The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-01-10
THE FLOODED GULCH.

/ warn't never meant for no sailor, l
warn't, but | come of a great nation,
and when a chap out cur way says he'll
du a thing, he does it. / said I'd 90 to
sea, and / went-and thar you are. l
said I'd drop hunting and take to min
ing, and thar l was; and that's how it
come about.
You see, we was rather rough out our
way, where HeZ Lane and me went with
our bit of tent and pickers, shooting
irons, and sech-like, meaning to make
pile of gold. We went to Washoe,
and didn't get on; then we went to Fort
Laramie, and didn't get on there. Last,
we went right up into the mountain,
picking our way amongst the stones, for
Hez ses, "LoOk here, old boss, let's 90
whar no ones been afore. If we get
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"
Good for you" says; and we
tramped on day after day, till we got
right up in the heart % the mountains
where no one hadn't been afore, and it
was SO still and quiet, as it made you
quite deaf.
1t was strange, wild sort of place,
like as if one o. them coons called giants
had driven q wedge into a mountain
and split it, making place for bit Of
a stream TO run at the bottom, and lay
bare the gold we wanted to find. en-
"This'll do, Dab, says Hez, as we
put up our bit of tent on pleasant
green shelf in the steep valley place.
..This'll do, Dab; thar's waller gold
spangling them sands, and running in
veins through them rocks, and yellow
gold in pockets of the rock" p
"Then let's call it Yaller Gulch," l
says.
'sDone, old hossl" says Hez; and
Yaller Gulch ii is. -- --- -
We set to work next day washing in
the bit of a stream and shook hands on
our good luck.
"This'n do" says Hez. ave shall
make a pile here. No one viii dream
of hunting this outs ~
Say, stranger!" said a voice that
made US both jump. "Do it wash
well?n
And if there warn't long, lean.
ugly, yaller-looking chap looking down
at Us, as he stood holding mule by the
bride.
Why, afOre a week was over, so far
from us keeping it snug, reckon there
was fifty people il Yaller Gulch, wash
ing away, and making their piles. Afore
another week was over some one had
set up store. and next day there was a
gambling saloon. Keep il TO ourselves
WHY, stranger, Ireekon if there was one
speck of gold anywhere within 500 miles
our chaps'd sniff it out like yultures, and
be down upon it.
Ii warn't no use to grumble, and we
kept what we thought to ourselves,
working away and making our ounces
as best we could. One day proposed
we should go up higher in the noun
taiDs; but Hez said he'd be darned if
he'd move; and next day, if he'd wanted
me to 90, | should have told him I'd be
darned if I'd move, and, all at once,
from being red-hot chums, as would
have done any thing for one another,
Hez and me got 10 be mortal enemies.
Now, look here, stranger. Did you
ever keep chickens? P'raps not; but if
YOU ever do, just you notice this: You've
got, say, dozen young cocks pecking
about, and as happy as can be-Smart
and lively, and inherent as chickens
should be. Now, Just you go drop a
pretty young pullet in among 'em, and
see if there won't be row. Why, afore
night there'H be combs bleeding, eyes
knockad out, feathers torn and ragged