Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1899-05-05

gular man, with great rough hands
and enormous feet, which he shifted
about as he spoke, so that man and
child together seemed eternally rest
less.
The thing appeared to have a sort OF
fascination for most of the men in the
car The curtains of a lot of berths
were opened and lot of heads APP
peared, all scowling. l chuckIed softly
10 myself and tried to conceal my mer-
riment lest I should spoil the fun. No
one said anything for a long time, till
at last one wild-eyed. swarthy, long
bearded individual, who somehow look
ed like Mormon elder, said:
Say master, what kind of a bowling
piece is that you've got there? Have
none of you boys got a gum"
There came from the hunks a regu-
lar chorus of acquiescence: THE durn-
ed thing had ought to be killed."
Beats prairie dogs in full moonr'
when l woke up with it howlin'
thought l had got EN- again"
Never mind, boys, it may be
blessin in disguise. Somethin' bad is
comm to us on this trip, an arter this
twill be easy work to diei"
The man spoke up:
I'm sorry, gentlemen, If she incom-
modes you" The words were so man
ifestly inadequate that there was
roar of laughter which seemed to shake
the car. West of the Mississippi things
are, or at any rate they used to be,
bit rough, and ideas followed suit.
Laughter, when it came, was rough
and coarse; and on this occasion even
the lanky man seemed to feel it. He
only tried to hold the child closer to
him, as If to shield it from the hail OF
ironical chaff which followed
"Incommode us! Oh, not at all. It's
sounds l ever heard"
Bully for baby syrups!"
pray don't let us disturb the con-
cert with our sleeping"
Jerk us out a little more chin
musici"
There is no place like home with
baby in it,"
Just opposite where the man moved
restlessly with the child was the bunk
of a young giant whom l had noticed
turning in earlier in the evening. He
had not seemed to have noticed the
disturbance, but now his curtains were
thrust aside fiercely, and he appeared
lifted on one elbow as he asked in an
angry tone:
Say, you, where's it's mother any
how?"
The man replied in a low, weary
tone, without looking round:
she's in the baggage car, sir-in her
coffinl"
We'll, you could have heard the ST.
lence that came over all the men. The
baby's screaming and the rush. and
roar, and rattle of the train seemed
unnatural breakers of the profound
stiffness. In an instant the young
man, clad only in his under-fannels.
was out on the floor and close to the
man.
Say. stranger" he said, III I'd
knowed that, I'd bit my tongue out
afore I'd spokeI An now 1 look at
you, my poor fellow, see you're most
wore out! Here, give me the child,
and you turn into my bunk an rest.
No, you needn't be Altered for he
saw the father shrink away a little
and hold the child closer. I'm one Of
a big family an I've nursed the baby
often. Give her over; I'll take care Of
her, an I'll talk to the conductor, and
we'll see that you're called when the
time comes" He put out his great
hands and lifted the little one, the
father resigning her to his care with
out word. He held her in one arm
whilst with the other he helped the
newcomer into his empty berth.
Strange to say, the child made no
more struggle. 1t may have been that
the young blood or the young flesh
gave something of the warmth and
softness of the mothers breast which it
missed. or that the fresh, young nerves
soothed where the worn nerves OF the
sorrowing man had only irritated but,
with a peaceful sigh, the little one lean
ed over, let its head fall on the young
mans shoulder, and seemingly in an
instant was fast asleep.
And all night long, up and down, up
and down, in his stocking feet, softly
marched the fiannel-clad young giant,
with the baby asleep on his breast,
whilst in his bunk the tired, SORROW
stricken father slept-and forgot. And
somehow 1 thought that, though the
mothers body may have been in the
baggage car at the other end of the