Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-07-28

fSSAo 1iLllpool "oo soy Ing,
with an easy drawl. "Zilk boosted of
his, and most Of us keep mum. Zilk
confessed his sins even before he CON-
mltted them. Sometimes I think he
was bluffing Dowly all the time and
didn't mean to have things come to a
finish. Anyway, he wasn't a bad sort
of chap, was he"
That was Simpson to a T. If he
couldn't say much good of a man he
wouldn't say evil. l remember reading
somewhere once that a mar who is a
friend of all men is the friend of none.
My moralizer goes on to say that a
man with strong likes must perforce
have strong dislikes or be a weakling.
His aim is to prove that a man inca
pable of intense hatred is incapable of
intense love as well.
Simpson was a weakling according
to this. Hatred was as foreign to his
nature as craftiness is to the soul of a
nun. He was an easy-going, indolent
chap, but there wasn't a mar in Creek
er's camp who wouldn't have vouched
for Him to the last drop Of gin in
Shelters bar, which was a pretty good
pledge in the old days.
And Zilk? Zilk was a man after my
moralist's own heart. He could hate
with a hatred that would have inspired
a Poe and driven a Kempis to despair.
He was as true an example of impulse
run riot as | ever expect to see. He
was a great fine animal to look at
muscular, brawny and natural in every
gesture. Whatever his faults, deceit
was not one of them; he was as frank
with his vices as we were with our
good points. Zilk didn't pose as a pro-
fessional bad man; he didn't pose as
anything, in fact, for he seemed to
think he was entitled to live without
giving an account of himself or of his
pedigree.
The first tenter who asked him where
he hailed from got a stare that sent
him back several PAGES.
whats it to your" asked Zilk. I'm
from Nowhere and I'm bound for the
same place." But the next instant he
reached out and put a OBTAINING hand
on the fellows shoulder. Look here,
pard," he said, "I'm from Hobbies bot
tom, if you must know, and as for my
movings, | seem to have struck oil just
about here. Back in the country l
come from its dangerous to ask ques-
tons, for the fellows amt trained up
to lying. They'd rather use a gun than
an excuse"
mo offense meant" said Simpson,
for it was he; and then to square
things he invited the newcomer to
share a bunk in his tent.
Its a CO." Zilk said, and I may as
well state now that he rewarded Simp-
sons generosity as well as he could.
He left him two blankets, a goodly sup
ply of tobacco and the best pipe that
had been in the camp for a score of
years.
A little later Zilk confessed, or rather
boosted, that he had been driven out
of his last stopping place at the muzzle
of a six-shooter for conduct unbecom-
ing a humanitarian
"Just fights" he said, flights all the
time. I'd rather fight than eat,
but | like a real one with something
in the stake. I'D rather kill Jim Dowly
than do most anything-and I will
some day, when | go back"
Jim Dowly was only a name to us.
We hadn't an idea who he was, and
didn't try to find out until one night
at Shelters. The mugs had been
around three tines and the pipes were
getting empty.
who's Jim Dowly?" asked Bob
Rounds, suddenly. zilk didn't show
fight, but answered civilly enough.
"He's an Irish dog. He's the lowest
cuss God ever made, | reckon, EXCEPT
me, and I'm not a shade worse"
whats your quarrel?" Rounds went
on, and to our surprise Zilk leaned back
in his seat and grew reminiscent.
He had pale brown eyes that looked
yellow under his tawny lashes. He
opened them wide now, and I noticed
something akin to tenderness In their
expression.
~ was in love once, fellows" he
said.
There was no rough outbreak in the
circle. For one reason we wanted the
story, and for another, the miner,
rough as he is, has a good deal Of re-
spect for things feminine and likes to
treasure 1t up.
"She was a little silver Of a thing"
Zilk went on, "and about as pretty as
they make EN-, ! reckon. OF course,
she couldn't care for a great hulk Of a