The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-05-20
THE GREAT GOLD C r
CHAPTER !.

I'm a gold digger-that's about what I
am. You wouldn't take me for an En-
glishman, would you now? No, o yet
any one else that knows me ; but 1 am,
though.
How old, about, should you take me
for? "~Fifty-fve, eh?" We'll, they all
guess somewhere near that but Tn Just
thirty-seven last month. Idare say you
don't believe it /; and perhaps wouldn't
believe it, either, if I told you that all
this wrinklng and turning grey was done
in one week. Well, it was, and when I
think over it all now. and think that here
1 am, alive after it all, I can hardly be-
ieve it myself. Would you like to hear
about it? Well, sit down and make your
self comfortable, and I'll tell you.
It's nine years ago last Valentines
day q remember all the dates well
enough, I warrant YOU that I was at
Frisco with a Yankee, name of Seth
Hickman. We'd met down in Denver,
and stood by each other in a row that
happened there, and of course that drew
us together a bit ; and the end of it was,
we agreed to go prospecting together
and "share and share alike"
Seth was a sharp fellow and knew all
the hkeliest spots, and could do a days
work with any man in those days, though
I amt much to brag on now and the
end Of it was we made a pretty good haul.
When we got to Frisco 1 thought of
nothing but banking some of the stuff
for a rainy day and having a spree with
the rest, and then starting off again but
Seth didn't seem to see it all. L noticed
that he looked seriouslike, as if he had
something on his mind, for the first two
days after we got into the town and on
the second evening, as we were sitting
over our grog, he spoke out :
"Jim, old boss, I'm a-gwine to tell
yew something that nary soul in creation
knows about but myself ; for if yew
hadn't been some smart with your Der
ringer when them three skunks went for
me down in Denver they might ha' wrote
'Gone up over this child and no man
ever did Seth Hickman a good turn, nor
a bad turn neither, but what he got CO.
coanut for you tilt for It'll yew bet yure
life on that
"When I was in Africa last year I
went up country a bit with my rifle, and
thar I happened on an oldIndian %critter,
as old as George Washington's nurse,
Evin' in a hut all by himself among the
spurs O. the Andes, and 1 camped in his
hut for the night.
"Wal, the aguardiente (whisky) in my
flask war a leetle few strong for him, and
he got regular slowed ; and when his
tongue got loosened by the ticker he kim
out wi stitch a yarn as whippud every
thing in Prescott all to fits. He said
that when the Peruvian chiefs stampeded
from Cuzco alter Pizarro took it, a lot on
EN- got up among the mountains, carry
ing their gold with 'em, till they kim out
on the plateau of Lake Utica and thar,
findin' the Spaniards close on their trail,
they chucked all the gold into the lake
and skedaddled nobody knows where.
And he said that if anybody took the
trail from his hut, north and by east, till
they hit the southern end of the lake,
and then looked out for a big three-cor-
nered rock like a pyramid upside down,
they'd jest got to scoop in the mud of
the lake whar that rocks shadow fell on
it at sunrise, and they'd find huff gold
to buy up all Wall street. Now, we've
got money enough to put that job
through, and if yew feel like tryin' it,
I'm in"
said "done" at once, and we got our
money together, and slipped down the
coast to Africa as fast as the Pacific
steamer could carry us. The minute we
got there, Seth went off into the hills to
try and get hold of his old Indian for a
guide, while I hunted about FOR work
mentor this was a job that needed more
hands than our own. At last I got hold
of two Spaniards-two sturdy fellows
they were, and honest enough as Span
iards go-and then a Portigee and two
niggers. We weren't long in buying our
stores and working tackle, and by the
time Seth came back with his guide, all
was ready and away we went.
Seth wa much too knowing a bird to
let on what his real game was as long as
we were within hail of the town, for il
you say "gold" there only in a whisper
those blessed Gambusinos (g%old-fnders)
Will hear it a hundred miles of. So all
that we told u gang was that We were
going prospecting among the lower
ranges, as lots of fellows did every day
but when we were past the old Indians
hut and well up among the hills, so that
our chaps couldn't easily turn back il
they wanted, he up and told them the
whole story. They were rather taken
aback, as well they might be, for Lake
Titicaca's a good many days journey to
the nor'east, among some very awkward
mountains and a good thirteen thousand
feet above the sea, if it's an inch. How,
ever, a Spaniard (or any other man, for
that NATTER will go pretty nearly any
where if he once gets on the scent of
gold to our fellows they spoke up
stoutly enough, and said they were ready
to go up to the lake, and down to the