Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-01-29
tolls, an when somebody aXed what
he was goin' to do. he said;

IN goln over thar an wipe tnat
derned settler ont. I'm goin' TO shoot
him so full of lead that he'll weigh a
ton. I'll break up this squatter busi-
ness right on the start.
Il knowed Big Jim meant what he
said an / felt kind o. sorry for the set
tier, but | didn't say nothin' Ne and
the other boys jest set down and
watched Jim as he strided cross the
prairie, an waited to see what was
go'n' to happen.
When Jim got up sorter close to
the wagon we saw him draw his gun
an git ready to shoot, then we saw
him edge up little closer. kinder
keerful like. then all at once we saw
him stop an wait like he was listenin'
at somethin'.
Wal, / reckon most a half hour
must a passed that way. an We got 10
wonderin' what made Jim stan there
actin like that. when all at once he
whirled round an come back to as
lookin' the soberest and solennest
ever saw a feller look in all my life.
BY gosh, stranger, you may not be-
lieve it, but I'd most swear they was
tears in old Jim's eyes, an | know
when he spoke TO us his voice was all
tremble, like his feelin's was too
much for him.
1T was a good bit before Jim said
a word, an all the time he jest set
thar on a inv, rted bucket, nussin' his
head in his hands, an actin like he
was dreadful cut up. We stood round
an looked at him, wonderin' whar
it meant, but after while ventured
to speak 70 him. sayln'
What ailin' you. Jimg
Then he raised his head sorter slow
like, an in tone so sad aud different
from whar his alus 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 Il
great notion 20 shoot myself. | never
knowed 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 s'pose nothin'
'ud tech his heart, an We was anxious
to know what he'd heard over at the
wagon, an so we aXed him.
"'Wal, he said, 1 went over thar
to shoot that settler. an was slip
pin up to the wagon to git the drap
on him, when all at once | heard N
voice-the meekest, pitifulest little
voice l ever heard in my life, an
knowed in a minute it was the voice
OF leetle gal
"Jim's voice choked up so he could
not say nothin' more. so he waited a
moment, an then he went on:
"'Fellers,' he said, that voice jest
went through me like knife, an /
never felt so quaire since / was born.
1t was so weak. an 40 pitiful, an so
helpless like. ! heard it say;
"'Is the land pretty, pa Is II green
with grass like the old home back
east !?
"'Yes, il is very beautiful. darling,
a man replied, like he was cryin'. It's
very pretty, an you will find the green
prairie almos as nice as the big mead
ows back at the old home. When you
get well you can romp over the plain
and gather flowers and be very hap
py."
81 amt never goin' to be well any
more. pa. the little voice said, and
won never gather no flowers nor
romp over the prairie but I'm glad
it's pretty, cause when I'm in Heav-
en- where the angels are, an where
everything is so beautiful and bright,
/ want to know that you and ma have
a nice home like the old one we lost. /
won't be with you very fong now pa.
cause can hear the angels singin', E,
an / know they're coming to take me
away. Don't cry, dear pa an ma.
cause amt sorry to go-only don't
like to leave you. I'm so glad you're
goin' to have a beautiful home where
the grass an the flowers grow an
sometimes, may be, I'll come back TO
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 iD conclusion.
Il never felt so awful a. did while /
was staDdiD' there listenin' to them
words OF that child. Peared like
every one OF 'em was a knife. an that
she was stabbin' 'en into my cussed
wicked heart; an thought they hurt
terrible. ] wanted them TO stab deeper.
cause / knowed i deserved it. Ibar
was sneakin' mp there like n low
down onery thief. intendin' TO shoot
that frllsr fer tryin' 10 get home,
while he was In thar Dn-sin hi
dyin' child an her taIkin bout the
grass an the flowers. an the old home
back east. an the angles an Heaven.
Boys, I'd been glad il streak OF
lighfnin' had struck NE right then
an thar.
wal, sir. we never heard nofhin
more bout keepin' settlers often the
valley. an we never tried 10 hole none
OF il 'cept> what the law titled us
to hold. Big Jim an ali the rest OF us
helped the settlers ever way we
could. and when the angels came fer
his leetle gal an took her spirit away
we made grave on the prairie an