Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-10-29

half bitterly 81 am not very widely noted "
No dogs, so common on the average claim,
rushed TO meet him, with suspicious growls
and wagless tails No little army Of white
headed children ran bashfully to hide at the
approach of the stranger.
Deserted, looks like the "slonch" told
himself "Well, so much the better for me-
Loneliness and will get along right well
together, and a SLOUGH without company is
just as good as anybody elsem
The swift falling twilight had filed with
darkness the little room that the half open
door revealed The ''sloucb" knocked, for
manners sake, and gave a great start as a
low moan replied. The moan was repeated,
and, after calling questioningly several
times, he entered
A match. hurriedly lighted, revealed tho
only occupant Of the shack gaunt, feebly
tossing man, who, stretched on the rude bed,
seemed hardly conscious OF the intruder's
presence.
"What's the matter, pardnerl" the "slouch"
asked, kindly.
The other, who seemed to beconscious only
in a glimmering fashion, strove feebly to
answer, and as the ''slouchn bent close to him
there came the one word:
"Waterr'
A cooling draught from the well near at
hand seemed to revive the sick man, and as
the ''slouchn bent above him again he wills
pcred hoarselyi
"Thank 70, pardner. Giti Smallpox
Out into the darkness the 'slouch" fed as
II pursued by demon When he paused he
was almost 70 the wire fence that surrounded
the claim. He took off his battered hat and
looked up at the stars twinlling into sight,
one after another
Tho deadly danger Of the plague was only
one more link to his chain Of misfortunes-
| Perhaps Il he ned he could escape il. The
man IN the cabin, Il left alone, would die Of
neglect, II not OF the plague. "slouch"
could help hiin.to battle with death just as
we'll as the most fortunate and influential
citizen Of Coyote City The sufferer in the
shanty had no claim on him, but
| Then he replaced the battered hat and,
1 turning about in the darkness strobe toward
| the open door, from which came a long,
| cleaning shaft Of light from the candle he
| had lit. Presently the door was shut, and
| the "slouchn and thesuiferer we're alone with
the plague
It was just snch another day as the one
| upon which, two weeks before the ''slouchN
| left Coyote City, TINT gaunt, pale man,
weary with his long tramp from the Isolated
claim near the lone mound, stepped just be-
yond the end OF the one street Of Coyote and
shouted hoarsely to a lad;
"Tell the big gun in the town to come
yarp
The lad very properly sought Col. Bender
son as the individual most worthy of the
title Of big gun" That gentleman rose
from table in the Jumbo saloon, and
Pierce Fanshaw and Arthur Lemon followed
him.
"Halt, tharr cried the stranger when
they had gotten within hundred yards Of
him.
News flies fast In border settlement, and
| quite a squad Of curious ones strolled up and
| Joined the colonel and his friends
| The colonel did not heed the command, but
continued to advance.
Halt, tharr repeated the stranger
Smallpox You'll halt now, reckonr' he
added, grlmly.
Not only did Col Henderson halt, but he
turned so quickly that he nearly fell on his
face, and started to hurry away.
"Halt, tharr was the command.
: A huEo regolycc~ ees,,cc-----ea il the band Of
the stranger, and the colonel st0ppaA
"What does this mean, sirln be demanded,
rather family "Who are your
'iame's Ike Masters, the stranger shouted
J IN reply. "Know William HatfieldP
"Never heered NV himr' Col. Henderson
answered positively
"Hataeld was the 'sloueh's' name" said
Pierce Fanshaw.
"Never knowed IT, Walln-to the stranger
-"what Nv himF
''Nuth'n,n answered Ike Masters. "He'
dead, that's all Don't reckon any nv you'll
keer none, bein's you run him out; but ies
want to say that the man you called Oh
| 'slouch' died a herOlp
The group about the colonel listened /
awed silence as the stranger shouted th
story Of the 'slouch'sr heroism and death.
] "He sent you some word,' Ike Master
r added, as be closed the recital. "Said fer n
s 10 say to you that the last effort Nv Il
SLOUGH want a failure, but that fer once
o 'complished what he set out 20 do. What
e set out TO do was to save the life Nv lke Ma
: ters, which Ike Masters is me-
r The colonel. usually ready tongued, W
silent
!. "An' jest want to say furder," shouts
It the paupt stranger, "that I hain't over
t, strong yit, but if the cuss, or any two NV &
1t cusses. what bossed the runnin' out Nv &
Al SLOUGH win step out from the crowd, me al
1t ole Betsy ynrn-tapping his huge revolver
As twill give EN- al tho satisfaction they wal
y case they feel insulsed when | say that ev'
Z, man connected with tho runnin' out Nv Wi
H. lam Hatfield Is liar an boss thiefn
d, These epithets may not have been appI
pirate 20 the occasion, but they were Of {
n kind that on the border are regarded as
~ deadliest insults
~ cam jest want to add went on Ike NJ
tiers, 'that my claim is on the southw'
IS quarter NV Section Three, an kin allurs
nd found thar or tharabouts, case anybo
wants to take this var matter up"
is And turniu strobe across the prairie
The crowd t.l,t soon gathered in the jun
ch saloon was loss noisy than usual; they wan
he 10 hear what Col Henderson would say,
"a that gentleman did not seem inclined
talk.
he ''AIebby made a mistake was all
rst said.
ed s'Few Of US would do as the SLOUGH di
said Pierce Eanshaw. 81, for one, would
OF die for anybody but MYSELF
be- There is verse in scripture hei
ote Mr.. Arthur Lemon, OF Boston.
nd "And with which it viii doubtless surp
tai you to learn that | am passably famili;
AVS interrupted Pierce Fanshaw "'Apd grea
he love hath no man than this, that man
est down bis life for his friends Frank
mes lies Pictorial
my a Suggested Thought.
out Magistrate-Thirty days, Uncle Pas
al It's disgraceful that an old man like
nix, should get drunk What would you thin
My you were to sea me Keeling along the st
under the influence Of liquorf