Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-01-18
THAT'S BILLS GRAVE.


The person in question was q man
past middle age, of medium stature,
firmly and compactly built, who
would have attracted q second look,
however, but for the fact that his face
was badly disigured by a curious
scar on his right cheek, in shape ex-
actly resembling Greek cross.
The newcomer found seat beside
me, threw up the sash and became abb
sorbed in the scenery along the road,
his interest increasing as the train
presently swept along pretty valley.
Suddenly he turned half way round,
touched my arm, and, pointing
through the open window. said very
abruptly;
Say, stranger, do you see that pile
o rocks yonder on the slope9 Well.
that's Bills grave"
The mans actions and speech star
tied me a trille. but / looked out and
saw. as he had said, pile of rocks on
the green slope of the hill.
Yes" continued the man, that's
Bills grave. Twenty-Five years ago
put them stuns thar myself. Poor
Bill pure gold cl'ar through, an l
reck'n orter know, for know'd Bill
from the ground up"
Having delivered this short speech
the man lapsed into silence, with far
away, dreamy look, as if recalling
events long past But his words had
aroused my curiosity, and, at the risk
of interrupting the strangers reverie,
finally ventured TO ask: Who was
Bill, sir, whose grave is yonder2"
My companion gave sudden start,
then, recovering himself, he answered:
Didn't know Bill, eh2 OF course
not, seem he was dead before We was
born dead twenty-five years come
June Bill was my pard, sir, Bill was.
a man TO tie to every time. Say,
don't We think ye'd love chap what
nd be willin' ter die for yea Be
willin, and would. an did. tooa !
reck'n"
DO you mean TO say your chum
died for you2" asked, now thorough
ly interested, for there was tremen-
dous feeling and earnestness in the
strangers manner.
The man turned round, looked me
squarely in the face, and in solemn
voice said:
D.. Stranger, he did"
Would you mind telling me some
thing about your friend2" l asked.
II 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
stones 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.
Curious 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, | never know'd Bill ter
laugh, never, not oncest. Told me
his heart was broke, n he couldn't
laugh. What did he mean2 Lor,
man, dunno, for he never said much
about hisself. Iasked him his name
n he said it was Bill ask'd him
whar he was from n he said from No
whar. Ispec thar was a 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
cliums an | was mighty sorry when
ne quit pilotin' trains, an jined some
hunters, an pulled out into the heart
o the lnjun country.
"Bimeby, year later, havin' got a
bit crazy on the subject o silver min
ing, struck this same region we are
now passin' through but we had no
luck at all in findin' silver, though !
felt he'd struck it rich one fine day,
when two hunters walked into our
camp, one Of 'em bein' my old friend
Bill.
Glad to see him, eh2 Young man,
eff ye'd seen ole Bill an me a huggin>
ye'd thought we was couple o bars
for sure.
Bill had been Whereabouts for sew
eral months an said there was no sill
yer signs abouts, an SO our party pull
ed up an went farther south, but !
stayed with Bill an tother chap to
take hand at trappin' beaver.
THE old fellow had nice bit O. a
hut nigh a quiet valley, where thar
was heaps o beaver, an as thar was
no redskins around we enjoyed our
selves immensely.
But didn't fancy Bills compan-
ion, an he didn't waste any love on
me either. Bill had picked him up
OH the border jest fer company,
an he took to him bit because he
seemed a nervy, brave fellow. He
was half breed Mexican, named Yu-
mez, small, why fellow with sallow
checks, coal black eyes and Ratchet
face, and crafty ways like fox. AT
first he showed his dislike for me plain
enough, but by and by he became sud-
denly very friendly, which made it
much pleasanter all round.
"One day went UP the creek to ex.
anime the traps, leaving Bill and Yu-
mez mending some of the old ones at
home. Having been gone about half
an hour | was gettin' ready to return,
when heard the crack O a rifle an
bullet grazed the tip O. my ear, DRAWN
a drop o blood
II reck'n jumped nigh a rod high,
for it was pooty clost call to climb
the stairs, and then | looked to see
whar the Internal thing come from.
| seed wisp o smoke hangin' over a
clump o bushes nigh the ELL top that
told me all cared to know, an grab
bin up my gun l made for home, I'M
der the shelter of the creek bank, at a
2:40 gait, fearin' second shot from
the lnjuns.
Nigh our hut met Yumez. gun in
hand, who said he had heard the shot
an started out to help me if needed.
1t struck me as bein' curious he could
have heard the report over a
mile away, behind the hill an the
wind BLOWN half a gale in t'other di-
rection, but o course there want moth
in to be said
"Bill was inside workin' on the
traps, an when told him what had
happened he was quite Uneasy, and we
discussed the sitivation as to what
should be done, Meantime Yumez
| had hung his gun. on the pegs and
! gone for bucket o water.
Wonder if Yumez seed any In
! jun signs when he was out, said Bill.
Why SEE l, was he out whilst
was comet Thought he was hyar
with you
I He went out with his gun soon
after We did, said Bill. III ask him.
/ And Bill left the hut
That give me another suspicion, to
rarn that Yumez had left the hut
shortly after did. What fora An
why did he pretend he'd heard the ri
| flo shot an come ont afterwards To sae