The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-24

ing Us, and Waymire, now one Of the big
lawyers of San Francisco, sat on his horse.
with his soldiers not far beyond, watching
the Indians; for Waynire was then dis
tinnguished young, officer in the army.
There was a little commotion close by,
and the scaffold again creaked as
tall, Iank, sunburned and slender
man. all rags and hats and shoes,
with an OK whip under his arm, pushed
the dog aside. and stepping to the very
edge of the scaffold said hastily: "'Scuse
me, gentlemen, my steers is stra.d. and
thought that some Of you a-connin' into
the hangin might a-seen 'ern, ballface
and q brindie; emigrant steers, purity poor
steers. but all me an my folks have got,
and I've got TO find 'em. Didn't see 'en
nobody Two steers, two emigrant
steers; a ballface and abrindle?"
No one spoke. TIE man whose teeth /
had been counting shut up shop for sec
ond, and managed to get my eyes away
from him and off to the dusty old emf
grant, who was about backing down from
the scaffold to the ground. Now, the way
that he spoke told me that he was sort
of preacher, or exhorter at least. l whis-
pered this to Hound.
II say, chip in here. All right, Shed,
eh %
IAN right, Tom; let 'em chip
The lank man let his hat fail down by
the dog and his knees fell on the hat with
thump. Then Hound wanted to kneei
too, for he did not like his job. j can tell
you that, but his right hand was holding
on to the gnarly and twisted moose. and he
knew better than let go of it. So he looked
at Shed and said:
"You don't mind, Shed ?"
II don't mind. Tom"
And so he put the moose around the
mans neck and kindly looked and waited
a second to see if it was all right.
Hurt ye, Shed?"
mo. don't hurt; don't hurt now, Tom"
And then Tom went down on his knees,
and the boys bowed their heads and cried.
You could hear them cry. Why, the very
old dog seemed to feel the atmosphere of
pity and the pathos of the scene.
But let US end this. The old emigrant
arose; his hat lay before him and Hound
stopped to pick it up.
.'Give US that hat" said husky voice
below. Hound handed down the hat.
bout done, Tom ?" whispered Shed.
"'Bout done, Shed, just minute now"
answered Tom. as he raised up with the
hat, heavy from the collection. Shed saw
this and said:
tom"
"Well. Shed?"
lend me dollar till, till"-
"Why. Shed, here I'll chip in for both,
see?"
: Thank yer, Tom. An now. Tom"
"Well, Shed2"
YEN see me put away, Ell ?n
why, there, seer That's the grave all
ready. Shed"
Thank yer, Tom, thank yer. an I'm all
ready"
Then such crash and jerk The dog
sprang down TO the ground and began to
howl. and the men fell back. fell back and
down as If shot by grapeshot and canister.
Around and around swung the huge
and heaving body, and then if suddenly
stopped, stopped right still, and with the
face lifted and the head a little side
wise, 1t looked straight at Tom
Hound and /; looked black at us. you
may say, but not unkindly, for only two
or three seconds, yet it seemed years, for
no one had thought of the black cap.
Then suddenly it began to twist and
whirl and wind the other way, and we two
tumbled back and down to the ground as
best We could, for fear that We might faint.
left Hound to finish his work alone and
set out on long, cireuitous walk over the
the hills to try and shake off the night
mare of this miserable day on my way
home. sat down on bowlder for half
an hour above the town, and. on rising up
and looking back. as enc always will after
day like this. only then saw the huge
and shaggy old dog i went home hastily.
but more than once the old dog bumped
his huge bowed head against my heels.
The next morning | found him living
close by my door, and he put out his nose
little, licked his tongue out just the least
bit, as if he wanted 10 say that his brave
old heart was broken, but he didn't whine
at ALL
OF course couldn't stand the dog at all.
and so | went to Hound. After some
muttering and sullen protest against my
requests that he should take the dog to
the woman he finally put a tow string
around his huge neck and we together led
him to her cabin.
She came tearing ou5 like wild beast-a
kettle OF hot water in one hand and a
knife in the other, ard oaths enough in
her mouth TO sink ship.
you've hung an innocent men !" she
shrieked. as she hurled the boiling water
at Hound.
Then who killed Berry," 1 shouted
back over my shoulder from q safe dis
lance.
~ killed him. and I'll kill you, YOU
deyilF She was frenzied with rage, but
We were well ont of her way.
Have to hang another one, Tom" I
said finally, after we had walked to his
butcher shop in silence.
He tied the dog back by his bunk, and
patted his bowed old head for a long time.
Thenhe came out and up to me, and said
sharply: Not much"
well, what will we do?"
What will We do? Keep our d-n
mouths shut and sly nothing. That's
what we'll do. Didn't you know afore
that Shed was adyin' for her? Well, |
did, an that's why kinder took TO Shed
and fried TO make has hangiu' easy like.
lie was willin' to die tor her. an he did
die for her. an that settles it,
Hound had thrown these words off from
him as from his shoulder with his big
sledge-hammer right hand and | simply
said, half to him and half to myself, as I
went back to my cabin. in sort of echo.
THAT settles IT"
And next morning, before the break of
day, big woman on q big bell mule. with
a bunch OF grass stuffed in the mules bell,
rode quietly out of camp on her way to
The Dalles The pack train stole quietly
on after, followed by tramp picked up
for the occasion. And all so STILL
Then Tom and / went TO the carpenter
and had pretty cross and 4 headboard
made for the new grave on the hill. and
Tom took the dog slong TO see us put
them UP.
What became of The woman? Well
now, don't like to say anything hard of
any woman or record any woman's de-
cline or fall. But the last heard of her she
was Keeping boardin g-house for congress-
men in Washington City. 1t is hard to
stop when once on the downward road.
Joaquin MILLER.