Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-10-11
Sf}istellameuns &eaaiug,
"OUR FOOL"

called, were mining in Nevada in 1859,
the redskins made it their business not only
to hunt seal ps but to find them. There were
twenty-four of US in the party, and in August
we were in camp called, "Old Tom Jones"
The hediggings we're good, and we had the camp
secured so as to insure the Indians warm
reception whenever they took notion to visit
US. A sentinel was posted during the day to
watch for the enemy, and at night we all re.
tired under shelving rock in the face of a
cliff fifty feet high. This cave, as it might
be called, could only be approached by one
path, as we thought, and as there we're three
dogs in camp none of the miners were asked
to stand watch Running parallel with this
path to point within thirty feet of the cave,
was gulch, down which ran stream of wa
ter in the spring and fall. 1t was dry at this
time and the bed of gravel was foot thick.
Any one sneaking down the gulch could come
within thirty feet of the cave, but would be
separated from it by wall of rock twenty
feet high. This wall could easily be scaled
from the gulch, and a party gaining the crest
of it could look down into the cave, almost
could at least shoot down all who attempted to
leave it.
Such was the general situation on the 9th
day of August, when "Our Fool" made his
appearance He was a man about thirty
years of age, poorly dressed, even for that
country, aud his face wore the silly look of a
born idiot. AS he came into the diggings he
carried his hat in his hand and grinned like
baboon over big stick of candy.
"Who ar ye and what do ye want2" growl'
ed one of the men as the stranger halted be-
fore him. -.r. 49, .s.l l....}I
"Te-he Te-he! /" laughed the fool, in his
silly way.
the miner, and as the men gathered around,
the fellow swung his hat by string and
called out: .. 81 ~
"The COW jumped over the moon-te-he!
te.heW
1t was plain that he was a fool. Where he
came from and how he had reached US no one
could guess, but after talking among them
selves, the miners decided to let him stay
around until he got ready to 60.
Our Fool was soon at home. de had the
appetite of a wolf, and We couldn't get a
stroke of work out of him. The very first
night of his arrival, however. he armed him
self with club and paced up and down the
path like sentinel, and We heard him NUT
tering II see Injuns-they can't see mel" Z
He paced up and down all night long, and
next night he took the post again without a
word being said. No one thought him any
protection to the camp, and yet | think we
all felt little safer in knowing that some
one was was moving about and keeping the
dogs active and vigilant. After Our Fool
had been in camp week, the Indians became
unusually numerous. The day sentinel re.
ported seeing them on the hills around US,
and one night they certainly came close
enough to our cave to give the alarm to the
dogs. Up to this time Our Fool, as every
body called him, had slept most Of the day
and had been very quiet. Next day after
the alarm he was noticed on the ridge diVi'
ding the gulch from the path, and was in the
gulch 80 much during the next three or four
days that one of the men remarked: IL guess
Our Fool has found rich thing up there"
One morning it was discovered that our
keg of powder was missing. We all had
firearms and personal supply of powder in
our horns, but this twenty.6v pound keg
which had been bought with company funds
to fall back on in case of necessity, had been
taken from the cave by some one, and there
was deep mystery about it. None of the
men could be charged with the theft, as nc
one wanted to leave or could carry it down
the mountain and sell it. The dogs couldn't
take it, it couldn't carry itself off, and the only
thing left was to declare that Our Fool had
stolen it.. He was cufed and shaken around
and some of the men wanted him whipped
but all he could or would say was:
"Injuns coming-IDjuns blow way up high
We searched all around for two hours, but
the keg was not to be found, and the incident
created much ill-feeling among the men. II
was agreed that one man should watch Oul
Fool for two or three days and see if he would
not betray himself Both remained in the
cave, but somehow the idiot crept out unno
ticed and was absent for three or four hours
When he returned he was more silly thar
usual, and as he moved around he kept call
ing out:
"Got all fxed-got all fixed"
That night he went on duty as usual
Having slight fever l was nervous and rest
less, and at eleven o'clock / awoke aud heard
him talking to the dogs. At one o'clock
awoke again, and he was missing. l got up
walked down the path hundred feet, and
though the dogs came to me, nothing could be
seen Of Our Fool. I thought he had beer
seized with some new fancy and had perhap:
absconded altogether, and going back to the
cave soon fell into sound sleep.
Half an hour before daybreak severa
things occurred to arouse every man in the
party in an instant The walls aud floors ir
the cave trembled; dirt ratified down into oul
faces, fierce screams rent the air, and ther
came binding flash and report which
made "old Tom Jones" tremble in every nook
and crevice. We leaped up and ran out il
the widest alarm, and no one could yet say
what had aroused US, when Our Fool came
down from the wall between path and gulct
as nmbly as squirrel.
"Big noise-great 6re-hurt 'em awfu
bad p he shouted as he danced around US
and that's all the satisfaction we could get.
The miners soon came to the conclusion
that our keg of powder had been exploded
near by, and as soon as daylight crept int'
the hills we climbed the wall. 1t was an aw
full sight we saw in the gulch below. Th'
dry bed of the stream was torn full of grea
holes, and great spots Of blood stained TIT
walls almost to our feet. On the gravel wer'
blackened and burned bodies, arms, legs
heads, and parts of trunks-enough to &C
count for at least fifteen Indians. Had .
, shell exploded down there in the midst of {
crowd Of soldiers, the havoc could not hav
, been worse. There were bows and arrows
, shattered rifles, seal ping knives bent and bro
ken, and the horrible odor of burning fesl
filled tho whole gulch.
, Our Fool was down there, grinning ant