Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-09-18

the footprint Of miner with his heav1
boot, upon fresh sod, when the dew vel
Islumbered upon the blades of grass, ans
hung in drops from the pendant boughs.
Tie old trappers reputation for sagacitv
land skill in tracing persons upon an indis
tlnct path, was too firmly established b,
repeated trials, for any one to raise doub
labout his ability in this respect; but by ;
large portion of the miners his disclosure,
were considered but the insane rawlings O
a drunken man, and consequently not hee
lded in the least. There were few of tht
older and more intelligent ones who were
familiar with Jake in his intoxicated as vel
las In his sober moments, and believed ever,
word he uttered.
Some, more curious than Others question
ledahim as to facts upon which he based
( his opinion, but he steadfastly refused te
Estate them. Even what he had disclosed
was in direct violation Of his promise tt
Rosenburgh, until he should be permit
ted by the latter; but when wine is in, wi
is most certainly out.
Nothing definite yet as to the main fact
that Tom had illegally wrested from Dunn
my the lead in question, had made its APP
Ipearance. 1t had not assumed tangible
shape so that it could be embodied in .
connected series of consistent facts,all ten
ding certainly, and unerringly to the mali
question Of Toms iniquity. Until it did, o
greatly Appropriated to it, Rosenburgl
dare not attempt a recovery. He did no
wish to make it and fail. If he did, al
though afterwards he might discover mos
ample proof, it would be entirely unavail
liable; hence his caution.
About ten days from this time, during
which all things pertaining to our tale ha,
gone on as usual, Julia Haford, Dummy
lsister,ha arrived, after fatiguing journe,
night and day from her home to attend hel
sick brother in the days Of his affection
having been summoned by the letter o
Ro8enburgh.
She had poor Dummy speedily removed
to more comfortable place, and took up
on herself the woman's task of ministerino
at the beside of the unfortunate of the
earth, where she, and she alone of all God
creatures, can exhibit the divinity that We
fingers in our defled and polluted race, ant
where true keroism is seen without the at
tendant glitter and pomp Of military ar
ray. Her heart was weighed down viii
grief at the forlorn condition of her wretch
ed brother butby anotherpang still morebit
terwas added, when shefailed tomakehim rec
ognize her. One conscious, intelligent lool
from those vacant, lusterless eyes in which
she could know that be recognized her
would have given her the greatest Of pleas
Iure, ana would unquestionably have afford
ed great consolation to the poor idiot, but
it was denied to them both.
Julia's form and gate indicated grea
poWe of endurance. Her step was firm
and decided. Her eyes,as we'll as the ex
preston of her face generally, denoted de
cision Of character, with resoluteness of pur
pose. She was above the medium height
just at that intermediate point between tht
two which gives one correct idea as to tn
proper height of lady.
| She entered upon the work of attending
her brother with degree Of cheerfulness
and yet in so decideda manner rs to con
vince all that the work was labor of love
and would be ceasless until the final enc
was seen.
The next day, being Sunday ,Rosenburgl
as was his wont, took stroll among The
tdiggings, which he preferred to lounging
about the Light House and listening to thu
coarse jest, the drinking song and abonin
able oaths,-now and then dropping in, a
they came in his way, in the miners cab
ins,a land the dwellings Of persons, and chat
ting few minutes pleasantly upon the top.
les Of the day, Among those he visited
this afternoon was Widow Spangle's, whom
he found, with the whole family, dressed il
their plain but neat dresses.
The conversation had not proceeded "a
before some allusion to the mines brough
ito Rosenburgh's mind Dummy's lead and
the attending circumstances.
81 say, Continued Rosenburgh, ''tochang1
the subject in part, must own that I an
deeply grieved at Dummy's misfortune, the
loss Of his most fattering lead"
"The Lord knows" broke in the widow
"ever since I've hear'n oft, it has troubled
me- drefful sight. / ait to think ont; the
poor man to be turned out his diggins jest
as he had struck its too bad amt there
no way for Dummy to get 'em back! Eff
| was a man. I'd go and heave the pesky
critter from the digging in mint, you'd
see eff I wouldn't"
Mrs. Spangler," resumed Rosenburgh
at the conclusion of the widows somewhat
energetic remark, tive desire to restore the
range to Dummy as much as any one; but
how it can be done right and successfully
without doing violence to the sense of right
or putting the law at defiance, we have not
as yet discovered"
"a fig for your law, eff it wouldn't give
Dummy the lead in a iiff-what's law good
for eff it don't take care of the weak and
them what can't take care of themselves
Eff was a Judge, I'd show Tom Frost be-
fore nightfa what good, sound law was,
and no mistake" closed the widow with a
significant toss of her head.
''Mother,' said Jenny, who up to this time
had remained silent, but not Indifferent
listener, ''mother, if you should discover,
upon examination, that IN this matter, as
we'll as others in which the same principle