The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-11-14

ucfutu octttcE ou| IA tot- W oAVth
him so full O lead that he'll weigh
ton I'll break mp this squatter bust
ness right on the start
II knowcd Big Jim meant what he
said an felt kind o. sorry for the set
tier. but didn't say nothin'. Me and
the other boys jest set down an
watched Jim as he strided cross the
prairie an waited TO see what was
goin' 10 happen.
When Jim got up sorter close TO
the wagon we seen him draw his gun
an git ready 20 shoot then We saw
him edge up little closer kinder keer-
full like, then all TO once we seen him
stop an wait like he was listening at
somethin'.
''Well. I reckon most half hour
must n passed that way. an we cot TO
wondering what made Jim stan there
actin like that when all 20 once he
whirled round an come back TO MS
lookin' the soberest an solemnest
ever see Teller look in all my life.
BY gosh. stranger. you may not believe
II. but I'd almost swear they was tears
in old Jim's eyes. an / knew when he
spoke TO us his voice was all n-trem-
BILE like his feelin's was too much for
him.
1T was good bit before Jim said
word. an all the time he Jest set
thar on inverted bucket nussin' his
head In his hands an actin like he
was dreadful cut up We stood round
and looked at him. a-wonderin' what
| "a \
70 speak 20 him sayin':
What's ailin' you. Jimg
Then he raised his head sorter slow
like. an in a tone so sad an different
from what his allus was. that didn't
recognize II, he said:
Boys I'm jis' completely upset
by what | heard over thar, an feel
so blame sneakin' mean that I've
great notion 10 shoot myself, / never
knewed before how cussed onery am.
Course we was all s'prised at that
sort o. talk from Jim. cause he was
SO blamed tough we didn't spose moth
in 'ud tech his heart an we was
anxious TO know what he'd heard over
TO tho wagon. an 80 we axed him.
"'Wal, he said i went over thar
TO shoot that settler an was slippin'
up TO the wagon TO git the d rap on
him. whom all atsonce. heard voice
Tho meekest pitlfulest little voice
ever hear in my life. an | knowed in
minute II was the voice OF leetle
gal
'Jim's voice choked up so he
couldn't say nothin' more. so he waited
n moment an then went on:
4" 'Fellers. he said, that voice Jest
went through me like knife, an
never felt SO quairc since | was born.
IL was so weak. an so pitiful an so
helpless like. | heard IL say:
is the land pretty, pa? Is il green
with grass like the old home back
eastp
/" Yes. II Is very beautiful, darling,
man replied like he was cryin. Its
very pretty, and you'll find the green
prairie almost as nice as the big
meadow back al the old home. When
you get we'll you can romp over the
plain and gather flowers and be very
happy.
/" 4 amt never goin' TO be we'll any
more. pa the little voice said, and
l won't gather no sunnowers nor romp
over the prairie; but I'm glad it's
pretty, cause when I'm in heaven
where the angels are. an whore every
thing Is so beautiful an bright want
TO know that you an ma have a nice
home like the old one we lost / won't
be with you very long now. pa cause
/ can hear the angels singn'. an |
know they're comm TO take mo away.
Don't cry dear ma an pa, cause
amt sorry 10 go-only | don't like TO
leave you. I'm so glad you're goin'
to have beautiful home where the
grass an flowers grow; an sometimes.
maybe I'll come back 20 see you
Wal, Big Jim, he told over all
what the leetle gal said, an / never
see anybody what talked so gentle an
kind as he did
" Fellows he said In conclusion. i
never felt so awful as | did standn'
there listenin' TO them words o. that
child. Feared like every one OF 'em
was n knife. an that she was stabbin'
'em into my cusscd. wicked heart an
though they hurt terrible | wanted 'em
to stab deeper; cause Knowed de-
served II. Thar / was sneaking up
thar like low down onory thief. in-
tendin' TO shoot that Teller fer tryin' to
git IA home. while nc was in Their nuss-
in his dyin child an her talkin'
bout the grass an the flowers, an the
old home back east an the angels an
Heaven Boys. I'd been glad If
streak o lightin' had struck me right
then and thcr.
WAL, sir, we never heard nothin'
more bout keepin' settlers often the
vntlev an we neyer tried 10 hold mona