Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-03-29
ABE AND AUSTIN.

Austin and were sitting up with the
corpse. Abe had been a stiff since 3
o'clock, and It was then six hours later.
| We were attlemen-cowboys they
| would call US east-living in ranch on
the Pecos in Texas. Abe was lying ON a
buffalo robe over against the wall, where
he died. He had been grunting around
| for several days complaining of his old
wound. He was taking drink when
went out in the afternoon 10 salt some
deer; when came back, he was dead.
Austin and | Strengthened him out and
threw saddle blanket over him. We
closed his eyes, but left his head out. II
seemed more natural like.
Austin was sitting facing the corpse
had my back that way, We were play
ing freezeout poker for yearling heifers.
All Of sudden there was noise over
by the 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. | said it must
have been prairie dog or gopher-we
had no cats nor rats around there Aus
tin was horribly scared. lie swallowed
a larger drink of whisky than usual. We
went back 10 our game. and presently
we heard the rap again-this time loud
er. We up again and went over. All
was quiet as a quit mining camp. Aus
tin was shaking all over, and he says,
d il take any stock IN spirits out
side of the jug'" Then he took another
drink and banged out of the ranch
When he came in, he says, We'll 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 70
round up the boys for the planting. Pres
emily Austin says, did Abe ever say
anything to you about being marriedT
mo, he didn't" says |. IF he's mar
ried, some one ought to get word to his
woman Then we kept still spell.
Then Austin says: WAS Abe marriedf"
81 know nothing about him." says l.
After little says 10 Austin, "Was Abe
marriedY' "Iknow nothing about him."
he says, and then he went off of his box
onto the floor as if broncho had kicked
him. jumped up to help him, and as !
did so 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
was stretched out, and onelong bony fin
ger was pointing at Austin, who lay
knocked out on the floor.
don't want any encores to that act
was so scared couldn't smoke. bent
over and shook Austin, but he seemed
like dead. AS | went over for the Jug TO
get something 10 help him, / saw Abe
was lying just as we had fixed him, and
the blanket looked as if it had not been
disturbed. took about five fingers N.Y.
self, then poured some into Austin. The
first thing he did when he came TO was
TO look at his shooter. Then he walked
over to the corpse and peared 10 be ex.
amining the blanket. Then he saws:
That's the second Of those d strokes
I've had. l guess the next will fetch
me-" Ididn't tell him what I'd seen, and
didn't ask him what he q seen. 1t didn't
always pay to ask questions. Austin
drank right along "a drink between
drinks-and an hour later he fell over on
the floor. threw a robe over him.
didn't feel any too good sitting there
alone after what I'd seen, and | took
more than l should have myself | don't
remember much about going to bed.
The first thing knew was Austin shak-
ing me and saying, Bill, where the
DEVILS Abe got tor got up and looked
around. There was the buffalo skin, but
no Abe, 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 to
the next ranch and tell the boys there
When we caught up our ponies, there
was Abe's sorrel as big as life. We
| didn't come back TO the ranch for a
week. Then We were so played out and
sick nothing could have scared us. but
both of us kept wondering where Abe
had gone,
| Two years afterward Austin and
rode into Cheyenne from the Crazy
Woman's fork, where we were then
living. We went into Talbot's saloon.
The barroom was separated from the
theater part by plain board partition.
We sat down at table in the barroom
and called for liquor. There was long
haired, heavily whiskered man who
looked like a bullwhacker stretched out
on bench. He looked ~ IL he were
sleeping. We'd taken several drinks,
and got to thinking of old times and
somehow of Abe. DO you ever think
Of Abe nowT" says. Indeed do,
often" says Austin. "Tll never rest till