Evening journal., 1891-07-27
ONLY A TRAMP.

The Southern Pacific express was puffine
through the hot atmosphere Of the Arizona
desert, between Yuma and Benson. The
heat was intense. Even the talkative San
Francisco drummer had collapsed in
swelterng heap on the end seat. To the
tired passengers the hot hours seemed end
lessly long Suddenly the brakeman en-
tered, bringing with him a cloud of black
smoke and alkali dust. with one hand he
shut the door, while with the other he
dragged heap Of rags into the car.
80 you we're sneakin' ride, were youi
Wall, you be tough nut, sure enough
Got anything ter say fer yerselff"
The figure within the tatters Strengthened
itself up, wiped the alkali dust from it's
eyes, essayed TO speak, then pointed TO the
ice water tank and sank back to the fooI
exhausted
'The poor critters bout done up" said
the man from Texas; where's my flaskf
'Where'd you get the poor cussY" asked
the San Francisco drummer. wiping his
perspiring brow.
"Found him on the brake beam when we
stopped at the water tank, !" said the brake
man. %. ... ....aA
Great heayens you don't mean 10 say
that mans been riding under this car,
ejaculated the drummer. "Oh, Lordl and
I've been sitting here grumbling about the
heat and the mean decrees of fate. Poor
cuss" III,
Hes all right till we get to El Paso
now" remarked the conductor. "Gains
the law to put man off at this part Of the
road. Put peddler off once; found his
pack and a fine skeleton a week later"
The tramp at last regained his breath
and the sender hearted Texan assisted him
TO a seat.
He was a man Of middle age, with
stubble beard and great scar running
diagonally across his forehead. from the
scalp TO the right cheek. His Clothes OF
tattcrs, denoted him "A tramp-a western
trampat that. M
"Hungryg" asked the Texan.
"4ed nothin fer thrty-six hours"
"Gentleinen," remarked the Texan, "a
strangers ht yer door,
! "Yer all white said the tramp hall
hour later, as he pulled a.inatch out Of bis
/ pocket and usedi for a toothpick.a
Gentlemen, you'd hardly thinkI owned
name by my looks, would yet2 but j dc
land good one at that George Calvert
ez my title. Thirty years odd ago used
to say that handle came TO me from lord
Baltimore, the jamestown Puritan, butl
never says il now" Is f.ttfi,
That's a pcrty tough wipe you've got
thar, partner" remarked the Texan, re
spectfully yeying the soar across the tramp's
forehead. BE thar anInjun story tharrl
| NAV" -ur & tes4e
And the tramp looked out of the window
with a wistful expression on his SCARED
face before proceeding.
THAT scrape never come from an Iniun
ct come from Greaser, and his bones heS
been picked long ago by the cayotes Out
thar" .H
'Iaint often tells my woes, cause no
body believes my story Would you lik,
TO know why I'm wearing rags and ridin
on car trucksH' ts.
''In the year '6o was young mar
studyin' law in Boston, with ez good pros
poets ahead ez any man ever he'd afore him
he'd just come in. fer i've thousand by tn,
death Of an uncle, the last, Of kin. On
evening, at a social hop, met Mary-don'
matter about her other name-and-wall
twas "A ease Of love from thu word 20. Sh
was rich mans daughter; my wealtl
didn't 30 fer much 'gainst the governors
but then he'd prospects. sf
Things went on ez Slick ez possible fe
a time, when my health. failed, and tn
doctors ordered rest and change The gol
fever struck me, afrd" I inUtle up my min
one day to dig for fortune in Californey
, and get my health in the bargain. aCours
I Mary cried, and give up the trip twic,
, but finally got started. ,.a
Gentlemen, loved that gal ef ever MOI
/, tai loved any critter on Gods green eartl
I / used to lie under the great sky roof o
! the prairieat night, wrapped ina blanke
starin at the stars, building great big gol
castles, and nianys the tlIie tturned m
hoss' head round, to 20 back TO Mary L
lhad gone back I'd never been here
"Wall, l reached the aixgings FINAL
! and located claim e Cold. Hill, andin 81
. months laid away quite pile. WASH
much on drink then, and ldidn't hey II
red nose ha' now.
4 sOne day a letter coIfie tellin' me Il
governor he'd dropped all fe owned IN Il
loss Of three ships. This didh't bother II
much Bout three months skipped b
Is and another come which made meiwil
o The letter was all full, Of love and tei
q stains, and said that the man who ht
o saved the governor from complete ru
l. wanted TO marry her. She objected
IA course, and the old man coaxed far
D stormsd, aud the new lover waited. wis
full like. ., .
Il was for goin' home, But Mary said n
, ct d spoil my chances. af
"a wall, the end comerati last She ma
\. ried him The news dazed me et first, fer
u couldn't get ct through my head Then
"a left the diggings-for nowhere aud-entl,
q up-well, finally iined a party OF scout
and wandered over the western. count
fightin 1niuns
Two years later was one Of party
IA ten prospectin' in the Wahsatch mou
X tains, in Utah. We had settled fer can
t one evening in natural cave not far fro
* precipice, from whar we could look
the valley and over about two miles to t
stage coach trail, windin' in an out tive
the mountains.
~ was standin' on a rock lookin' at [
valley underneath, when l saw the sta.
coach way up on the trail roundup {
o. bluff. lcalled the boys to come and see ct,
ly ct was somethin' TO see In them days Y
ID, squinted through our glasses. at the Goa,
and waved our hats, though we knew th
le- couldn't see. Suddenly one OF the boys S,
a, In an an e1cited'way, Boys, they're 20
~. 10 be attacked; see them forms dodgin'
ed an out round thet blafff' Sure enoug
IN said the whole crowd, but how are We 20
lly TO warn themT We stood thar hesitat
al until we saw the coach stop; then we
to made a rush together for the trail
of '.Iook US over an hour to get thar, a
an we found the women. huddled AGAINST