The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1916-09-09

"Hs's dyin' on his feet" said Red.
that was where the needle went
through the time table, and dad said
we would get Off there. He got awful
drunk that night.
Next day he said he was goin' to
quit liquor and make fresh start. I
said that next m7osFFnlnT. But Y guess
he tried to quit. I don't know
"one night be didn't Como back to
the room where we was stayin' up
stairs over the saloon. They found
hin way down the track next day all
cut to pieces by the train"
The boy paused, reached forward
and plucked withered stem OF grass,
which he wound round and round his
finger = /. D. -
II guess his money was all gone"
resumed the boy. Anyhow, bout a
year after, Overland Red comes along.
he comes to the saloon where was
stayin'-they give me a Job cleanin'
out every day-and he got to talkin' a
Lot Of stpf about scenery and Twin the
simple life and al that guff. The bar
tender got to Jawif' with hlp, and
laughed, diid the bartender hits me
a lick side the head. Red, he hits the
bartender lick side OF his head-and
the bartender don't get up right away.
I'll learn him to hit kids, said Red.
II you learn him 10 hit 'em as hard az
that / says to Red, then II viii be
all or with me the next time.
"'Does he hit you very oftenr said
Red.
Whenever he feels like It, told
him.
RED laughed and said TO come on.
with Red. We tried II on freight
and got put of. Red had some water
I'm a canteen he swlped. IL was lucky
for us he did. We kept walkin' and
goln' nights and mebby ridln' ON
freights In the daytime IL we could.
One day, a long time after that, we
was crossin' the desert again. We got
put of "A freight that time too. We
was walkin along when we found a
guy lnyln' beside the track. Red said
he wasn't dead, but was dyin'. We
give him some water. Then he kind
OF come TO and wanted 10 drink IL all
Red said NO Then the guy got kind
Of crazy. He got up and grabbed Red
/ was scared
Red, he passed me the canteen and
told me TO keep IL away from the guy
because more water would Kill him.
Then the guy went for Red. He's dy-
In on his feet said Red. It's his
last fash And he tried TO hold the
guy quiet, talkin' decent 20 him all the
time. They was staggerin' around
when the guy trippcd backward over
the rail. His head hit on the other
rail, and Red fell on top OF him. Any
way, the guy was dead"
Walter Stone shifted his position,
turning to gaze at the boys white face.
"Yes--go on" he said quietly.
Red was for searchln' the guy, but
l says to come on before we got
caught. Red. he laughed kind OF queer
and asked me. Caught at whatT
Then / said i dunno. but / was scared
Anyway, he went through the dead
guys clothes and found some papers
and old letters and a little leather bag
with a whole lot OF gold dust In tired
said mebby $5O0r'
Gold dust?"
'Uhuh! Then Red was scared. He
buried the bag and the papers way
out In the sand and made a mark on
the ties TO find II by"
did you find out the dead mans
nameT asked Stone, glancing curious
ly at the boy.
Nope. We just beat II for the next
station was feelin' sick. give out
and Red he lugged me TO the next
water tank. lie was pourin' water on
me when the limited come along and
stopped, and she throwed the rose TO
us. Red told mo about Il after. You
wouldn't go back on a pal like that,
would your
mo, don't know that should"
That's meg' said the boy. Then
they went TO work and plnched us at
Barstow; said we killed the guy be-
cause his head was smashed In where
he hit the rails They tried 10 make
Red say that he robbed the guy after
KILN him. but Red told everything,
except he didn't tell about the letters
and the gold dust They tried to make
me say IL, but dassent | knowed
they would Ak Red sure n did, and
he told me not TO tell about the gold
II they did pinch rs"