The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-09-12
DANDY FERGUSON.

do not believe that QuasOmodo was
a more pitiably deformed creature, or
Quilp more hideously unnatural look
ing object, than was Dandy Ferguson
when saw him for the first time, that
calm summer afternoon, laughing and
ioking with a crowd of boon compan-
ions in the cool shade of an awning at
Quartz Mountain.
His face was scanned and distorted by
peculiarly glossy scars-the ineradica-
BILE evidence of close and long contact
with that shriveling element, fire. His
body was bent, and he walked with a
siding movement. He was a sickening
spectacle at first sight, suggesting fear
full suffering in the past, and my curios-
ity in regard to him was thoroughly
aroused.
"Who is that manY | asked, accost-
ing tall, blue shirted miner who was
standing iu front of the post office.
"Don't you know him." answered
the man; "why, that's Dandy Fergu-
son. Thought everybody knowed Dandy
Ferguson"
why do you call him Dandy Fer
guson"'
" Because--well, because he used to
be daDdy--a regular out-an'-ou sport.
When Dandy Ferguson first came to
this camp he was gilt-edged gentle
man, an no mistake. He wore plug,
an flashed spark in his billed shirt
front as big as a peanut. He put on
more dogn a mine superintendent, an
most of the boys was down on him from
the start. Thet was about three years
ago, an he come up here from the Bay
to get Whit o fresh air, an make ma
ture an the pines give him back what
he'd lost spreein' round with them
sharps an young bloodso' Frisco.
"No, he don't look like he was more'n
half human, that's fact; but I'd
ruther have them scars O his than wear
the clothes of the richest man in Cali
forny-that is, ef I'd gone through what
he has an suffered what he did Proud
of 'eml Mister, thar amt man in
this yer county--no, sir, nor in this yer
State-as is prouder'n Dandy Ferguson
of what other men might grieve over an
sigh about, an no mans got a better
right to be proud, either When he first
came to Quartz Mountain he used to
parade the streets with his nose cooked
up 30; he'd hydraulic himself with pat
chouly an smell-water till you couldn't
get within a mile of him. He was deli
cate looking cuss, an his hands were as
soft as a barber's. The boys used to bet
that if big Bridget Sullivan-our wash
erwonan-was to take it into her head
to Jump him she'd knock spots out O
him iu derned short order That was
our opinion of him when he played his
small cards in this yer camp-but he
showed down both bowers an the ace
before he quit the game, you bet yer
life. Dye see that quartz mill over
thar on the side hill? That's the Chap
parral mine, ye know, an it's thar that
Dandy Ferguson showed us what sand
was.
Gone night, about month after Fer
guson got here, somebody out there
yelled Firep an the camp turned out.
The h'istin' works was in light blaze,
an the flames shootin' high up in the
dark. We all rushed to the spot like a
pack o mad animals--you know how a
fire stirs men up an excites 'em. Of
course, nobody knowed what to do, an
for minute we all stood round lookin'
at the fire creepin' long the caves, an
the burnin' shingles droppin' down the
shaft. Purity soon some one says
Whatp kinder sharp an fierce like.
Then there was little movementin the
crowd, an man as pale As death
springs away from the mouth O the
shaft yellin' frantic Water. Water
For the love O. God, turn on the water
the night shifts in the lower drift
"There was ar awful agony in thet
mans voice; he had jist remembered
thet his brother was down there, an
that the fire under the biler of the en-
gine was banked, that the cage was toe
heavy to work by hand, an the timberi
in the shaft pitch pine, an dry as {
bone, with great sparks droppin' dowr
like flakes in a snOw-stOrm. You've
heered how fast man thinks in time
of danger. Jim Slocum thought of hi
brother, the dry timbers, the engine, th,
cage, an water all in second, but the