The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-01-29
A coLD.HUNTER'S STORY.
BY AN OLD MINER.


around our campfire, 'but as you
have decided that l shall lead off,
promise to do my best. One thing
Whatever my story lacks in the man
ner OF telling, it will make up in
truth
We lit our pipes, assumed cons
Portable positions on our blankets,
and then Harry asked:
Did you ever meet Bob Adams in
California p
No; none of us ever had that
pleasure
wv ell, you would have me with at
first.ra,e fellow; but this story will
illustrate his virtues.
Bob Adams went up IT, Puget's
Sound with Jim Robbins and a
steamboat full Of others. 10 get rici
in the placers Of British Columbia,
in which, by the way, / Dever took
much stock
Jim Robbins was an ex lieutenant
in the army, who had been forced to
resign for some unusual violation OF
The rules and regulations.
Being an engineer and a West
Pointer, Robbins went down to the
Tule river, after leaving the army,
feeling certain Of turning his skill to
account; but be didn't, for, as you
know, it doesn't require much scien-
tific training to stake off claim and
go to panning out Dirt.
Bob Adams had been gulching on
Tule river, and being good, sober
fellow, with no taste for poker or its
kindred games he made money and
friends, and it was well known why
he worked so hard and exercised SO
much self denial.
Bob had a romantic attachment
AS love is called nowadays-for
Mary StanleJ. They had been chill
dren together, and when DIR. Stanley,
Mary's father-was appointed to the
army, Bob still wrote to her, and dis
tance made no abatement IN the
warmth of his affections (; and Mary,
though separated from her first love,
went on, cherishirg in the temple OF
her pure heart, the idol reared there
in her childhood.
Bob Adams was poor, yet he built
a castle for his little brown haired
darling-that is, he drew the plans
but he went to California for the ma
terial to construct it, and every time
he raised hia pick in the auriferous
sod, he thought-'Therc, Mary, am
digging the foundation o. home tor
you-and for me-
'He was queer, unselfish, old-fash
ioned young fellow, and was otter
laughed at by those who loved him.
70. he never entered bar, and spent
mis- spare time reading prosy book
or threadbare letter in woman,
hand. He never swore, yet | have
heard beal ded fellows swear, after
~rping their lips and bringing down
their strong fists upon the bar of The
Eureka Saloon, that thar WASH
no better clay dug than that of which
Bob Adams was built
''Thar's no kind O. use irwin to e
hack on Bob Adams = said San Die
go Mart, one night, when some fellow
intimaied that there was good dea
of the old maid about Bob Adams.
'Thar's no use tryin' to go back OF
him, by the ghost OF the Sierfas
Mart brought down his fist with al
emphasis that made the glasses Leaf
with spasmodic nervousness on th'
bar, and YalIer Dick, the bartender
looked pale and glanced around TO-
sn avenue of retreat, in case San
Diego Mart should look 80 savage
again and repeat his terrible OATH
For the palpable body u tbs Sierras
that held our camp between its feet.
and raised its snowy heads above us
and above the clouds, was such ;
huge affair that any man with sparl
of Imagination must see that its hos
was something simply tremendous.
tDidn't Bob Adams 60 into th'
mountain last winter, through ten fee
of show, and bring Illinois Tom back
living skeleton, when we all thoug'
linn dead Say, answer that y
sMart brought down his fist again
and little Dick, the bartender, trem
bled down to the bottom of his latel,
half,soled boots.
eyes, that ar's true,' said thu
man who had dared to intimate tha
Bob Adams was effeminate.
.Wben Grizzly Smith, what sho
himself last month at Peg Drivers
war clinging to log in the middle o
the river at Visalia, and everybod!
said he was goin' to ham IN his chips
who put a lariat roun' his waist ane
swum out and dragged Smith back t
shore, while we was all a,yellin'-eh
Answer me that'
There was another terrific thumI
on the bar, and two nervous glasse
leaped off and committed harikari
rather than stand that thing an,
more, as full.spirited glasses should
and Yaller Dick laid his hands oil
the big pistols behind the bar, ant
glared around with red nose ant
white lips as if he had made up hi
mind, in his fight, to blow out some
body's brains, and was only deciding
with himself whose brains it shoult
be.
sThe man who had called Bob
character into question, reckoned b.
was mistaken, after this demonstra
ton, and acknowledged, as he set hi
glass down aud looked at San d eg'
Mart, that Bob Adams was purt.
good fellow, after ALL
Such arguments as Mart's are al
ways convincing, though to do tn
doubter's consistency credit, mus
say he left the bar-room without pay
ing for the drink he had ordered, AM
abused Bob Adams to the first littl
man he met, and even intimated tina
San Diego Mart was going to ruin
and went spoDging round Tor hi
liquor.
1T was into this mining camp tha
ex-lieutenant Jim Robbins dritted
aud as soon as Bob Adams learne,
that be was from DR.. Stanley's reg
ment, he became the dissolute fel
lows friend, for somehow they bot
loved to talk of Mary Stanley; an
/ must say, in truth, they could no
have had q better subject to talk o
think about.
sThe interest of each arose iron