Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-01-11

an LIN thinkin' that puts bloody pc.
Rod to this scoutin' thrip, bad luck tc
TIL sharp eyes of til brown divils!"
HE were rale man. We're Big Billy
said Sevenspot, holding forth in quar-
tiers that evening. "Avin av he did con-
sort with brown woman. Shure. whin
he volunteered for tn scoutin' "Trip
with me, l misliked it at first because
av til thought av that kakiack wife av
his. But all tn mornin he We're 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 war knee
an worked III lever av his krag as
methodical as if he were machine gun
an wound up for all day. Whin TIL bull
let wint through him. he wint down on
wan ilbow, with wan hand on his chis1.
an luckin' up at me. who was putin
down me krag to help him. seq he:
'kape poompin'. Spot, kape poomp-
in. I'm done for anyway. an We 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 win1
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. Tn bloody hand
on his chist fell lump-loike beside him.
Thin he opened his eyes sleepy-loille
wanst, an muttered loike he were half
dreamin': Ills woman singin','
Thin he shut his eyes and dropped
off aisy. An wint on with Inc rat kill
in. Thin l heard III mountain guns
barllin behind me an tn fire from tn
front slackened. l could hear You min
thramplin' through tn dry grass. An
here l am. But Bill-he were man
Margarita or no Margarita."
1t was the evening of the day after.
The men of Y were leaning lis1iessly
out Oh the easements of the big casa
where the company was quartered to
catch a breath Of cool air. Across the
street there was native matched
shack. Under its projecting roof the
forms Of man and u woman We're dim
ly visible. The woman gently touched
the strings of a guitar and just the sug-
gestion OF a plaintive melody tloa1ed
across the way. The men leaned fur
Their out of the easements and listened.
''Shure," said Sevenspot, ''1hot little
ix-i1 10, I,
whin we putt away poor Bill TIL morn-
in. Whin tn bugle sounded taps. [
shure thought she'd wape herself into
nothing but pint av wather. Ills q
finder heart she has usuel Il BROW.
skin. l misloubt me l. may have mis-.
judged Ia brown wimmen.''
The ianjo across the way gave forth
a 10 lG'r thrum-thrum, and then to i
n 1anilg, wailing, heart breaking mel
ody, deep-chested alto chanted sadly,
monoFonously in the native tongue.
The soldiers looked and listened SILENT
~. Fhe woman's voice rose and fell VIZ
bra lily in a wierd chant full of tears
anc. means and broken hearts. and then
aled away in hopeless sob. Sevenspot
1lew long, shudLery breath.
i"'Tis the first native [ liver heard
ling" he whispered. who is she?"
Bills Margarita," said Smithie. COM
pany Us authority on kakiacl lingo
and customs.
"Bill's Margarita." exclaimed Severn
spot. "Shure thot explains it. Twas
thot voice, not tn brown woman thot
Big Bill married. Twas an echo an a
thot he welded. poor lad"
Sl2lithie nodded and pulled his cigar.
Poor little brown Margarita." con-
tinueG sevenspot. ''Av could sling th'
lingo us mesilf would go an thry am
say kind worrud to her. lis tn death
song av her love she were singing an
tbs not unlike an honest Irish keen.
lis sac me ould heart is for til poor lit
lie brown divil left all aione-aIone.
Smithie threw back his head and
aughed aloud.
'Pwhat!'' exclaimed sevenspot, tutn-
ng fiercely. "pwLay Go yez foind so
jimmy in a brave soldiers widow, be
she brown or black??"
oSNSHSpol. Sdlu tSuiltule i)ulIlnG |
restraining hand on his friend threat
ening arm. Don't get sentimental in
his climate. At least, don't get thai
way till YOU know the ways and lingo
# the Tags. That vas no death scpr.
Twas no keen. Twas a love song. And
twas the poor little brown divil, Biu's
Nargarita, singing 10 her new husband.
She married him this afternoon. HIS
lame is Yen Shee. Appropriate name,
co. In Chenoo it means Number Two.
lie is the wealthy Chenoo banke,. at
loilo. Savoy? If Bills white Marna-
ita in the Samm es was a ditto Girl.
90, he surely lost out against the love
zane"
Just then the guitar across the way
hrummed again. and again a 6eep-
hested alto began to chant mournful
ong full Of tears a I'd means ard broken
earts. Seyenspot leaned far out OF tho
asement and drew a deep breath. HIS
zig chest rose ard swelled until the
rch of it touched his chin. Then he
Dared and the candle lights of aNSJaro