| Show BIG BILL back of laramie wy there is a range of hills that would bo called mountains anywhere else here you can find deep gorges ravines and valleys some twenty miles above the city there is a road that winds up and up into the hills over acres of barren rock and then descends down into a beautiful valley where grass is growing luxuriantly and sheep and antelope are grazing follow the road by a miniature lake and by an by it will lead you around the base of a tall mountain and there you will find a little log cabin beside a willow lined stream and you will see there a large sheep corral I 1 was lounging on the ground a few years ago in front of the little cabin smoking peacefully and listening to tho wind sighing through the willows and pines the bleating of the sheep in the corral and the howl of tho coyote up in the hills As far as I 1 know big bill and me were the first white men who herded sheep up here in the hills said tho occupant of the cabin as he sat in the doorway with his pipe in his mouth we came up here from the home ranch down on the laramie river and built this cabin and the corrals in 77 we had about sheep to look after with the doga to help us and it was pretty hard work for then the hills were full of mountain lions and they dint know the difference between tho sheep and the antelope but we got along all eight As the old man sent some of the cheep down on he plains and others to the home ranch bill and me have anything to do so wo went up in the northern part of the state banding cattle but in the latter part of 1887 the old man sent for us and so we camo back and took about sheep up here to look after we been here long before a young tenderfoot came up from omaha to help us the old man said but in reality he only wanted a little outdoor exercise jim was a mighty good fellow though if he was a tenderfoot and ho and bill became warm friends jim was small thin and pale and bill was big bronzed and full beard edwith hair that fell down on his shoulders jim just used to stick by bill as close sa a sick kitten to a hot brick and used to follow him away over by dirty em mountain and ragged top and when he came in at sundown be would look like a corpse but after a while he got as strong as an ox and slept like a horse after supper they would take their pipes and tobacco and go out there under yonder tall pine and would talk until long into the night and I 1 used to sit here and wonder what the mischief they would talk about but jim was the best natured fellow that ever lived excepting of cours eBig bill all that summer they were as inseparable as the lamented siamese twins and when one went down to the home ranch or to laramie the other would go too one feeling well and pm blessed if bill camp right by his bedside acif day long and me and shop the dog had to look after the sheep jim was only sick a couple of days and the next sunday when the men from down on the ranch came up to bring us some papers and canned stuff they brought a letter for jim from his employers down in omaha asking that he come home at once when jim got ready to go 1 am an indian if he and big bill cry and bill be walks clear up to the top of the hill and sat down on a boulder bowlder bow lder and kept his eyes fastened on the wagon as it turned around the serpentine road and watched it until it disappeared on the plain below and then he came back here and sets down awful glum and says he to me jake jims an all fired good feller you bet he is all I 1 said burbig bill understood me every sunday when the men from tho ranch coma up bill used to walk clear down there and get the letter that would be suro to be there for him from jim and he would bring it back cp here and we used to work pretty hard to read it even if it was written with a typewriter for you know neither bill nor me had ever had any schooling they were awful good letters though and once ha sent us some fine woolen shirts and battens rAt tens and some crack tobacco and a couple of pipes this is one of them now about a month after he i left we got a letter saying he was going to be married and he was dead anxious for big bill to come down and take it in but bill do it because he said jim might be ashamed of him but jim that land of a fellow as to going to tell you pretty soon about three years after his marriage jim wrote a letter asking both bill and me to come down and see him and his wife and the kid and there was a lot of scribbling which jim said was the babas invitation course I 1 knew it was big bill they wanted to see although jim and me were good friends but as bill allowed he go if 1 go with him I 1 consented to go and so when the sheep had been moved down to the ranch we went down to omaha we tell him we were coming for bill thought it would bo big fun to surprise him when we got into omaha we were kinder scared seeing all the people and the rustle bufa a policeman comes up and asked us who we wanted and we told him the name of the firm jim worked for and he explained how to get there bill and me started out and crossed the viaduct I 1 believe what its called a big bridge over the railroad tracks and when we got to the other end and walked around a bit we saw tho sign up and we crossed over and went in there were lotof men working there and jim was standing ap talking to a girl who was a writing liko a congressman when bill saw him he walks right up and shoves ont his band and says he in a loud cheery voice hullo ole jim how be yc jim just looked up and then jumped a yard and grabs bills outstretched hand in both of his and then he grabs mine a talking like a politician all the time he excused himself for a minute and reads a little more to the girl and then he introduced us to three or four people and got his coat the girl turned around and commenced hitting a machine and bill went up and took off bia hat and his long hair fell about his face and he said one of choso typewriters aint it miss and the girl looked up and smiled awfully nice and says yes sir and then jim came along and we left we went out and all be switched if I 1 could see how jim could find his way around with all the wagons and people and electric cars but we got on one of them trains and rode for about half an bom and then we got off and walked ap a hill A pretty little house stood up above the street and we went up foi that was where jim lived the house was fixed up in great shape and as bill and me stood there kind of awkward the curtains were shoved aside and a young lady came in she stood for a second and jim just said my wife when she stepped forward with the sweetest kind of a smile and taking my bards hand and says this is big bill I 1 know and jake I 1 am glad to see you bill just looked all broke up for a minute and then he turned to jim wo wonder you married jim baya he jim and his wife just laughed and while they were enjoying themselves a little child came into the room and ran up to his father and be took him ap in his arms and kissed him and then set him down on the floor and be ran over to where BillT vas sitting in one of those big chairs and climbed up in his lap and bill held him like ho was glass and ho was pleased if be did feel foolish and the kid ran his little hands through the big mans beard and long hair and seemed to en joy it immensely and pretty soon bill turns to jim and says he you had better take this jim I 1 aint used to handling such lambs jim reached out for the child but he clung close to bill A flush of pride comes into my bards face and he looked up and said the kids name jim but before jim could answer the boy said bill just as plain and the big feli low looked up first at mrs jim and then at her husband and ho read the answer in their faces and then he pressed the child close to his bosom and two big i tears came into his eyes and fell on his cheeks we felt at home right away and that afternoon jim got a carriage and drove us all over the city and out to the fort bill looked awful happy sitting on the back seat with mrs jim and the kid and mrs jim laughing softly and talking merrily while her husband and bill bloke of when jim was up here in the hills we staid there for three days and jim just showed us all the big buildings and took us up to one of those swell clubs and introduced us around as though we were millionaires instead of poor sheep gerders herders her ders and a reporter gave bill a great write up too about a month after we were down in omaha we saw a man from the ranch riding up and so we went over to see what was the matter for it was on thursday and we thought something was up he had a letter with a black margin from bill and he tore it open and it was from mrs jim saying that jim had been taken suddenly sick and bad died well sir bill just took the letter in his hand and turned around like one paralyzed and he walked straight over yonder under that pine tree where he and jim had laid so often and threw himself down on the ground I 1 looke dafter the sheep and at sundown I 1 drove anem all up here into the corral and then shep and me went over and the dog when he saw bill lying flat on the ground with his face in bis arms gave ono long anil agonizing howl and began licking billy face and bill reached up and pulls right down by him and said awful soft like conr beans broken too aint it he lay there for a long while and the moonlight came out from behind the clouds and bathed the hills and the valleys wilh the soft light and it fell upon big bill lying with his head on the dog and sobbing to himself it was almost morning and the moonlight had died away and the eastern heavens were tinged by the light of the rising sun and a soft wind stirred the willows there by the brook and murmured through the pines when he arose and como over here to the cabin I 1 was so dead tired that I 1 had slept all night and when he opened the door I 1 was just getting ap jake he said 1 have got to go down to omaha because he said you know jim was pretty extravagant and he get much of a salary and I 1 bo surprised if his wife and the kid was pretty hard pressed I 1 must go down and look after them for I 1 know jim would like to have me do so 1 I saw there any use of talking and so he shook hands with me and started out over the hills for the ranch he drew all the money coming to him and I 1 see or hear amm him until along toward the close of the nammer when one evening as shep and me were sitting out here and 1 was a my pipe I 1 heard a step and looking up I 1 saw big bail I 1 1 I know him at first he had on store clothes his hair was short and he only wore a mustache he looked lika a corpse his cheeks and eyes were sunken and ho had a cough that pained him terribly he had walked all the way up from laramie and as he was pretty well pegged out I 1 say much to him but just got him something to eat and put him to bed he used to sleep like an ox but all night he was restless and pitching backward and forward on the bed next day he told me that when he got in omaha he went up and saw mrs jim and the kid and that she was all broke up you see jim had spent money pretty freely and when his debts was paid she have a cent and bill told her that jim had lent him a lot of money which of course was not so and that be would pay it back now you see if bill had offered to have helped her she have taken a cent but as long as she believed bill owed the money it was all right so bill got a job working on the grades but he told her be was just resting in omaha and every saturday night he used to give her nearly all his earnings and just starved himself and slept in 0 tent with the horses out in the suburbs at night in all kinds of weather and breathing the dust and dirt all day and the stable at night and not eating at all regularly hia health broke down and be was taken to a hospital about this time an old aunt of mis jims died and left her a pile of property mis jim kinder suspected something was wrong with big bill but she get anything out of him though she tried awful hard she lowed to tell billj the next saturday night when he came but ha come and she guess what was the matter until she saw by a paper that he nas been taken to the hospital she went up there to see him and he was delirious and when helas out of bis head he told all about what EQ had been doing and it liked to leave killed mrs jim when he got better ash e used to dalre him out driving and said she would pay him back and she did make him take about a hundred dollars and she was just bound he would be paid in fall and so he skipped ont and came back ap here for a while he was a good deal better ant his cough got worse and by andily he pretend to do anything ant enst walk his head down and his hands behind him and talk about jim and little bill and mrs jim and aie donld lay ont there in the cold nightjar with his head in his hands looking dp st the star dotted heavens and listening to the wind moaning through the fineg I 1 got a letter from mrs jim asking if bill had come ap here and how he was and I 1 managed to write back how ho was well one morning bill get ap and I 1 saw that he was pretty ad and BO I 1 go ont with the sheep ant just left them in the corral while I 1 attended to bill along abent noon 1 heard shop bark and looking ont I 1 saw a carriage coming around the mountain there and I 1 thought it was a doctor which the old man had sent ap but when it drew up mrs jim and littlebull little Bill got out Js there anything the matter he dead is he she asked me X have come and will take him bacar where he can have the best of medical attendance I 1 can never forget what he did for billie and I 1 enst for jims sake 1 I say anything ant just pointed into the little cabin and she and the kid went in and leaned over him he opened his eyes and when he saw her he tried to raise himself but he am 1 dead be asked no said mrs jim billio and I 1 have come up here for you and we will take you backwith back with us to omaha where you will soon get well r r you are very kind he said and then smiled softly drew a heavy sigh mrs jim and her tears fell upon his face as she kissed hun and little bill and me were him when up from the ranch out there and and where time after he got deaha and a few days after ato jim came up in a carriage from acting as the guide for a brought ap a stone for bills aw I 1 there were tears in the eyes of the old sheep herder when ha finished and we arose and went to the grave the wind was sighing a requiem through the tall pine tree and the little stream was murmuring the sweetest music as it ran along over the rocks in the moonlight the plain jnaehle slab the sini plo inscription BIG BILL off THE NOBLEST OF USH B A eaton in omaha herald |
