Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-06-25
JOE'S PARTNERS.
He Takes One for Life After Hav.
ing Lots Of Trouble.

no 41k06 OAO AOE AAAAO kAAL0I G46Ns
ing Lots Of Trouble.
From the time he settled in the camp
he was forever picking up the stray
glers who came along, no matter how
ill-favored or unsavory they appeared,
giving them work on his claim, and now
and then taking one into partnership
generally with the result of finding
himself cheated and deserted within q
few weeks time-but just as cheerfully
trying the experiment over when the
next tramp came along, notwithstand-
ing tho remonstrances of his friends.
Some of them toughs IL cut your
throat one of these nights for the sake
of the dust you've got" they predicted.
mo need Of that, when they're well
como to it without" answered Joe.
He was an easy-goinR individual,
whose work only suf1oed to keep his
wants we'll supplied, though there were
men who declared that II they had
Joe's claim they would grow rich
from it.
: The wonder was that no one Of his
partners had stuck long enough to test
the fact.
"Joe's too COMPOUNDED lazy hisself to
get down to solid business with his pick
and shovel, and them Vagrants-thar's
no good In the whole kith and kin of
them" the camp pronounced. "They
never calkilated to do nothin' but i'm
pose on his good nature; and tell you
what. boys, it's no credit to the camp to
have them hangin' round, and i pro-
4 l. Lot h1a a.,
cuous charity, to be one OF the commit
tee that'n warn him 20 get out He
may be willin' to run the risk OF bein'
robbed and murdered hisself, but faint
fair to ask all the rest of US to do the
same"
"Time enough to talk when some
bodys been robbed and murdered" said
Joe, when the speech was reported to
him
And 1t was not more than a week later
that news went around that Joe had
taken another partner.
higher TO bein' a cadaver than live
man, to Judge by his looks" declared
the informant. 81 reckon that Joe at
last has got holt OF the angel he's been
lookin' out to entertain unawares. He'll
be goin' to jine EN- afoFe long, anyway.
Do to start q graveyard with, seetn' as
Tipsy Bill disappointed us by jumpAn'
into Deep river when he got the jams
and Big Saul was run out Of camp Afore
he killed his man. Be to our credit II
we get material death to start with"
This favoring view of the case was
helped along when they found Joe Ia
boring alone on his claim day or two
afterward.
"Pard's laid up to-day" he impaired.
''Got the consumption, boys, and Is
most gone with it. Coughs dreadful Of
nights, an has q bit of girl wife
waitin' for him to go back to her. I'm
Agoin' to work double turns to make up
bis pile for him, and IL any OF yop-uns
wants to help, here's the chance for
you. l amt akin It out Of your pocket,
understand, but in work on the claim"
AID Joe got the promise from every
man present to do his share.
Was it any wonder, then, that their
indignation rose, on their return TO
camp, to find their cSbinS r1ned Of their
ready dust and the cofssaHpttve gone,
leaving no trace behind him7
Joe was the most crestfallen man Of
the lot.
81 wouldn't have believed It," he de-
clared. "If you can make up your
losses out of my claim, boys, I'll be
glad to have you do it. I've got to give
At up now; you was right and 1 was
wrong bout pickin' up strangers that
way"
Then let IT be q lesson to you, Joe.
Well forgive you and say no more about
it, IL you won't take up with any more
pardners."
And Joe promised readily.
A month went by, and then one day
ne appeared before them.
IT want sou TO let me off on my word,
boys. 'Tain't in natur' to turn him off,
Just bit Of boys no harm in him.
You'll say so. know"
And in spite of their prejudices they
did say so, for the pale lad, who scarcely
looked more than sixteen, touched their
warm hearts with feeling of pity, and
ne speedily became favorite among
che mon, so willing was he to render
any service, 80 eager to be OF use about
the camp.
"Let me cook for the lot Of you:" ne
begged. "I'm famous hand at it; my
mother taught me how. And III tidy
np your cabins better'n you keep them.
You can try me first, and then pay me
what you like In dust. I'll have time
enough aside from Yorlin' pardners
with joe"
Which turned the laugh againstS Joe,
whose time was given more TO his pipe
than to his claim.
The boy Andy was soon quite at home
all over the camp. He was Is good as >
woman around, the men declared, which
remark Andy rather resented.
sid rather have you say I'm an i'm
provement over Joe's other pardners,
but mebbe you'll be running me out
some day Like you wanted TO do with
4hem."
i'lt all depends on how you behave
. yourself, you know. II we catch you
foolin' around our dust like the last
chap did, we'll do wuss'p run you out