The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-02-03

and working the lever. "but 7 think
both nv us heard that bullet whistle,
an I'm thinkin' that puts a bloody pc
riod to this scoutin' thrip, bad luck to
tn sharp eyes of tn brown divils!"
''He were rale man, were Big Bill"
said Sevcnspot, holding forth in quar-
tiers that evening. "Ayin av he did con-
sort with a brown woman. Shure, whin
he volunteered for tn scoutin' "Trip
with me, / misliked il at first because
av tn thought av that Kakiack wife av
his. But all tn mornin' he were notin'
down tn lay o. land as cool-loike as a
county surveyor at home. An thin.
whin the brown divils began BOOM
boomin', he squatted there on wan knee
an worked tn lever ay his krag as
methodical as il he were a machine gun
an wound up for all day. Whin tn bull
let wint through him, he whit down on
wan ilbow, with wan hand on his chist.
an luckin' up at me, who was putin
down me krag 10 help him, seq he:
"'Kape poompin', Spot, kape poomp-
in. I'm done for anyway, an ye must
thry to kape Thin back till tn byes come
out for yez.'
"An' SEEM tn blood comm in spurts
through his fingers an tn film in his
eyes, / knew he spoke thrue. So l whit
on with me rat-shootin', kapein' wan
eye on Bill. His ilbow whit slip-slip-
pin out on tn red wet grass under him,
till his head nodded down in tn crook
av his arrum loike he were drowsy an
droppin' off to Shape. TIL bloody hand
on his chist fell lump.loike beside him.
Thin he opened his eyes sleepy-loike
wnnst, an muttered loike he were half
dreamin': Ills woman singin'!'
"Thin he shut his eyes and dropped
off aisy. An whit on with me rat-kill-
in. Thin / heard tn mountain guns
barkin' behind me an tn fire from tn
front slackened. / could hear you min
thramplin' through tn dry grass. An
here ! am. But Bill-he were a man
MargtTita or no Margarita."
1t was the evening Of the day after.
The men of Y were leaning listlessly
out on the easements Of the big casa
where the company was quartered TO
catch breath Of cool air. Across the
street there was a native matched
shack. Under its PROJECTING roof the
forms Of man and woman were dim
~ visible. The woman gently touched
the strings Of a guitar and just the sug-
gestion of a plaintiye melody floated
across the way. The men leaned fur
Their out Of the easements and listened.
"Shure," said Sevenspot, "thot little
brown diyil, Margarita, tuck it har-rd
whin we putt away poor Bill tn morn
in. Whin tn bugle sounded taps,
shure thought she'd wape herself into
nothing but a pint ay wather. IT'S
finder heart she has under brown
skin. / misdoubt me / may have mis-
judged tn brown wimmen."
The banjo across the way gave forth
louder thrum-thrum, and then TO a
moaning, wailing, heart-breaking mel
ody, a deep-chested alto chanted sadly,
monotonously in the native tongue.
The soldiers looked and listened silent
ly. The woman's voice rose and fell vi
brantly in wierd chant full Of tears
and means and broken hearts, and then
died away in hopeless sob. Seyenspot
drew long, shuddery breath.
"'Tis the first native 1 liver heard
sing" he whispered. "Who is she?"
"BilFs Margarita," said Smithie, COM
pany Us authority on Kalliack lingo
and customs.
"Bill's Margarita!" exclaimed Seven
spot. "Shure thot explains i'll Twas
thot voice, not tn brown woman thot
Big Bill married. Twas an echo an a
mimory thot he welded, poor lad!"
Smithie nodded and pulled his cigar.
Poor little brown Margarita," con-
tinued Sevenspot. "Av could sling tn
lingo tits mesilf would go an thry an
say kind worrud 10 her. IT'S tn death
song av her love she were singing an
tits not unlike an honest Irish keen.
IT'S sad me ould heart is for tn poor lit
tie brown divil, left all alone-alone."
Smithie threw back his head and
laughed aloud.
"Pwhat!" exclaimed Sevenspot, turn
ing fercely, "pwhat do yez foind so
funny in a brave soldiers widow, be
she brown or black?"
"Sevenspot!" said Smithie, putting a
restraining hand on his friends threat
ening arm. Don't get sentimental in
this climate. At least, don't get that
way till you know the ways and lingo
OF the Tags. That was no death song.
Twas no keen Twas love song. And
twas the poor little brown divil, Bills
Margarita, singing 10 her new husband.
She married him this afternoon. IT'S
name is Yen Shee. Appropriate name,
too. In Chenoo IL means Number Two.
He Is the wealthy Chenoo banker at
Iloilo. Savoy? If Bills white Marga-
rita in the Sammics was n ditto girl,
too, he surely lost out against the love
game"
Just then the guitar across the way
thrummed again, and again deep
chested alto began 20 chant a mournful
song full OF tears and means and broken
hearts. Sevenspot leaned far out Of the
easement and drew a deep breath. His
big chest rose and swelled until the