
He writ a letter. amt never
larned ter read. no more has Polly
ter tell about hisself an what he want
ed done; but blest ef 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 a 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 larncd her his
self.
"Twus Orful lonesome arter tLst
an the gal cried a lot; but amt never
ban the same man sence.
"'Twus in my mind allus, whar d
or Steady planted his gold! An how
wus ter be as true ter him an his'n
as he'd ben ter me an Polly?
Il couldn't sleep sca'ce none. an one
moonlight night l went outside an
walked all 'roun' the gully. When
come ter tibet thar heap o stuns. as
sartin as ye're a sinner. thar sot or
Steady on a bowlder playin' guards all
by hisself!
He'd ben a marster hand fer sOly-
tary when he wus 'bOve groun'. an it
'peared he hedn't lost none O. his grip
down below. turned all kinder cold
an streaked. an then hotter'n blazes;
but no Twin man'd ever dOwned me.
an lowed no dead one shouldn't
Hello. pardw hollered. 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 as lead.
but l KEEP on a-draggin' myself nearer.
till all of a student he wus gone!
Il didn't tarry long. nuther; but
tumbled inter my bunk an cussed my
self fer a blamed fool
Mex night. sunthin' t couldn't
help fairly drug me out O. tho cabin
agin. an 'roun' till brung up ter the
same pile o stuns. an thar II sOt agin.
big as life an twict a. MATERIAL
Il started fer him-it-plumb
straight. but fust knowcd. thar wus
my feet a-laggin' agin s ef they
Belonged ter somebuddy else. Thet
time, though. edged a leetlc clusser,
an spoke out good and gritty.
WHATS sent We back. or Steady?
Didn't we do the plantin' job all
reg'lar? He wavered, an twisted. an
sqirmed 'rOun' copsid able. an then
he warn't thar!
Tibet blamed thing went on fer
seven nights; me a-gittin' madden an
it a-gcttin' sassier an stayin' later. till
got so clus' could Almost tech it.
1.-The las one. got good look over
his-its-shoulder, an blest If ever
one O. them spOok guards warn't spades
aces O. spades! l couldn' help larfin'.
Say. pardner! whar d ye git tibet pack.
be they from above er bclOw?'
He didn't take no notice. jest keep
on a-shufflin' an dcalin' 'em out on
tibet bowlder. one arter another. ace
arter nee. 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
l thought I'd settle the hash then an
thar.
i asst ye onct. pardner. what sent
We back. an now AK agin'.' Id ben
doin' consid' able thinkin' an cal'latcd
I'd struck lead at last 'Wus it |
cause We didn't git no chance ter tell |
bout yer pile?
Tibet spook stopped shufflin' an
raised its head ter onct follered up
the trail. 'Ye don't play nothin' but
spades. I rockin thar'll be some dig |
GIN ter do
"Or Steady's eyes looked from his
infarnal aces inter mine. thought a
blizzard d hit me; but l braced up
onct more. .Be-ye-a-settin'-on-I
the-spot-pard?' / chartered.
Hope ter die Ell he didn't smile. |
The gladdest relievedest I ever ye see.
1t made him look SO pert like I clean
forgot t he'd ben dead an buried. an
I wus SO tickled ter think I'd foun' out
what he wanted. t jest clapped my
ham down heavy on his shoulder!
Thet is. / clapped hearty nut. but thar
warnt nothin' ter hit but the stun whar
he'd sot"