Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-15

was worth coming miles to hear. 1t had
a volume like the roar OF a cataract.
The claim adjoining Jacks was held by
a German whose family consisted of his
wife and daughter. The girl was about
% or % years old. She was fairly good
looking and did a mans work on the
farm.
"Laughin' jack used to curse the
Dutch outfit for what he termed their
harsh treatment of the girl. He was SO
bitter that it finally daWned upon the
rough fellows of tn eplace that he had
more of an interest in the girl than he
really cared TO admit.
Her parents knew nothing of these
facts. Her marriage mean the loss of
a man on the farm, and it was taken for
granted that they would oppose it. SO
the couple intended to get married on the
quiet.
llit-.eMg Lll0meta la 1905. TIINNNN
Late one afternoon in the winter Of go
there carne up a terrible blizZard-sud-
denly, as they always come.
That afternoon a COW had escaped from
the Dutchman's corral, and it fell to the
lot Of the girl to find the animal. When
the storm burst the Gurnlan and his wife
sat by the fire. reasoning that the girl
would come out all right.
That evening Jack ven to his shack
TO spend the night, getting there before
the worst of the storm. He was p
~ - 5o W y tiN AAie ''''N
attracted by the actions of his dog. The
beast had risen to his feet and appeared
to be istening.
There came a lull in the storm. The
dog gave a yelD and bounded to to the
door and commenced scratching it. Jack
opened the door and the dog dashed out.
The moon was making a feeble attempt
to cast light through the clouds, but as
nothing could be made out Jack was on
the point of closing the door when again
the yelp of the hound rang out.
Glasping his rifle, Jack advanced a few
PAGES from the door.
Now he could dimly see. on the edge Of
a ravine near the shack, a grayish body
moving slowly in the gloom.
That it was a coyote there could be no
doubt, and. throwing up his gun, Jack
fired. No sound followed the crack of his
rifle. but the object disappeared.
When Jack started for town next
morning he walked to the ravine to see
how his aim had been.
An awful sight met his gaze.
Just below the edge of the bank, with
pure white snow ali about her. ice in
crusted in her hair. was the body Of the
girl he had intended to make his wife
shot through the brain by the rifle which,,
in his hands. had a record of seldom miss
ing it's mark.
The man was nearly crazed with grief
and horror; yet he could not be blamed.
Inc GIL, HuflfDHu Dy exposure, WAS Gil
deavoring to make her way to his pace
of shelter. guided by the light in his Win
dow. Under the circumstances it was
small cause for wonder that he was
frantic With grief.
The father considered that he had a
grievance, and the day following the
funeral he appeared at Jacks stable. He
walked over to where Jack was discon-
soately sitting on a goods box, and sale
that as his daughter had been a great
help to aim, and as Jack had been the
cause of her death, he thought that
something should be done to make it
right, and suggested that if Jack would
surrender his land to him he would call
it square.
For a minute Jack did not speak, while
the loafers in the barn waited with
hushed breath.
Pale and trembling, Jack rose from
his seat. Pulling a ~six-shooter, he leveled
it at the farmer, and in a voice that be-
gan with a choke, he said:
See here, Dutch! Climb right into
that wagon and hit the trail for home,
and if you ever mention this matter to
me again I swear to God I'll fill your
carcass so full Of lead hat you can be
lifted"
What "Laughin' Jack" said went; the
old man turned and left the place.
Jack was never the same after that. He
seemed to lave lost interest in life, and
from that time the old laugh was never
heard again.