The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-09-09

yelling which had gained the camp Its
infelicitous title were not permitted
within hearing distance of Stumpy's.
The men conversed in whispers, or
smoked in Indian gravity. Profanity
was tacitly given up in those sacred |
precincts, and throughout the camp a
popular form of expletive, known as
"D-n the luck !" and Course the luck!"
was abandoned, as having new per-
sonal bearing. Vocal music was not
interdicted, being supposed to have a
soothing, trauquilizing quality; and
one song, sung by "Mal o'-War Jack"
an English sailor, from her Majesty's
Australian colonies, was quite popular
as q lullaby. 1t was lugubrious recit-
al Of the exploits of the "Arethusa
Seventy four" In muffied minor, end.
ing with a prolonged dying fall at the
burden of each verse, "On b.o-o.o.ard
of the Arethusa." It was fine sight to
see Jack holding The Luck, rocking
from side to side, as with the motion of
a ship, and grooming forth this naval
ditty. Either through the peculiar
rocking of Jack or the length of his
song-it contained ninety stanzas, and
| was continued with conscientious delib-
Grafton to the bitter end-the lullaby
| generally had the desired effect. At
such times the men would lie at full
length under the trees, in the soft sum-
mer twilight, smoking their pipes and
drinking in the melodious utterances.
| An indistinct idea that this was paste.
raj happiness pervaded the camp. "This
'ere kind o. thing" said Cockney Sim
mons, meditatively reclining on his ell
bow, sis 'eavingly." 1t reminded him
of Greenwich.
On the long summer days The Luck
was usually carried to the gulch whence
the golden stone of Roaring Camp was
taken. There, on a blanket spread
over pine boughs, he would lie while
the men were working In the bitches
below. Latterly there was rude at
tempt made to decorate this bower
with flowers and sweet-smelliDg shrubs
and generally some one would bring
him cluster Of wild honeysuckles,
azalias. or the painted blossoms Of Las
Mariposas. The men had suddenly
awakened to the fact there were beauty
and significance In these trifles which
they had so long trodden carelessly be-
meath their feet. A flake Of glittering
mica, a fragment Of variegated quartz,
bright pebble fIom the bed OF the
creek, became beautiful to eyes thus
cleared and strengthened. and were in
variably put aside for 1.-THE Luck" 1t
was wonderful how many treasures the
woods and hillsides yielded that "would
, do for Tommy" Surrounded by play
things such as never child out of fairy
land had before, it is to be hoped tha
Tommy was content. He appeared tt
be securely happy, albeit there was an
infantine gravity about him-contem
plative light in his round, gray eyes
that sometimes worried Stumpy. He
was always tractable, and quiet, and il
is recorded that once having crept be.
yond his "corral'-a hedge Of tassellat.
) ed pine boughs, which surrounded his
bed-he dropped over the bank on his
head in the soft earth, and remained
with his mottled legs in the air In that
position for at least five minutes with
unflinching gravity. He was extricat-
ed without a murmur. l hesitate to
record the many other instances of his
, sagacity, which rest unfortunately
upon the statements of prejudiced
j., friends. Some Of them were not with
out a tingle of superstition. 81 crept
up the bank, just now," said Kentuck
y, one day, in breathless state of excite
: ment, "and dern my skin If he wasn'
talking to a jay bird as was sitting il
!, his lap. There they was, just as FREE
|, and sociable as anything you please
: a-jawing at each other just like two
;, cherrybums
Howbeit, whether creeping over th'
:. pine boughs or lying lazily on his bacl
- blinking at the leaves above him, t.
- him the birds sang, the squirrels chat
7, tered, and the flowers bloomed. Ma
!, ture was his nurse and playfellow. Fo
% him she would let slip between tn
: leaves golden shafts of sunlight, tina
= fell just within his grasp; she woul
- send wandering breezes to visit hir
with the balm of bay and resinou
gums. To him the tall redwoods nod
u ded familiarly and sleepily, the humble
% bees buzzed, and the rocks cawed {
" slumbrous accompaniment.
70 Such was the golden summer of Roa,
~ ing Camp. They were 'flush times,
:, and the luck was with them. TIL
- claims had yielded enormously. Th
camp was jealous of its privileges an
looked suspiciously on strangers. n
n. encouragement was given to immigr'
: ton and to make their seclusion mol
q. perfect, the land on either side OF ii
" mountain camp they duly pre-emptet
70 This, and reputation for singular pr'
q, flciency with the revolver kept the r.
serve Of Roaring Camp inviolate. III
ao expressman-theiro only connecting lin
10 with the surrounding world-som
90 times told wonderful stories of IL
4. camp, "They've street up there
,. Roaring that would lay over an stre'
"a in Red Dog. They've got vines an
an flowers round their houses and the
AZ wash themselves twice day. B'
ot they're mighty rough on strangers, an
"a they worship an Ingin baby"
a, With the prosperity of the can
Il. came desire for further improvement
,s. 1t was propo sed to build a hotel Il
r. following spring, and to invite one
o. two decent families to reside there
Ii. the sake of ''The Luck" who mig
nd perhaps profit by female companio
to ship. The sacrifice that this concessi'
he to the sex cost these men, who We
to Aercely skeptical In regard to its gen'
I a al virtue and usefulness, can only
. L Il. I.. LII. off. .anIi