The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-03-17

1t is now Ave weeks since 1 came to
this place to satisfy what l am begin
ming to believe is nothing more than a
mere within. My friends thought 1t a
strange freak for a man engaged to one
Of the reigning bellies of the city to
leave suddenly in the height of the sea-
son for an extended hunting trip in the
heart of the mountains.
l have been here five weeks, hunting
a little, and wandering around a great
deal more. / found his little cabin in
the ravine a few rods from the OLD
stage trail. There was another, a larg-
er house, built Of logs also, but /
burned 1t up. l began on 1t the first
night / camped here, building a fire
Of its logs each night as l returned
from my trips W. the mountains.
LAST week, the last log Of the other
having been consumed, l began on this,
n tonight. when 1 came In. l found
there was just enough timber left for
n more night, and gathering II to-
gether set fire to 1t. Tomorrow / will
pack up and go back to civilizs ton and
my bride.
Tonight, as 1 raked the coal togeth-
err. a stranger came over the top of the
ledge above the fire and. after standing
looking at me for a moment, climbed
down the rocky path to my camp.
/ knew him in an instant, blu felt
safe in my disguise Of fashionable
clothes and smooth face. He could not
recognize me now!
After he had shared my supper we
pulled out pipes from our pockets and
smoked. I had him at a disadvantage,
for / knew him. n could study the
emotions that swept over his face as
the freight illumined 1t. He was ten
years older than when 1 saw him last,
and he was thinner and more haggard.
II Iad tha yrya md affair q TINA he ha.
gan talking about this d evidence
of human life out in the wilds Of the
Rockies.
1 assented and he went on.
Twelve years & this was probably
the most God -forsaken mining camp in
the world. A rougher set of men 1t
would be hard to find. But 1t all
changed for the better, and then for the
worse again. You would hardly guess
1t, but even out here, hcmmed in by the
Rockies, the curse Of this reformation
and Of the relapse was-woman, and
the same woman
lone day there was an accident to
the stage up on the trail and a woman,
wha was the only passenger, was
brought down by the driver to be kept
over night while he went back for help.
She was a sort of Presbyterian mis-
sionary on her way out to some Indian
tribe or other. She stayed that day
md the next, and by the time the driv-
sr returned the man a induced her to
promise to remain for a few weeks as
she said. Nothing would induce her to
stay permanently, although the leader
Of the camp told her they needed
| preaching as much as any one-of
| which there could be no doubt-and
| promised all manner of reforms IL she
would stay.
"She did work a rapid change in
those men. They built her this log
house we are using as firewood, and
she lived in 1t. Then they built her a
church, and on Sundays they all gath
cred in 1t while she preached to them
They gave up gambling and they gave
Up drinking. 1t vas getting to be g
model community. For every man ir
that camp was madly In love with hel
unless 1t was one. but he was of ne
account.
"All of g sudden 1t changed. The wo'
man going through the camp one even
ing at unset heard the old-time paths
and saw the old-time drinking anC
gambling. She went into n of thu
rents and the men shamefacedly pu
sway the cards. But her power owe
them was gone and she realized 1t.
THAT night the woman was awaken'
ed from her sleep by a mob of men a
her door, which up to that time hat
beer sacred. She asked h wa
wanted and they told her to dress ant
come out; they wanted her at thu
| Yhurch.