The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-04-20

J
rounded by playthings such as never
child ont of fairy land had before, it is
to be hoped that Tommy was content.
Heappeared to be securely happy, al
belt there was an inf;,ntine gravity
about him, Il contcmplatfve light in his
round gray eyes, that sometimes wor-
ricd Stumpy. lie was always tracta-
bic and quiet, and it is recorded that
once, having crept beyond his "corral'
ii hedge of tasselnted 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 untlinching
gravity. He was extricated without Il
murmur. l hesitate to record the ma
ny other instances of his sagucity,
which rest, unfortunately, upon the
statements OF prejudiced friends. Some
OF them were not without n tingo of
superstition. 81 crep' up the bank
just noW,' said Kcntucll one day, in II
brcathless state of cXcitcment, "and
dcrn my skin if he wasn't Il talking
to Il jay-bird as was II sittin' on his lap.
There they was, just and sociabie as
anything you please, jawin' at each
other just like two cherry How
bolt, whether creeping over the pine
boughs or lying lazily on his back
blinking ut the leaves above him, to
him the birds sang, tho squirrels chat
! tered, and the flowers blOomed. Ma
turc was his nurse and playfellow. For
him She would let slip between the
leaves golden shafts of sunlight that
fell just within his grasp; she would
send wandering brcczes to visit him
with the balm of bay and resinous
gums; to him the tall redwooGs nod
dcd familiarity and sleepily, the bum
H!c bees buzzcd, and the rocks cav
cd 4 slGmberOis accompaniment.
Such was the golden summer of
Roaring Camp. They We're ssflush
times,' and the Luck was with them.
The claims had yielded enormously.
The camp was jealous of its privileges
and looked suspiciously on strangers.
No encouragement was given to imi-
grafton, and, to make their Scclusion
more perfect, the land on either side of
the mountain wall that surrounded the
camp they duly pre-empted. This, and
Il reputation for singular proficiency
with the revolver, kept the reserve of
| Roaring Camp invioiate. The express
man-their only connecting link with
the surrounding gwOrld-sometimes told
wonderful stories of the camp. He
would say, They've street up there
in 'Itoaring,' that would lay over any
street in Red Dog. ''They've got vines
and flowers around their houses, and
they wash themselves twice aday. But
they're mighty rough on strangers,
and they worship IN Ingin baby"
With the prosperity of the camp came
II desire for further improvement. 1t
| was proposed to build u hotel in the
following spring, and to invite one or
two decent families to reside there for
the sake of s''Fhc Luck ,''-who might
profit by female companionship. The
sacrifice that this concession to the sex
cost these men, who were fiercely sep
teal in regard to its general virtue and
usefulness, can only be accounted for
by their affection for Tommy. a few
still held out. But the resolve could
not be carried into effect for three
months, and the minority mccl<ly
yielded in the hope that something
might turn up to prevent it. And it did.
The winter of 1851 will long be re-
mcmbcrcd in the foothills. Tho snow
lay deep on the Sicrras, and every
mountain creek became II river, and
every river, II lake. Each gorge and
gulch was transformed into Il tumultu-
Gus watcr-roursc that descended the
hillSidcs, tearing down giant trees and
scattering its drift and debris along
the plain. Rcd Dog had bccn twice
under water, and Roaring Camp had
boon forrwarn"d. "Watcr put the
gold into them gulchcs,' said Stumpy.
ats been here once and will be here
againn' And that hight the North
Fork suddenly lcapch over its banks,
and swept up the triangular valley Of
Roaring Camp.
In the confusion OF rushing water,
crushing trees, and crackiing timber,
and the darkness which seemed to flow
with the water and blot out the fair
valley, but little could be done to col
Icct TN" scattered camp. When the
morning broke, the cabin Of Stumpy,
nearest the river bank, was gone.
Higher up the Gulch they found the
body of its unIucky owner; but the
pride, the hope, the joy, the Luck of
Roaring Camp had disappeared. They
were returning with sad hearts, when
shout from the bank recalled them.
IT was Il relief boat from down the
river. They had picked up, they said,
II man and an infant, nearly exhaust
cd, two miles below. Did any body
know them, and did they belong here?
II needed but u glance to show them
* ontuck lying there, cruelty crushed
and bruised, but still holding the Luck