The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-05-06
ABE AND AUSTIN.

ABE AND AUSTIN.
Austin and l were sitting up with the
CORPSE Abe had been a stiff since 8
O'Clock, and IL was then six hours later.
We were attlemen-cowboys they
would call us east-hving in ranch on
the Psoos in Texas. Abe was lying on
buffalo robe over against the wall, where
ha died. He had been grunting around
for several days complaining Of his old
wound. BE was taking drink when ]
went out In the afternoon to salt some
deer; when came back, he was dead.
Austin and Strengthened him out and
threw q saddle blanket over him. We
closed his eyes, but left his head out 1t
seemed moro natural Ike
Austin was sitting facing the corpse. /
had my back that way, We were play
ing frdAzeout poker for yearling heifers.
An Of a sudden there was a noise over
By Che corpse that made us both start. 1t
sounded like two knocks on the floor.
We dropped our cards and went over.
Everything was all right. l said it must
have been q prairie dog or gopher-we
had no cats nor rata around there. Aus
tn was horribly scared. He swallowed
. larger drink OF whisky than usual. We
went back to our game, and presently
we heard the rep agsin-this time loud
II. Wsup again and went over AL
waa quiet as quit mining camp. Aus
tin was shaking all oyer, and he says
D. II take any stock in spirits out
side Of the 5ugl" Then he took another
drink and banged out of the ranch
When he came in, he says, "We1l have
= norther tomorrow"
We didn't play any more, We sat
there talking about whether we better
start Jose (our cook out on the range to
round up the boys for the planting. Pres
entity Austin says, Ibid Abe ever say
anything to you about being marriedY
mo, he didn't" says L "If he's mar
ried, some one ought to get word to his
woman" Then we kept still spell.
Then Austin says, "Was Abe married.
II know nothing about him." says l.
After little l says to Austin, WAS Abe
marriedr' "T know nothing about him, .
he says, and then he went off of his box
OAALo lAAb hOOA ~ II . DAOAAClO lAdu hiNhNb
him. jumped up TO help him, and as
did 90 saw Abe (the corpse) sitting up
ON that buffalo skin looking powerful
mad. His lip was curled up like he was
trying to hiss something, and his arm
wasstrstched out, and one long bony fin
ger was pointing at Austin, who lay
knocked out on the hoor.
PdonT want any encores to that act.
was 90 scared couldn't smoke. l bent
ever and shook Austin, but he seemed
Hise dead. As went over for the jug tC
get sometbing to help him, saw Abe
was lying just as we had fixed him, and
ths bianket looked as If it had not beer
disturbed. / took about Ave fingers my
self, then poured come into Austin. The
first thing he did when he came to wa
to look 1t his shooter. Then he walked
over to the corpse and 'peaFed to be ex
AminipG the blanket. Then he says
''That'a the second of those d. stroke
4 I've had guess the next will fetcl
me-" Ididn't tell him what I'd seen, ant
didn't ask him what he'd seen. 1t didn'
always pay to ask questions. Austin
drank right along-s drink between
drinkD--And an hour later he fell over oil
the floor. threw q robe over him.
Ididn't feel any too good sitting ther,
Aldsls after what I'd seen, and / tool
more than should have myself. l dom
remember much about going to bed
The hrst thing knew was Austin shak
ing me and saying, "Bill, where tn
dsvil's Abe got tor got up and looket
sy.,..,1 TTka,-s ,,,as Ala k,,efaIo ,I-4, H.,
nOAbe, and his Winchester was missing
We called In jose. He'd seen nothing
out Of the way. We both felt far from
comfortable and decided to ride up t
the next ranch and tell the boys there
When We caught up our ponies, ther
was Abe's Borrel AZ big as life. w
didn't come back to the ranch for
week. Then we were 20 played out ant
ziok nothing could have scared us, bu
both Of US kept wondering where Alb
had gone.
Two years afterward Austin and
rode into Cheyenne from the Graz
WomAn's fork, where we were the
Hving. We went into Tarbot's saloon
The baEroom was separated from tn
theateT part by plain board partition
We sat down at q table In the BARRON
and called for liquor. There was lon
haired, heavily Whiskered man VIII
BOXED Ike q bullwhaoker stretched on
on bench. He looked as II he wer
nleeping. Wed taken several drinks
and get 70 thinking Of old times an
somehow of ABB. do you ever thin
Of Abe nowr l says. Indeed dc
often. sayS Austin. ''Pll never rest ii
know what became of him."
just - he said this the bullwhacke
ross up and says; "Mr. Williams, c
Austin. II you prefer it, you may res
trQm this date. l am AbeP' Aust
reached for his gun, but Abe caught hi
arm aud Aaid, Quistlike: "Hold on
minutA II you want any shooting latei
m sivs you . shoN" Then he turns
70 ne and seid; Years ago, back in th
states, Williams here and loved th
same girl. Her parents did not approx
q either of %. She made me think sh
loved ma, aud she led Austin 10 baliey
be waa the faVoFite. She finally cor
1sntad 10 . secret marriage with me, an
We slipped away, saying nothing.
"boPehow the report got back to ht
home that had taken her of undC
promise OF marriage and had then d
serted her. Austin never recognized N
Up % the day of my supposed death, br
knew aim the hFst time he showed n
g cur ranch on the Pesos After 20
went out that afternoon felt very sic
and really thought l was dying, so
turned to Austin and said, William
I'm john Walker Quick as a cat h
was on me. couldn't get my gun, an
b had ne by the throat, so / couldn
speak. He choked me, as he suppose,
70 death. The Aext thing rememb'
Whs hearing you two talking about n
a. Il were dead really felt not Il
from4S
when Austin, in answer 70 your que
tIoa, sid be knew nothing about me,
ulada me mad, and rose up to tell hil
hs hsd. The sight Of mo knocked hi
senseieaa knew then l was suppose
e b . corpse. When you both ha
turned In drunk, ! cTawled to the iu
and took enough 10 strengthen me, The
slipped out, mounted the first COW per
found and rode away. did not fe
ike hEhting Austin--in fact, he Woul
not have touched me had he waited
hsar me-And l thought my disappea
amos would worry him some"
Again Austin reached for his reyolve
"Wait,P said Abe, until | finish.
raaEried the girl and treated her as whi
~ . woman ever was treated. but fl
months afterward she ran away with
bloeInipg drummer / hear the mus
tunin9dp. Come inside, have som
shing 70 show Austin there"