The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-29
TAE baby BOOMER
BY HERBERT D. WARD.
tcopyrlGl't. lS9a.)
SYNOPSIS.

front or her, leaving Bub to follow more
slowly. She and "GrlzEly JIM" oes-
perado, and ahandsOme girl on q fine
horse oaitstrip all the others In the
race. GriSEly Jim. finding himself beat
en- after a race Of eight miles. fires his
rio at the girl. but hits caddy Instead,
who fails from her horse. The Girl
gives up the race and stops 70 take
care OF caddy. Grizzly Jim rides on.and
reaches a desirable claim IN the elm.
AKRON valley, There eie finds Caddy's
horse, who has gailoped along with the
baby, Wee. Jim Is quite nonpluSsed, but
unfastens her from the saddle and gives
her q drink OF water. He Is overcome
by her baby ways. and decides that she
ahaii have the claim As he takes his
spade and digs In the ground to fulfll
the conditions, the shouts of approach
ing boomers are heard.
PART II.
'It u alna Grlxzly Jim, Beat by
Grizzly Jim. again, boys! Pony up,
Jiml Wen let you on cheap"
There were three of these despera-
does who looked with pride Upon the
man holding the spade. Was he not
their leader In the maraudIng expedi-
ton? Had he not outdone them in law
lessaess, and proved hts superiority
Had he not violently staked his claim
in the richest soil in Oklahoma?
Hush! Keep quiet, YOU g9loots!
You'll wake the bebby!" said Jlm.'
sterniy, pointing at the sleeping child.
II thought you killed him." said one
OF the three. indicating In dlsappolnt-
ed tone Jerry's empty saddle.
''.This Is me bebby's claim, an don't
you torgit Il, and the first Teller that
tries to jump Il, III jump on him Ike
catamount. You know me-an' this
boy, too"
50 said Grizzly jim. pattinH his belt
with the security OF one who could split
a bullet with knife blade fifty yards,
The three retired TO consult. Presently
one returned and said In q whisper,
after a warning gesture from Jim:
Bean You a.soinS to stay here?"
"You bet"
How long?"
'"ral the beS0y hez her claim fer
sure-p'raps aluz."
Dye mean 1t. Grizzly Jim? An yer
pockets could bulge In three days wild
the tin they fools are bringtn' tn?''
''You fellers kin go-an' 80 70 bust
Il shall stay here WIKI the beoby. so
the baby, and then. for the first time
since he could rememher, he pro-
nounced with reverence the awful name
Of God.
The three watched him aS he stood
firmly beside the child. His rifle was
in his hand. His word was rs good as
his aim. Everybody knew that. THE
baftied men murmured and made a
scanty show of dlsrespeet. Their old
leaders strange freak and Etern face
disconnected them, and soon enough
they grumbllngiy rode out OF the val.
ley to some other plundering ground.
Then Jim heaved a mighty sigh; his
mouth twitched; he leaned low over
his charge. Fur yer fnamny's sake
an my own bebby'a sake-so help me
God" Then he reverently kissed the
oisild,
True to his mothers directions, Bub
kept straight for the river. The child
had not gone four miles before he saT,n
sight wLIich was not infrequent In that
lawiess territory where over $4,000
boomers were struggling for less than
II 900 homesteads Among this throng
we're those who were some Of the old
original boomers, who knew oklahoma
as well as you do your gatdcn. When
these find any 'tenderfoot" or new
conner ahead OF chem, they treat his as
a trespaRser upon their own property.
One OF this class, who considered any
part OF the opened territory as his own
original Inheritance. had come across a
young fellow OF twenty. occupying O
fine bit OF prairie which he had right
fully pre-emptRd. He had dug bis din,,
and nov, with the satisfaction OF hard
duty accomplished, was firing his pistol
frantlcally in the adr in true boomer
style. The border rufiian had ridden
UP. and with oachs that he considered
suitable to the occasion. had ordered
the young man of in two minutes, The
yountffUh boomer hurried TO load, but
bullet IN his brain ended his career,
Now. this was observed by many, and
Bub saw it with horror and with grent-
er terror noticed that the deed excited
no remark. II seemed quite natural,
in this dreadful place. TO kill anyone
who tried TO protect his property. The
child thought of his mother, She must
be safe upon her claim by this time.
Besides, she was n woman, and who
would touch woman?
He drove on slowly two or three
miles, when the man in the wagon that
bore the Inscription "Oklahomy or
bust" rode up beside him and said:
They say n woman hns been shot
UP there" pointing to the left. Some
she was goln' to stake her claim. There
is plenty OF flre-eaters about this day.
They he'd quite as lief plug one ez not.
You had betted take keer."
With tGiiS friendly advice the man
rode rapidly away. Where does the
news Of disaster obtain Its winged feet
hub never stopped to wonder at the
accuracy OF the statement. but turned
TO the left and. with tittttering heart,
urged his Jaded horse to q tros. Soon
ne got ont and led II, running ct its
head. He thought he saw w0man's
dress In clump Of sage bushes about
half a mile ahead, Then he saw be-
yond, man heading for the same spot
leading rIderless horse. Yes, II was
Jerry. The boy uttered low moan.
crying: Mamma, mamma" He let
10 thc bride and few as fast as his
thin legs would allow him. over brake
and stone, until he sanh exhausted on
the sod beside pale, slight ~omRn.
wounded unto death.
Bulbs heroic little soul took In the
situation as far as u was able. with n
manly sclf-restralnt beyond hiA years
The sick child had suffered go much
| himself that he knew by Instinct how
not TO add to the suffering Of another
| lie did not cry out nor make fuss.
nor stnrtlc the mHDgle! woman WITH
his grief lie only pus his thin cheek
down close 90 hers and patted her two
or three times.
Poor mamma" he SAID. "dear'mam-
ma; YOU got hurt, haven't you? Never
mind; BUDS here. I'll talse care of
you. Shall get the quIaIne?" said
Bub .glilping down the tcars Receiv-
Ing no answer but the groAns OF the
| dying woman, the child said:
| y1a1t1 Nt,s. .,,,,.