Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-11-17

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hadn't; and they always made him
welkim at that thar store, when it was
only "How do you do?" and "Good
morning." to me. 1 don't know what
love is, strangers; but if Jael Burn had
told me to go and cut one of my hands
off to please her, I'd ha' done it. I'd ha'
gone through fire and water for her, God
bless her and if she'd tied one of her
long, yaller hairs round my neck, she
might have led me about like O bear,
rough as am.
But it wouldn't do. soon see which
way the wind blew. She was the only
woman in camp, and could have the pick,
and she picked Hez.
was bout starin' mad first time l
met them two together-she hanging
on his arm, looking up in his face wor-
Shipping him like some of them women
can worship great, big, strong he; and
as soon as they war got by 1 swore
big oath as Hez should never have
her, and plugged up my six shooter,
give my bowie whetting, and lay in
wait for him coming back.
1t was a nice time that, as / set there,
seeing in fancy him kissin' her sweet
little face, and she hanging on him. If
| was most mad afore, | was ten times
worse now; and when [ heerd Hez COM
in, stood there ON a shelf of rock,
where the track came along, meaning
to put hall dozen plugs in him, and
then pitch him into the Gulch. But
was that mad that when he came up,
CHEEKY and singing, forgot all about
my shooting-iron and bowie and went
at him like bar, hugging and wrast-
ling him till we fell together close to
the edge Of the Gulch, and I had only
TO give him shove, and down he'd ha'
gone kelch on the hard rocks ninety feet
below.
"Now, Hez," 1 says, chow about
your darling now? You'll cut in afore
II better man again, will yer?"
" Yes, if 1 live," he says stout-like,
so as I couldn't help liking the grit he
showed. "That's right" he said,
"pitch me over, and then go and tell
little Jael what you've done. She'll
be fine and proud of yer then, Abinadab
Scales!'
He said that as I'd got hum hanging
over the rocks, and he looked me full
in the face, full of grit, though he was
as helpless as babby; bnt l didn't see
his face then, for what [ see was the
face of Jael, wild and passionate like,
asking me what I'd done with her love,
and my heart swelled so that l gave a
sob like woman, as [ swung Hez round
into safety, and taking his place like,
"Shove me over" says, and put me
out of my misery"
Poor old Hez I hated him like
pyson but he wasn't that sort. Stead
of sending me over, now he had the
chance, he claps his hand on my shoal-
der, ana he says, says he: Dab, old
man." he says, "we can't all find the
big nuggets, and if I'm in luck, don't be
hard on yer mate"
Then he held out his fist, but couldn't
take it, but turning off, ran hard down
among the rocks till dropped, bruised
and bleeding, and didn't go back to my
tent that night.
I got bit wilder after that. Hez and
Jael were spliced up, and I allus KEEP
away. Hez used to come to me, but /
warned him off. Last time he come
across me, and tried to make friends,
"Hez," says !, "keep away. I'm des-
prit like, and I won't say I shan't plug
yer !"
Then Jael came, and she began to talk
to me about forgiving him; but it only
made me more mad nor ever, and So 1
went and pitched at the lower end of the
Gulch, and they lived at t'other.
Times and times I've felt as if I'd go
and plug Hez on the quiet, but never
did, though got to hate him more and
more, and never half so much as | did
nigh two years arter, when / came upon
him one day sudden, with his wife Jael,
looking pootier than ever, with little
white-haired squealer on her arm. An
it riled me above O bit to see him 50
smiling and happy, and me turned into
bloodshot, drinking, raving savage, that
half the Gulch was feared on, and t'other
half daren't face.
Early one morning, as [ lay il my
ragged bit of a tent, woke up sudden
like, to roaring noise like thunder !;
and then there came whirl and a rush,
and was swimmin' for life, half choked
with the water that had carried me off.
Now it was hitting my head, playful like,
agen the hardest corners of the rock it
could find i'll the Gulch then it Was hit
ting me in the back, or pounding me in
the front, with trunks of trees swept
down from the mountains, for something
had bust-a lake, or something high up
and in about wink the hull settle
ment in Yaller Gulch was swep away.
"Wall," | says, getting hold of Il
branch and drawing myself out, some on
'em wanted good wash, and this II give
it 'em ;" for you see water had been
skeerce lately, and what there was had
all been used for cleaning the gold.
[ sot on bit o rock, wringing that
water out of my hair-leastwise no it
was some one else like who sot there,
chaps L knowed, you see; and there
was the water rushing down thirty OF
forty foot deep, with everything swept
before it-mules, and tents, and shan
ties, and stores, and dead bodies by the
dozen.
"UnluGky for them," [ says; and
just then I heard q wild sorter shrek,
and looking down, see a chap half
swimming, half-swept along by the tor
rent, trying hard to get at a tree that
stood t'other side.
"Why, it's you, is it, Hez ?" says to
myself, as I looked at his wild eyes and
strained face, on which the sun shown
full. "You're gone coon, Hez, lad
so you may just as we'll fold yer arms,
say amen, and go down like man. How
| could pot you now, lad, if I'd got @
shooting Iron ; put you out O yer mis-
cry like. You'll drown. lad"
He made dash, and tried for branch
hanging down, but missed it, and got
swept against the rocks, where he showed
his arm between two big bits but the
water gave him wrench, the bone went
crack. and as sat still there 7 see hin,