The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-01-07

/ Kirby, | guess, was a man few folks
would have expected very much of.
There was hard things said OF him, At
he could alters strike blow for a
/ friend, or hold his own with the next
man, let him he who no might. You
see there were a good many Of us in
camp, and we had fair enough luck
for the men over ~ Digger's Run had
struck a good vein. 80 money was plen-
~ and changed hands fast enough.
We'd all hung togetherm our camp un-
iii Clint Bowers got into trouble. None
OF the rest Of Us wanted 10 get mixed
up in the fuss, but somehow we did,
and the other camp fought shy Of Us
and played mostly among themselves;
and I've alters held that il is poor fun
TO take out of one pocket
To put into the other. Cur boys
had different opinions about il, and
some of them held that il wasn't Clint's
awkward work that they'd got mad at.
but that they meant TO shut down on
Kirby. You see Kirby was very lucky
player, and although pretty rough
things were said about il, nobody ever
got clear handle against him, and he
wasn't the kind of a fellow that was
pleasant 10 affront. Kirby used To say
1t was al along of Clint; that he ought
10 have been kept from the cards, or
sent down the river; that we'd have
had good run of luck all winter If il
hadn't been for him. don't know the
rights properly, but alters thought ii
was about six of one and a half-dozen OF
the other Anyhow there was bad blood
about il, and hai don't run up hill, yen
know, and SO there was trouble soon
enough The boys got into words one
night, and Kirby threw q mug al Clint,
who out with his knife and was M Kirby
like a flash. Lucky for him Clint's
eyes weren't in good seeing order, and
the liquor hadn't made his arm any the
more -teady,so Kirby only rot scratch
on his arm. Il showed what Clint
would like To DO, though. and some IF
the boys made pretty heavy bets on the
end OF il. | stuck up for Kirby, for YOU
see | knew him pretty we'll, and there
WAS true grit in him; and then. toe, he
was uncommon pleasant about il, and
even stopped saying much about
Clnt's blocking up our luck over at the
Run.
"Wcn. just about then Jack White
came over from Cambria and told Clint
that he'd heard that his uncle was ask
ing around where he was. You see
Clint's uncle had store down there.
and had made tidy pile Of money, and
a. he hadn't any children, he said he
wouldn't mind leaving it to him if he
was living respectable. Clint had lived
with him when he was boy. but they
hadn't cot along very well, 80 Clint ran
off. The old man didn't mind this,
though, and now he wanted TO find him.
Jack said he was sure that If Clint was
TO 20 over aud play his cards right he'd
get the money. You may bo sure this
was stroke OF luck for Clint Just then.
and he didn't like to lose IL: but Won
see he didn't look very genteel, and he
knew his uncle was sharp enough 10
find II out. lie was fat enough, for
whisky never made a living skeleton Of
him, but il was plain that il wasn't
good health that had made his nose SO
red, nor fine manners that had given
him the cut across his cheek and bruised
up his eye The boys all allowed that he
was the Understanding chap in the
camp, and if his uncle left him his
money, il wouldn't be on the strength
Of his good countenance, But YOU
know he had 70 do something right OF,
and so he wrote as pretty a letter to the
old man a ever | want 10 see ; but
when the answer came il said his uncle
was very sick, and As he had something
particular to say 10 him, wouldn't Clint
come over az once. and iuclosed he'd
find the money for his fare tell YOU
this stumped Clint, for he'd had another
fight and was a picture to behold.
.'But here's where the surprise to rs
all came in. Clint was pretty well puz-
zled what 70 do, and while all the boys
were advising him, Kirby spoke up. I'd
noticed he was pretty quiet, but no
body could have guessed what he was
thinking about lie looked some like
Clint, and once had been pitched into
by a new Digger Run boy. for Clint |
The fellow never made the second mis- |
take about them. Ii WASH I a. though |
they were twins, but they both had
brown hair aud long boards, blue eyes. |
and were about the same build, SO YOU
couldn't have made descriptive list Of !
the one that wouldn't have done for the /
other. What Kirby said was that Clint's |
uncle hadn't seen him since he was a
boy, and he'd expect 10 find him |
changed and although he-that's kir- |
by, You know-had had hard feelin's TO !
Clint, he wasn't a man 10 hold grudge. /
and he'd let by-gones be by-goncs. SO if |
Clint thought well Of it, he'd 20 over to !
Cambria, and if he found the land lay |
right he'd pass of for him and make !
things sure.
This struck Us all Of heap, for we
knew Kirby could do it If he chose and |
il nobody intcrfcred with him, and that
he really could cajole the old man
better than Clint could; for when that
fellow got wound up TO talk he was al