Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-08-03

smiles. But her brother Sam saved her from
them galoots-sayed her fur better man, by
wetting the blanket himself. About this time
the heat was terrible, one man in the drift an
another halfway up, crawlin fast enough an
ordinary circumstances, but hardly fast
enough with death racin' down on his savior
az a two forty gait. Wen Jack Harmon came
out O the shaft he stood minute on the Scant-
lin, swayin' back an forth like a drunken
man. blinded by smoke, an bewildered, an
ef Ferguson hednt caught him he'd
he'd got in with buckets q WATERFRONT all
Their was in the tank; but il seemed 10
dry of as fast as We poured on, fur the blanket
the last time 10 haul up Toe Harper, the scant-
In was burnin' an the upper timbers WAS
heginnin' To blaze: The whirlin smoke hid
Ferguson from us, but We knowed that ef he
didn't come out soon the whole shebang'd
give way an bury him; the sides was in a
light blaze, an the place where the win ess
stood was the only spot where even Dandy
Ferguson could a worked. IL must a bin an
awful strain on him-thet last puff-but he
never owned IL, an bimeby up comes Joe, the
nrayest man in the camp, L reckon, barrin'
Dandy Ferguson, cause you see he wouldn't
tech the rope till they'd all been hauled up /; he
lied every man on except the coward Miller,
and then came through the blazln' shaft him
sell, ~atchin the little tongues OF fire shoot
out from the sides evry once in awhile as NJ
they'd lick the life thread in two.
AsJoe grabbed the upper chains the shaft
III up with hiss an roar, as II the fire was
mad at losin' its prey. Joe got out and Fer
gusOn staggered away from the windlass but
MS luck went back on HIM at the last minute.
lie stumbled an Tell Just as he come Ia the
tramWay at the door, an the whole side o. the
huildin come down on him with a crash A
hundred then forgot danger an death, an
rushed into the flames, but Miller the man
thet played il SO sneakin mean down in the
shaft, got TO him first and dragged him out.
Everybody thought he was dead an the crowd
carried him and Miller--wh0 dropped insensi-
bic after he'd got Ferguson QUITO the camp.
But Dandy Ferguson lived through IL,
though Tor weeks he lay between life an death,
an Tor months he didn't stir out of dark
oCm. But there wasn't no lack O. help an
prayers an faithful nurses TO bring him round
Nc, sir; an thar wasn't man, woman or
child within hundred miles o the Chaparral
mine tibet wouldn't crawled on their hands
an knees to watch one hour 10y his bedside
an thought Ii one % the biggest kind o.
honors-you can bet yer life on tibet. Yes, SIR,
Dandy Ferguson is king in this yer coun-
try-he better'n four kings most o. the time
cause any man tibet knows him d lay down
four bullets any day If he held EN- against
Ferguson it'd be like takin an advantage We
see, TO hold em out on him. lie can hev any
thing or do anything he likes. We'd send him
to Congress ef he'd go, but he won't We've
got him here, though and | guess he'll never
leave. wish was one O them poetry writer's
I'd write the bullieSt poem about Dandy Fer
guson you ever read, you hear me. Yes he's
married. Got married after he came out TAX
about weddin's! Thet was a weddin'; ey'ry-
BODY got an invite, and everybody piled
in to see the gamest man in the state tie to the
gamest woman on Gods foOtstool. Who was
She? Why, Maggie Hidreth, OF course. Who
else'd II be, Id like to know? What became
OF Harry Miller? Well, thets purity good.
Miller, We see, came out all right, an you bet
he Clcnt rest till he'd begged Bill SiOcum's
pardon fur leayin' him in the shaft as he did
but Bill wouldn't have it said tibet Miller ID
balanced accounts by Sayin' the life o. Dandy
Ferguson, the man tibet saved him. But thet's
played. You want to know what become of
him. Well-say, look here, mister I don't like
to own il, but I'm the cuss-Tm Harry Miller.
lnterdooce We 10 Dandy Ferguson? or course
Will, an You'll never git an Introduction to a
gamer man, or one its more honorable to know
An mister, ef We ever tell about the Chappa-
raj shaft an how Dandy Ferguson stood by
tibet win lass in the red hot mstin' works, lest
throw 1t in somewhere tibet he's better four
kings IN this camp-itll top of the story first
rate, an, besides, you bet it's more'n the solid
truth. 4. III. CLoUGH.