Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-10-19

stirred up by it, and Notwithstanding
the old mans awful reputation as a
liar, the circumstances of his trium-
plant expression when he first caught
sight of the grave as we'll as his earn
estness of manner and the circumstan-
tial detail of his story-all this had
more effect even on some of the cfti-
GERS than they cared to admit, and
more than one wistful eye went sneak
ing back to the lonely grave when the
order was given and the command re-
sumed it's march.
I won't deny that / was good deal
interested myself, and when We camp
ed that night, few miles further on,
l kept sharp eye on Joe's movements
I fully believed he would take the first
chance to sneak off to that grave.
didn't know whether he had noticed
my watching him and had given UP
trying to slip away from me or not
but pretty soon he gave me a wink
and in few minutes We were out OF
sight, talking together.
Look here, Bill" he said as soor
as we were alone, do you want to see
some fun"
"Of course | do / replied.
well, then. you come along with
me; we can make a sneak right now,
said Joe.
But" replied, don't we need any.
thing? Don't we need pick Or
Joe looked at me with grave, al.
most melancholy expression for mo-
ment before he replied. Then he said
slowly:
"N-no. I guess We can get along
without any pick"
He led the way and / followed. He
started in the opposite direction from
the grave, but, as l thought would be
the case, he gradually began to circle
around, until finally we were among
some boulders overlooking the spot
where the dust of the dead man was
Wondering away among his buried
treasure. 1t was starlight night and
We could see the CLEAN Of the gray
stones on the grave quite clearly.
was beginning to get quite in fever
to begin the resurrection business al
once.
Now" said Joe, you jest squa!
yourself behind that there boulder fei
awhile and you'll see more durn fun
than you ever seen in your life be,
fore"
But" / said, what
WHAT" broke in Joe. What.
Why, in less than an hour you'll see
half that camp come prowlin' around
here with picks and shovels and jack.
knives rippin' UP the ground around
that stone heap like pack of PAWN
buffalo bulls"
Eyes, but why don't we cut in now
I urged, "and get out the gold ahead
of them?"
Gold be burned" said Joe, con-
temptuously. Il never set eyes on that
cnssed grave afore this mornin'."
Well, Joe was right. Before We had
been there half an hour shadowy forms
began stealing in and out of the gloom
They came singly, they came in pairs
and they came in groups of three and
lOul, anu SuCn IL CIdlleTlnS VI PICKS
and tossing of dirt as they made!
They dug up about half an acre OF
earth before one after another, Wheel
ing and blowing with the work, knock
ed off and melted away in the dark
ness, out of which they had emerged,
leaving sulphurous trail of Ian
guage devoted to old Joe behind them.
And how the old man did laugh
holding his sides and grinding his face
into the ground to stifle the noise.
AS for me, it was not altogether
such fun as it was for Joe l couldn't
help thinking as l watched the luna
tics antics that it was only an acct
dent that l was not conspicuous star
among them.
Yet would have had good company.
There were officers among them as well
as privates.
Joe died with his boots on. Some
body shot and killed him at the Red
Cloud agency in 1874.