St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-09-03

b
thought some OF trying to reform me
If she had known, but didn't ask her
! to take the job. knew there wasn't
| any reform in me, and even if had
been reformed down to the ground,
wouldn't have been good enough for
her. didn't poster her once with any
news Of me and my feelings, only
used to watch for her sometimes, and
would talk a little. would stand
away on. along the trail till her pony
came by--then I'd so back to the camp
and think. Thinking is good for fell
low when he gets sentimental. It's
darned sight better than talking. That
slip Of a girl kept me pretty straight
| for time, only she didn't know 1t.
The rum tent could have gone dry for
| all of me, and my muscles got so soft
4 from stand-idle they were almost fab
by. It was queer thing the way that
| little kid"
! Zilk stopped abruptly.
Where does Jim Dowiy come I'M"
asked Bob.
Zilk looked up.
"Dowly?" he said, musingly, as II it
were an effort to get the girl out of
his mind, "Dowly? Lord! must
have been born hating him! At any
rate, we had feud SO long back that
I've forgotten how the thing started.
| 1t wasn't the feud, anyway, that made
me hate Jim, but just his pure cussed-
ness. Sometimes, though, feel as II
I'd be lonesome if really did take
drop on him, I've got SO used to hating
| him.
Whats he got to do with the girl?"
Bob asked, gingerly. We expected
some objections, but none came. Zilk
was evidently perfectly willing to go
through his cross-examination.
"He's married to her." he said,
grufly
1.-THE devil!" Bob exclaimed Every
man in the group started. Zilk had
spoiled our story; we didn't want It to
end that way.
Hes married to her." Zilk repeat
ed, land it all happened because l
didn't kill him, when it was plainly up
to me to do it. There's a time for all
things in this world, and the man who
slips his chance has to pay for it."
Simpson moved uneasiiy In his seat.
You're still laying for him, eh p he
asked, with tinge of disapproval in
his tone.
ELK smiled. I'm still laying for
him." he said, land the day he breaks
the little kids heart is the day put
q hale in his. That's all. just want
ed you follows to know"
| what for?" asked Bob.
Zilk smiled again. you'll under
stand later" he said; and we did, for
Jim Dowly came to the camp next
week.
Ike Simpson, general philanthropist
! and friend of tramps. took me into his
tent the next day, and bunked along
side Of Zilk / like the man, and be-
came his partisan. even found my
self plotting the taking off of Dowly,
as deliberately as if he had been my
own particular enemy instead Of Zilk's;
but when he came l avoided him as
would the pest, and prayed inwardly
that Zilk would't learn he was in the
camp. The news was out the next
day. Zilk took it calmly; he didn't
even load his gun, which disappointed
ME somewhat. Afterward learned
| that he never unloaded the critter ex-
cept on provocation.
It's strange thing, but the habitues
of a rough mining camp banker for
killing with as much vim as the aver
age rancher bankers for legitimate
funeral. Then, after the killing is
over, they will get in and legislate for
justice with new supply OF vim, or
string the culprit up If he happens to
be unpopular. Zilk had taken us into
his confidence and we were pledged to
play fair with him. We knew that he
wasn't man to use his dirk in the
dark, and we didn't put any guards on
duty. Officers of mining camp are
not very strong on preventing crime.
The girl Zilk loved? l suppose she
ought to be described somewhere, but
I've always been so disappointed that
l couldn't describe her just as Zilk
saw her, that / draw back from the
task. Zilk wasn't keen Judge OF
feminine beauty; he hadn't known
many to compare her with. To him
she was beautiful. TO US? Well, she
was Jim Dowly's wife, dull-looking
mountain girl, rugged. healthy and or
! binary And Zilk had put her up on
pedestal, and had thought her worlds
too good for him. Maybe she was
That wasn't the question we were
called upon to decide.
They had been married only short
time, ELK said, and he didn't know
why they had come to the camp. He
seemed to avoid them, on the whole.
1 thought he had discarded all
thoughts Of vengeance, until one night
when I saw him sitting at the door of
the tent ramming fresh cartridges in
to his revolver; he seemed to be
changing them for mere sport
I I'm going to cut across the pass, )"
he said. followed him at distance
I was not exactly tenderfoot, even
in those days, but had something Of
the preacher in my nature, and It vas
liable to crop out at inopportune mo-
| lnents.
What in the devil did Zilk want to
Kill Jim Dowly for. asked myself.
Zilk was a first-rate fellow and ar or
nament to the camp, and the girl
| wasn't worth it. Here he was getting
| ready to throw up his best chance In
life, and his soul along with 1t, for
q scamp who wasn't worth the powder