The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-04

down in the canyon they was a lively
| scrimmage, They was @ big party of
i bucks, an KNOWN Bill I'D be back, they
was a-layln' for EN-. But Lord, 'Paches
: are no account In a staHd-up fight, an
they broke like sheep. When they come
by we had our lnnln's, an jumpin' out of
the hole Joined the boys In the fun,
"Bill had rid the big bay leader, an
| Jest as he got to the bottom OF the hill
two bullets struck him In the flank and
Bill caught one in the arm; but the boss
KEEP up for nine miles, an Bill run the
| other one on foot holding his arm. Near
ly everybody at the station turned out,
an they wasn't too many them as twas,
they lost three men, the postmaster an
two miners. We hitched upthe stage
put our three dead on top an her an Doc
inside, she holdIn' Docs head all the way
He'd kinder come to an tried TO let on It
wasn't much, that he'd get over It; but
he seemed to rest easier with her soothin
his for'ed an talliln' 10 him easy an
soothin' like
we got him to 4 room in the stage
tavern an sent for the camp doctor He
dug around an got the bullet cut an
thought mebbe he'd pull through, but
Doc KEEP plckln' at me blanket an call
In for his mother an Pete Jennings
| says, I've watched lots OF 'en 30 over
the divide, DOCTOR an they always go
that way; when they take TO pickln' at
the blanket an calm for mother they
are dead sure goln.' No, sir: Docs down
to bedrock, an not a sign o. COLOR he'll
peg out tonight, shore.
James Richards mother she come to
the room Jest as Doc was calm wild
like for his mother; she Jest stopped a
minute In the door like she was maxim
up her mind, an we all took our hats off
| an waited. Mother said Doc, kinder
pleadin' Ike; then she sorter choked
| somethln' back, on with her eyes shin
In, went straight up to Docs bunk
Here l am-my SON. and then she laid
her hand on his forced Doc was de-
llrious like, but he smiled kinder easy
an didn't call FOR mother no more
"Along in the night his mind cleared
some and he roused up; he knowed he
was hard hlt, an felt himself snkin'.
Would YOU mind holdin' my hand,
| ma'am? he said. II will kinder help
me over the rough places in the trail
I'm on She took his hand and he was
| quiet Tor long while theR]he opened
| his eyes. an said: They's q song,
ma'am, I aint heard for twenty Yeas,
an more. not genet / left-home; 1t
begins. There is n fountain" would
It be askin too much for you to sing 1t,
ma'am" The white-haired little mother
cleared her throat easy like, an started
the tune They wasn't one of us but
what knpwed the tune an tried to help
lao, t,,tt d l1n ts1
| things TO us that we Jest choked up an
quit an Stood there with the tears ruu-
min out OF our eyes. leaving her to car
ny the tune through alone. After she'd
finished Doc says THANK you, ma'am,
and IN q little while we sne lle was
about gone, but he looked up at her.
still holding her hand, an says In n sort
Of whisper Would you mind Mssln'
me, ma'am? you've got n boy an know
the reason | ask She bent an kissed
him. Thank you, ma'am, I'm almost
-over-I'll sure strike color-to-mor-'
Then he sort OF stifrened, slow like an
twas over
after the funerals we all hustled for
James Richards but nobody lnowed
| him. an the postmaster, bein' killed In
| the fight In the canyon, could give no IN
formation. The third daV after we had
been there the down stage from the
Rough an Ready camp with bullion
aboard was held up, the driver hurt, an
the guard,killed Miners turned out, an
was ono OF posse. We struck the
trail, an twasn't long TIL we come mp
with 'em, three Of EN- We struck 'em
In the mornn' Gmong the rocks. an
durln' the forenoon dropped two OF EN-,
but the other stood pat He held out TIL
long toward night, then made a break
for water. an we plugged him He
tumbled over the rocks, lettin' his gun
fall, an we knowed dead sure we'd got
him. lie didn't last long, Boys, you've
got me all right, hut for Christs sake,
don't hang me. I'm dyln now he
gagped. Il was goIn' to quit after this
dcni, an 20 back east, but the cards
went against me, Thcys a few little
trlnkets IN my cabin that wish you'd
box up an send back east to Mrs Ell
mira Richnrds--- r,,,
"Great God, are you James kleh-
| nrasq' btuFted out sim Wccvcr,
eyes; whyT ,
"'oh, my God, II we'd onlg knowed,-
nothln' says Sim, az ! lerlicd him back
"'You1l ind the address IN the oaplh'