Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-29

other drink and banged out of the -
When he came in he said: wen -
a norther Tomorrow"
! We didn't play any more cards W
there talking about whether wed -.
start Jose tour cook out on the re--1.
! round up the boys for planting. Pres
Austin says: Did Abe ever san.
{ thing to you about being marriedg,.
No. he didn't says l. IF he's ~.
| ried some one ought to get word 70 ~.
| woman" Then we kept stilI a speu
| ally Austin says: Was Abe MARI.
Il know nothing about him. saws
After a little says to Austin. w.
Abe married2,
Il know nothing about him." he ..,.
| and then he went off his box ont, -
! floor as If broneho had kicked hin, :
| jumped up to help him, and as l did s,
saw Abe dhe corpse sitting up on Tho,
! buffalo skin looking powerful mad "a
! lip was curled up like he was TRYING :,
| say something, and his arm was sfr-t-F.3
out, and one long, bony finger was poir,.
| ing at Austin, who lay knocked CIR r,
the floor.
was so scared couldn't smoke. Mons
over and shook Austin but he seemed m.
| dead. AS l went over for the Jug IN o..
something to help him, 1 saw Abe wa.
lying just as we had fixed him, and tss
! blanket looked as If it had not been d..
turbed. l took about five fingers rnvee44
then poured some into Austin. The ire.
| thing he did when he came to was ia ioo..
al his shooter then he walked over r.
the corpse and 'peared to be examine
the blanket. Then he says: "Thar's III.
! Il
| guess the next will fetch me-"
didn't tell him what I'd seen and
didn't ask him what he'd seen Il don,
| always pay to ask questions. Austin drart
right along, a drink between drinks. and
an hour later fell over on the floor
| threw robe over him.
l didn't feel any too good sitting there
alone after what I'd seen, and | took
more than l should have myself. 1 don't
remember much about going to bed The
first thing | knew was Austin shaking me
and saying: BILL where the devils Aha
got to-"
l got up and looked around. There wal
! the buffalo-skin but no Abe. and hi.
| winchester was missing. We called Jose.
! he'd seen nothing out of the way We both
felt uncomfortable, and decided to ride IN
to the next ranch and tell the boys. When
we caught our ponies there was Abes sor-
rel as big as life. We didn't come back to
the ranch for week. Then we were 50
played out and sick nothing could have
scared us; but both of us kept wondering
where Abe had gone.
Two years afterward Austin and I rode
into Cheyenne from the Crazy Womanss
! Fork, where We were then living We
went into Talbot's saloon; the bar room
was separated from the theatre part BY a
plain board partition. We sat down at a
table and called for liquor. There was
| long haired heavily whiskered man who
| looked like bull whacker, stretched out
on bench: he looked as if he were
| sleeping. We'd taken several drinks, and
l got to thinking of old times and some-
how of Abe.
do you ever think IF Abe now" says.
Indeed l do, often" says Austin; III
never rest until Know what became Of
| him."
! Just as he said this, the bull whacker
rose up and says: Mr. Williams, o.
Austin, If you prefer it, you may res
from this date; [ am Abe"
Austin reached for his gun, but Ant
| caught his arm and said quiet like: HOLD
| on a mirute; If yoa want any shooting
| later, I'll give you a show" Then he
| turned to me and said: Years ago back
in the States Williams here and l loveG
the same girl. Her parents did not ap.
prove of either of us. She made me thinb
| she loved me and she led Austin to be
lieve he was the favorite. She finally con-
| scented to a secret marriage with me, ana
we slipped away, saying nothing. Some.
| how, the report got back to her home
that had taken her off under promise o.
| marriage and had then deserted her
| Austin never recognized me up TO TIN
| day of my supposed death, but l knew
him the first time he showed up at oul
ranch on the Pecos. After you went oui
that afternoon to salt the deer l felt very
sick, and really thought l was dying SC
/ turned to Austin and said: civilians
l am John Walker"
| Quick as a cat he was on me. / codi
| not get my gun, and he had me by jhs
throat, so 1 couldn't speak He choaaed
me- as he supposed, to death The next
thing 1 remember was hearing you Two
talking about me as if 1 We're dead. !
really felt not far from it. When Austin
in answer to your question, said ne kne"
| nothing about me it made me mad, ana
rose up to tell him he lied. The siSht Oh
me knocked him senseless. 1 knew then
l was supposed to be corpse. When you
| both had turned in drunk, l crawled u
! the jug and took enough to strengthen me-
then L slipped out and mounted the ms.
COW pony found and rode away. l di'
not feel like fighting Austin-in fact ne
would not have touched me had he waiIs'
| to hear me-and I thought my disappear
ance would worry him some:
| Again Austin reached for his revolver
Wait" said Abe until | finish. l mar
| ried the girl and treated her as white d.
| woman was ever treated; but live nouns
| afterward she ran away with a drufnlhr'
1 hear the music tuning up. Come -Hsiuo
l have something to show Austin thele'
| Abe purchased the tickets. and we r"
| tered the partly filed room which va"
| doing duty as theatre. A rude s''7'
| was constructed at one end or the t'"l"
| and few men seated on boxes before '
were grinding out on their cracked a-@
| discordant instruments an air that re'a.'
ed, Rise Up William Riley" Presen"s
| the large canvas wagonsheet that seiNs'
as a drop curtain was raised, and sdu'
zaou.;i, drascad and rOUEHs