Charlevoix county herald., 1916-10-12

where there was nothing but shacks
and saloons and rough-looking men
and half-dead looking women.
AT the end of the trip Mrs. Travis
was pretty near spent. She oughtnt
to have been travelling at such time
But she just would insist on coming
along. / remember Mr.. Travis and me
had to pretty near carry her into the
place where we were going to stay
while we were there. 1t wasn't regu-
lar hotel-the sign said Gem Saloon.
Also Rooms Jake was the name of
the man who kept 1t.
Jake led the way up the stairs and
Mr.. Travis and me put our arms around
poor Mrs. Travis and just lifted her
up that rickety staircase into the bed
room on the second floor"
And then we put her to bed" be-
tween us, Mr.. Travis and me. He had
to go down and speak to some men, on
business. He had gone out West on
some business about a gold mine he
was interested In, you know. And
the reason Mrs. Travis went along
was because she was so sick and nerv-
Gus, she said II would "a killed her
to stay behind. And then, that after
noon, Mr.. Travis and most all the
men in the town went into the noun
tains to see a new gold claim.
They were the toughest looking lot,
an there was one a big, powerful fol-
low, a gambler-'Jim Borden they
called him"
Jim Bordenl" cried June. why"
And he was rougher even than the
rest of EN-; but they all minded what
he said. They went off riding on
horses and mules with packs and guns
slung on their backs and / remember
| lifted Mrs. Travis out of bed and
into a rickety, old rocking chair near
the window SOS she could wave her
hand good-by and throw a kiss to
Mr.. Travis.
That night her little baby was
born. | was all alone there and it
went awful with her-I thought she
was dying After a little while | called
Jake and | told him about the baby.
He said 1t was fine and he'd send one
OF the boys out to the mine to Mr..
Travis with a note and tell him about
the good news.
Then, just as he was going down
the stairs again he turned around and
said he'd have to make 1t a double
note; because Jim Borden's wife had
just had a baby an hour before and
Jim would want to know, too.
Jake sent the note. Oh, the night
was long! Mrs. Travis was uncon-
scious. And every minute of the
time when | wasn't trying to bring her
to, ! walked the floor with this mite
of baby of hers trying to save them
both.
THE next morning early, 1t seems.
outlaws outside the town heard that a
big shipment of gold was in the road
house waiting to go out They knew
most of the men was away at the
mines, so they attacked the place.
III never forget the minute | heard
the first firing. Short and sharp
mostly revolver shots.
Il could hear the women and chill
dren herding in, in the barroom down
stairs. / could hear 'em calling, fright
ened, for their husband that wasn't
there. Then | heard the doors slam
ming and the bolts shot into place.
And in the midst of ii all the door
Of the bedroom flung open and Joe and
Jake came in dragging a sick WON
an between EN-.
This is Jim Borden's wife, says
Jake to me and here's Mrs. Toole
carrying Jim's baby-you an herll
take care of the two sick women and
the babies, won't you? And we said
yes
Mrs Toole put Jim's baby down
on the bed next to Mrs Travis-it was
one of them narrow, no count beds
and went to fussing over Mrs. Borden.
And | just walked the floor with the
other baby and prayed. The fight was
awful! Every now and again some
woman downstairs would scream and a
child would cry for it's father.
1.-The shooting lasted all morning
our men were getting near the end of
their bullets and their strength; and
Slim Bob, the head of the outlaws,
was firing at the saloon door-that
near he was-when he heard a shot
from a different direction and we saw
Slim Bob duck and dodge away, stink
ing alongside high wood fence; and
at the same time one OF the three
men that was carrying a big timber
that they were going to use to batter
in the saloon door, dropped dead in
his tracks!
Away off in the road at the edge
Of the town we saw galloping horses,
and then men scrambling of horses
backs and running toward us. They
was the men back from the mines!
They fred as they ran and the out
laws turned tail, trying to escape
all except a few--'Slim Bob was one
OF 'em. saw Mr.. Travis make for
him and then | made up my mind I'd
go downstairs and call Mr.. Travis to
come straight up to his poor, uncon-
scious wife.
"On the table was Mrs. Travis open
grip, Just as I'd left Il when the baby