Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-31

railroad tracks, and when we got to the
other end and walked around bit we
saw the sign. up and we crossed over and
went in. There were lots of men work
ing there, and Jim was standing up talk
ing to girl who was a-writing like
congressman. When Bill saw him he
walks right up and shoves out his hand
and says he in loud, CHEEKY voice:
Hullo, ole Jim, how be yer
"Jim just looked up and then jumped
yard and grabs Bills outstretched hand
in both of his and then he grabs mine,
a-tallzing like politician all the time.
He excused himself for a minute and
reads little more to the girl and then
he introduced us to three or four people
and got his coat. The girl turned
around and commenced hitting ma
chine and Bill went up and took off his
hat and his long hair fell about his face
and he said:
That's one of those typewriters, amt
it, nissY
"And the girl looked up and smiled
awfully nice and says, Yes, SIR and
then Jim came along and we left We
went out, and ri be switched if could
see how Jim could find his way around
with all the wagons and people and cleo
trio cars, but we got on one of them
trains and rode for about half an hour
and then we got off and walked up a
hill. A pretty little house stood up
above the street and we went up, for
that was where Jim lived. The house
was fixed up in great shape, and as Bill
and me stood there kind of awkward
the curtains were showed aside and a
young lady came in. She stood for a
second, and Jim just said 'my wife"
when she stepped forward with the
sweetest kind of smile and taking my
pard's hand and says:
This is Big Bill, know, and Jake. ]
am glad to see you
"Bin Just looked all broke up for min
ute and then he turned to Jim:
emo wonder you married, Jim,' says
be-
Jim and his wife just laughed, and
while they were enjoying themselves
little child came into the room and ran
up to his father, and he took him up in
his arms and kissed him and then set
him down on the floor, and he ran over
to where Bill was sitting in one of those
big chairs and climbed up in his lap, and
Bill held him like he was glass, and he
was pleased if he did feel foolish, and
the kid ran his little hands through the
big mans beard and long hair. and
seemed to enjoy it immensely, and pretty
soon Bill turns to Jim and says he:
"'You had better take this, Jim.
amt used to handling such lambs
Jim reached out for the child, but he
chung close to Bill. A flush of pride
comes into my pard's face, and he looked
up and said:
"'What's the kids name, JimY
But before Jim could answer the boy
said 'Bilr just as plain, and the big fell
low looked up first at Mrs. Jim and then
at her husband and he read the answer
in their faces, and then he pressed the
child close to his bosom, and two big
tears came into his eyes and fell on his
cheeks. We felt at home right away,
and that afternoon Jim got a carriage
and drove us all over the city and out to
the fort. Bill looked awful happy sit
ting on the back seat with Mrs. Jim, and
the kid and Mrs. Jim laughing softly
and talking merrily while her husband
and Bill spoke of when Jim was up here
in the hills. We staid there for three
days, and Jim just showed us all the big
buildings and took us up to one of those
swell clubs and introduced us around
as though we were millionaires instead
of poor sheep herders, and reporter
gave Bill great write up too.
about month after we were down in
Omaha we saw a man from the ranch
riding up, and so we went over to see what
was the matter, for it was on Thursday
and we thought something was up. He
had letter with black margin from
Bill and he tore it open and it was from
Mrs. Jim, saying that Jim had been taken
suddenly sick and had died. Well, sir,
Bill just took the letter in his hand and
turned around like one that's paralyzed
and he walked straigh. over yonder
under that pine tree where he and Jim
had laid so often and threw himself
down on the ground looked after the
sheep, and at sundown drove them all
up here into the corral and then Shep and
me went over, and the dog, when hepsaw
Bill lying fat on the ground with his
face in his arms, gave one long and
agonizing howl and began licking Bills
face and Bill reached up and pulls Shep
right down by him and said awful soft
like:
"'Your hearts broken. too, amt it,
ShepY
HE lay there for long while, and the
moonlight came out from behind the
clouds and bathed the hills and the val
leys with the soft light, and it fell upon
Big Bill, lying with his head on the dog
and sobbing to himself. 1t was almost
morning, and the moonlight had died
away, and the eastern heavens were
tinged by the light of the rising sun and
a soft wind stirred the willows there by
the brook, and murmured through the
pines, when he arose and come over here
to the cabin. was SO dead tired that /
had slept all night, and when he opened
the door was just getting up.
"'Jake,' he said. 4 have got to go
down to Omaha
Because he said, you know Jim
was pretty extravagant and he didn't
get much of salary, and wouldn't be
surprised If his wife and the kid was