American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-04-01
WALLER GULCH.
A Yankee sailors Yarn.

WALLER GULCH.
A Yankee Sailors Yarn.
You see we was rather rough out oul
way, where Hez Lane and me went will
our bit of tent and pickers, shooting
irons, and sech like, meaning to make {
pile of gold. We went to Washoe, ant
didn't get on !. then we went to St. Lar
annie, and didn't get ON there. Last We
went right up into the mountains, pick
ing our way among the stones, for He,
SEE: Look here, old boss, let's ge
whar no ones been afore. If we ge
whar the boys are at work already
they've took the cream and we gets the
skim milk. Let's you and me get the
cream and let some o. the others take
the skim milk
s'Good for you,' says; and We
tramped on day after day till we gol
right up in the heart o. the mountains
where no one hadn't been afore, and il
was so still and quiet as it made you
quite deaf.
1t was q strange, wild sort of place,
like as if one o. them coons called giants
had driven a wedge into a mountain
and split it, making place for a bit Of
stream to run at the bottom and lay
bare the gold we wanted to find.
ssThis'H do, Dab,'' says Hez, as we
put up our bit of a tent on a pleasant
green shelf in the steep valley place
&c This Il do, Dab; thar's yaller gold
spangling them sands and running in
veins through them rocks and yallel
gold in pockets of the rock
ssThen let's call it Yaller Gulch,''
says
'Done, old hoss!" says Hez; ant
Yaller Gulch it is.
We set to work next day washing il
the bit of stream, and shook hands OF
our luck.
"This1l do says Hez. "We shall
make pile here. No one won't dream
of hunting this OUT
.'Say, stranger." says voice a.
made us both jump, "Do it wasl
well?''
And if there warn't a long, lean
ugly, yaller-looking chap looking dow,
at us as he stood holding mule by tn,
bride.
Why, afore week was over, so ia
from us keeping it snug, reckon Their,
was fifty people in Yaller Gulch wash
ing away and making their piles. Afor
another week was over some one ha,
set up store, and next day there was
gambling-saloon. Keep it to ourselves
Why, stranger, reckon if there was
speck of gold anywheres within fiv
hundred miles our chaps'd sniff it GU
like vultures and be down upon it.
1t warn't no use to. grumble, and W
kept what we thought to ourselves
working away and making our ounce
the best way we could. One day pre-
posed to go up higher in the mountains
but Hez said he'd be darned if he
move; and next day, if he'd wanted m
to 60, I should have told him I'd b
darned if I'd move; and all at ono
from being red-hot chums, as woul
have done any thing for one anothe
Hez and me got to be mortal enemie
Who should come into the gulch or
day but an old bookkeeping sort of fe
low, with as pretty a daughter as eve
stepped, and from that moment it ws
all over between Hez and me. He
got way with him, you see, as hadn'
and they always made him well1im
that thar store when it was only s.Ho
do you doP' and "Good morning!"
me. don't know what love is, stra
gers, but if Jael Burn had told me to 6
and cut one of my hands off to plea
her I'd ha' done it.
But it wouldn't do. l soon see whit
way the wind blew. She war the on
woman in camp and could have tt
pick, and she picked Hez. 1 was 'bo
starin' mad first time 1 met them tv
together-she Arranging on his arm al
looking up in his face, worshiping hi
like some of them women can worsh
agreat, big, strong he; and as soon
they war got by swore a big oath
Hez should never have her. But III
and Jael were spliced up and 1 all
KEEP away. When 1 wanted an cum
or two of gold worked and when |
got it used to drink-drink, because
wanted to drown all recollection of Il
past. Hez used to come to me but
warned him off. Then Jael came a,
she began to talk to me about fo
giving him, but it on
made me more mad nor ever, and SC
went and pitched at the lower end of Il
Gulch and they lived at t'other. Tim
and times felt as if I'd go and phi
Hez on the quiet, but / never di
though l got to hate him more al
more, and never half so much as / d
nigh two years arter when 1 came up'
him one day sudden with his wife Ja'
looking pootier than ever, with lit,
white-haired squealer on her arm. A
it riled me above bit to see him