The Topeka state journal., 1897-05-25
A GRAVE MATTER.

The citizens of Low Down City had met
IN the principal and worst built erection
in the place, Pete Budd's "'s'loon, y to con-
slider the desirability of establishing q rec
ognized cemetery for the use of the local
community.
''Whar shell we hev this graveyard?''
asked Pete. and Doc Moseley suggested
that, as most of the killing was done "rite
thar in the s'loon, - the cemetery had best
be located 'fsomewhar clus handy
The proposition found no favor, and the
conference proceeded. Various situations
were proposed and discussed, but abandon
ed for some reason or other, and it seemed
as though the subject would have to be
dropped, at least for the present.
Job Syllable had been sitting quietly in
the corner, apparently taking no great in
terest in the proceedings, but at this juno
ture, however, he rose to the occasion and
his feet.
'Pards," quoth he, a little tbicBly, ''I
| reck'n I've got burned sight better idea
N any of yer. What I subjests is this, as
ye don't seem ter be able to settle upon a
suitable spot jest now, postpone this hyur
meetin and leave the graveyard ter Provi-
dence. "
'Wotinthunderdye mean?'
'Look ye hyur, pard Billeel Take keer
ye amt the first galoot thet gets planted
in Low Down City y's new graveyard
warn ye!''
Billee subsided, and old Job went on.
"Im sweet tempered by nature, - he con-
fessed. 81 don't mind bein int'rupted
once, mar twice, but I'm a royal terror
from Terrorville when get run up against
three times. Now, as was remarkin,
perpose we leave this hyur subject ter the
decidin o. Providence. I'll explain my
meanin,'' he added, helping himself to
another bottle labeled lightning Con-
ductor. -
Some one'u be bound ter get plugged
fore long, pards, and I say let the spot
whar the first man dies from this moment
mark the new Gem terry"
A roar broke out as Job finished, and
Pete was kept busy for the next five min
utes. The meeting, with scant regard for
orthodoxy, broke up without a vote of
thanks being passed for the chairman, but
this may have been from the fact that no
chairman had been appointed. The citi-
Kens of Low Down were rare socialists
Old Job was voted a genius. His fertile
brain had solved the difficulty in thorough
bred fashion. The adoption of his idea
meant not only the location of the site for
the graveyard, but it would provide the
first candidate for burial honors as well.
Each one felt that great honor would be
attached to the first stiff, - but the love
of life was just as strong at Low Down as
it is anywhere else, and, if anything the
BILE, and none seemed eager to run the risk
of being ''No. IL
Three days passed, and still the great
trouble remained upon Low Down City.
The men walked about like shadows. Tt
was depressing Who would have dreamed
for moment that the matter would have
been so long prolongedP Why didn't some
one get killed?
'fDoes Injuns count, pard Job?'' Doc
asked on the night Of the fourth uneYent-
full day.
'Our Gem terry, - old Job thundered in
reply, SIS goin ter be one fer men, not In
juns. Unnerstan' thet.'' And Doc did.
On the evening of the fifth pacific day an
cry words suddenly arose in the 'fs'1oon,'
and men jumped to their feet white with
excitement Nat Warner and Arizona
Tom were playing poker, and Nat was
Losing his money and his temper.
If a death occurred in the ''s'loon, - it
meant the removal of the building to
make room for the cemetery, as the men,
once they had passed a resolution, were
determined never to go back on it, and
the meeting had unanimously resolved
that wherever the dead man was there
should the cemetery be.
Pete came forward and with tears in
his eyes begged the disputants to convey
themselves and their quarrel outside. Now
here Pete did foolish thing. His words
sobered the angry pair at once. If he had
only held his peace and let the men get
! their dander right up, then there is no
doubt that the event would have taken
place for which all Low Down was wait
ing.
But, then, Pete was thinking of conven-
ience, not the cemetery.
The chance had come and gone, and
whole week sped by without incident.
1t all happened on a Friday, of coursel
1t was near old Jobs cabin, just where the
river divided. Pete sent Billee to old Jobs
diggings to ask him to step over to the
's' loon" and look at the new mare he had
just bought, and because Billee, in his
hurry. collided with the old digger at the
corner of the shanty, Job got riled and
swore at Billee, and then he lost his tenn
per.
$50 and tell ole Pete be kin go ter
blazes )" shouted Job, "and thet his mare'u
come in handy for the journey. Then ye
slide rite back hyur and Wen settle our
little matter clear away
Billee went and returned with Pete and
the whole of the township behind him.
Old Job got more ri1ed when he discovered
that their private quarrel had been turned
into public question.
eff ye come a step nearer, Pete Budd,
I'll jest about blow the top off'n yer
head, - he sang out from the interior of the
hut.
Pete laughed and was uncomplimentary
to old Job. Job said he wasn't fighting
''the hull town. he only wanted ter set
tie VII that little cuss Billee." Pete said
he WASH t going to Glow no harm ter come
ter BiIlee, and offered himself as substi-
tute. Job accepted gleefully, and issued
forth.
Then some of the others Clipped in and
took sides, their spoken object being to
prevent the fght but the matter ended
/ otherwise. Arizona Tom ''sassed" Pete
and Budd drew trigger on him. The ice
| once broken, bullets few round like Geno-
/ ese arrows, and in few minutes one-haf
! of Low Down was awaiting decent inter-
j ment and the other half was busy gather
! ing itself together to resist the horde