The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-04-30
SsIsetsa Story.
WHOSE WAS THE SIN 2
4 R0NANCE OF BUSY GULCH.
BY WELDON J. COBB, JR.

From s!uice up to q lode, po-
ker, euchre, or casino, I'm your
man ready to stand up and be
shot if I make a false deal ; ready
to rid the earth Of the man who
cheats at the play"
"Bragg's good dog, but the
chink carries conviction in these
ere diggins," spoke up Beaver
Tom, gruay psraphrasing an old
maxim.
"Cor-rect r roared the new ar
rival, Opening his hunting shirt,
and taking therofrom small buck
skin bag. Pm always ready to
plank down the cash when my
words doubted. It would be q
dangerous dodge to fling Lucky
Dan the lie at Vera Canyon
though" And the bronzed mi
ner's eye gave forth momentary
fash Of anger.
The men seated in the tavern at
Ruby Gulch repeated the name
over in snbdued tones, and then
each one looked cautiously at the
new arrival, who seemed singu-
lar compound Of good nature, brag
and wealth. There WAS not .
man there who had not heard of
him. heard too Of his deeds of
prowess; of bis remarkable facili-
ty for accumulating wealth, and
they rememb bered, enviously, that
"Lucky Dan" was pseudonEm
not inaptly bestomed upon the mi
ner who "turned everything he
touched into gold"
II come down here to have d lit
tie sport and to prospect" contin-
ued the miner, carelessly chinking
his dust on the table. "See here !"
kicking over q chair and seating
himself on it's back, new tra'i. of
thought striking his mind; 81
hear that you fellows are 60
ing to get up q sort Of committee
to investigate the Durand bust
ness ?'
He said this in a careless t 40,
meantime tossing the bag and
catching it, yet a glow of interest
partly hidden, came into his eyes.
eyes" spoke up Beaver Tom,
sand the powers above help the
man who murdered him, if we
catch him!"
"Is that the way you do bust
ness in these diggIngs ?" queried
Dan, with contemptaous emphasis
in his voice. GLOW do you know
whether Bill Durand was murder
cd or not ?" How do you know
but what he died in q fair fight.
I don't blame you, boys" continu-
ed the speaker, in a concillatory
tone, for the miners were frown-
ing dangerously at this frank con-
demnation Of their leaders sent,-
ments, "for Bill was q whole-soul-
ed boy. You see I have seen him;
he was at the Canyon two days
before he went under. But, boys,
Bill Durand was a quarrelsome,
unreasonable man when whlskey
had the upper hand of him; Don't
condemn the man that killed him
until you know if he hadn'tpro'
vocation to do So"
YOU'RE sensible" replied Beav-
er Tom, "But that's what we pro-
pose finding out. See here, Dan,
look at that lad there, and think
how you'd feel to be put IN his
place, without father to take
care of him, and a mother left a
Door lone widow, without cent,
or a hand to help her, Of her o"n
kim
Lucky Dan started, and direct
ed bis eyes to the part Of the
room indicated by Beaver Tom
Then, with a gesture of his hand,
he beckoned the goiden-haired,
sweet-faced, FIVE year old boy to
him.
"Well, my lad," he said, "and
you're Bill Durapd's boy, are you
Here take these to your mother
and toll her so long as Lucky Dan
lives, neither you nor her shall
want" and be drew from nlE
,cclras q handful Of gold Rslt-es: