The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-08-03

aver can bet yer eye.teeth that hes pock
cts wouldn't pan ont Eve dollars"
"Then what dose he want nv him 2
queried Slim Sam.
"somethin' mean an underhan,' fol
certain" said the Colonel, "aud III,
boy must be purtected. And hereby
app'int this whole crowd 10 keep an ey'
on Grump, an see he don't make = slav,
OF the boy, an don't rob him Of dust
An recon I'll take one Of yer with me-
an keen watch Of the old rascal tonight
don't trust him with durn,"
That night the boys at the saloor
wrinkled their brows like unto an i'm
pecunious committee Of Ways and Means
"a they yainIy endeayored to surmise why
Grump could want that young man as 4
lodger. Men who pursued whiting a
an aid to reason made pecks OF chips and
shavings, and were no nearer solution
then when Their began. There was 8
number Of games played, but so great wa
the Observation-Disclosures OF the player,
that several hardened scamps indulged
in some most interruptions stocking
OF the cards without detection. But
even one OF these, after having dealt
himself both bowers and the king, besides
two aces, suddenly imagined be had dis
covered Grump's motive, and so earnest
was be in exposing that netarious wretch
that one OF his opponents changed hands
with him. Even the barkeeper fixed the
bottles badly, and on one occasion, just
a. the boys we're raising their glasses, he
metaphoricalIy dashed the cup from their
lips BY violent ~ tell you what" and
an unsatisfactory theory. Finally the
Colonel arose.
"Boys," said he, in the tone Of = man
whose mind Is settled, "'tain't cos the
youngster looked like lively comp'ny, fur
be didn't. 'Tain't COS Grumy wanted 70
do him good turn, fur faint his style
Consistently, @thars sumthing wrong.
Tom, l recon I'll take you along" And
Tom and the Colonel departed.
During the month which had elapsed
since his advent, Grump had managed to
build him hut Of the usual mining pat.
tern, and the Colonel and Tom stealthily
examined its walls, front and rear, until
they found crevices which would admit
the muxzle OF revolver il 1t should be
necessary. Then they applied their eyes
to the same cracks and saw the youth
asleep on pile Of dead grass, with
Grump's knapsacs for pillow and one
Of Grump's blankets over him. Grump
himself was sitting on fragment Of a
stone, staring into the FIRE, with his face
in his hands.
He sat go long that the worthy
Colonel began to feel indignant /; to sit in
= cramped position on the outside OF a
house for the sake Of abused human ms.
ture was an action more praisWorthy
than comfortable, and the Colonel began
10 feel personally aggrisyed At Grump's
delay. iBesides, the Colonel was growing
thirsty. 50.
Suddenly Grump arose, looked down
at the sIeepins youth, aud then knelt be.
side him. The Colonel briskly brought
his pistol TO bear on him. and with great
satisfaction noted that Toms muEzle &C.
cupied crack In the front walls, and
that be himself was ont Of range.
A slight tremor seemed TO run through
the sleeper "and no wonder" said the
Colonel, when he recounted the adven.
ture to the boys; "anybcdyd shlver to
hev thdt catamount glarin' at him.
Grump arose, and softly went 70 4
corner which was hidden by the Chin
aGope for his knife, I'll bet" whis-
pered the Colonel 70 himself. u hope
Tom won't spite my mad by frin' fust.'
Grump returned to view but instead
OF q knife he bore another blanket, which
he gently spread over his sleeping guest
then be lay down beside Mix with a log
Of wood for q pillow.
The Colonel withdrew his pistol, and
softly uuttered-to himself dozen or two
enormous oaths then he arose, straight
ened out his cramped legs, and started &c
end Tom. That worthy had started ou
similar errand, and, on meeting, the two
stared at each other In the moonlight 4.
blankIy as couple OF we'll preserved
mummieS.
Gs'pose the boys will believe Us p Whis
pered the Colooel.
ave ken bring EN- down TO see the
show themselves, eli they DON'T" replied
Tom.
The Colonels report was productive o.
the choicest assortment OF CALCULATIONS
that had been heard in camp sincs
Natchex, the leader Of the Vinegar Gulct
boys, Joined the church and commenced
preaching.
ing Grumps health at once, but the Colo
mel demurred. So did Slim Sam.
aHe's goin' TO make him work OF
sheers, or some hocuSpocusin' arrange
ment, an he can afford 10 hev him &c
sick-that' what his kindness amounts
tor said Sam.
aUr 20 fur his graitude-an' dust
when be gils any, suggested another, ant
no one repelled the inSinuation.
Il vas evident, however, that there wa
but little chance Of either inquest O
funeral from Grump's, and the croWt
| fnally dispersed with the confirmed a.
surance that there would be one steAdI
cause Of excitement for some time u
come.
lied him aside, bound him to secrecy, AMI
! told him that there was far richer dir
! further down the stream. The younj
man pointed toward the hat and replied
aHe sed twas payin' dirt, an l ort .
take his advice, seein' he Civ me . piel
~ shovel an pan-sed he'd hev 70 &c
i new ones, any how"
Thunder calculated the Colonel
more puzzled than ever, knowing vel
how = miner will cling IS long a. pOssibl
% tools with which he IL acquainted.
SJest wait till that boy gets bag Q
dust, = said the miner, when the Coione
had narrated the second wonder. "Fh
ernreaa agentl b here next week % g