Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-12-06

goin' ter git it, the best | know how
ter give it ter i'm"
As day after day passed and the
sick continued in delirious state
tossing his hands wildly about and
uttering wild broken sentences, Joe
sat by his side and watched over him
with the tenderest care, no doubt in
! these kind offices finding some sort
OF solace for his overtroubled soul.
Joe's life in the West had been busy,
rushing one, and no time had he
found to indulge in thoughts ofthe
pastor the years away back toward
his youth, when his was an innocent
soul and his hands were free of crime.
But in the silent vigils of the quiet
nighttime when all of Savage Gulch
lay still in sleep, he sat through the
darkness and his thoughts went back
to the old home in the east. Up
through the gloom of the year came
trooping of memories, and above
all and the brightest of all was the
face of fond mother. He shuddered
as he recalled her love for her boy,
and mentally measured the awful dis
lance he had drifted away from her,
and tears, the first that had come to
his eyes in years, coursed down his
coarse, hard cheeks.
Themenaround thecamp sometimes
came in to offer assistance. but usually
Joe sat through the nights alone, and
he preferred it, for somehow since the
fountain of the past had been opened
and stream ofmemories set to flow
ing through his mind, he loved to sit
and enjoy his thoughts in solitude.
One day as Joe passed by the sa-
loon, some of the loungers remarked:
"Joe's stickin' ter old Shanks liker
err brother"
That's whit he is. An it's Their
quarest thing | ever see, too. He's
| Their last men in Their camp I'd a
thought of Il dom sech thing"
,''Thar's sometin' mighty GURUS
erbout it. I'd never dreamed o.
Joe takin' no interest in sick Teller,
an specially Teller like ole Shanks."
HE hain't bin inter ther s'loon for
several days; he'd yer noticed theft"
81 guess | he'd" replied the bar
keeper, "fer Joes alters bin one O. the
stldiest customers we he'd, an eff he
was sorter quarrelsOme sometimes,
he want never close with his money!"
Joe want never so bad a man. no.
how" said another, les some people
thought.
When he wus friend to Teller he'd
do anything for i'm. But somehow
he seemed to sOrter got err notion
that Their world was ergin' i'm"
Yes, said another. "but how'd
he ever come to take to ole Shanks.
dyer s'pose?"
Just then one of the "boys' called
Tor the drinks and the loungers
dropped the conversation and stood
up along the bar ready for any emer-
gency.
One day the doctor came and pro-
nounced the crisis passed, for he
found the high fever had ceased. and
the sufferer lay calmly sleeping, while
his cheek was no longer hot and
flushed.
Hell get well now," the doctor
said, if he has proper care"
AN h'll hev it," Joe replied with
emphasis, 'if Pm able ter give it to
i'm"
That evening as the twilight was
fading into night, Shanks awoke.
and after his eyes had wandered
around the room, he fixed them on
the face of Joe Biggs with u startled,
wondering gaze, and for q moment
the two men looked into each others |
eyes.
What does it mean?" Shanks
asked, in a voice scarce above q |
whisper.
You've been nigh ter DEATH" Joe
replied. Ger days we've bin down
with the fever. But you're all right
now, the Doc says, only you've got
ter be keerful an not take no relapse"
This is your cabin, Joe?'
"Yas."
"How come me ter be here?'
I'VE found you down to the tent
with terrible fever, an l he'd YOU
brought hM'e."
can you've bin a nursin' me?"
"las, I've bin sorter helpin' you
little"
You're good man. Joe, an de-
serve my thanks. But l wish YOU
hedn't done it. l wanted to die"
Come, man, don't less hev non o.
that sort o. stuff"
Then after little Shanks looked
Joe in the eyes with an almost engle.
ike gaze and asked:
"Dld talk any when l was outer
my head?"
Yes, some," Joe replied.
'Did you understand" Il
"Some things. l know whut yer
IRWIN at, Shank, an on that score
list prepare to rest easy, fer We never
lone it. You've been sufferin' under
l-what-you call it? Anyhow yer all
light. Jim Buster amt no more
lead than l be. He's we'll aud
hearty"
You're not joking me, Joe?"
"Jokin'ye? S'pose I'd be er joking
bout SIGH er thing?'
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