Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-11-14

mighty we'll an no mistake, but ne beat that
game. He'd jist strength enough to tie the
slack round his waist when he gave way all
at once an hung to the end of the rope like
dead weight and Dandy Ferguson, haulin'
him out O the fiery jaws o death.
"Down went the rope agin, and Slocum
was tied on an hauled up, Ferguson workin'
the win lass like giant. The cords stood
out on his neck like black-snake whips, an
the sweat poured off him just like sluice
stream. Two Cornishmen stood by him try
in to make him let them roll up the rope
while he rested, but he cussed en- and told
'em to dry up; he said he was at the wheel,
an he'd stay there if he died fur it. When
Slocum came up, the fire was all around an
over the win'lass, an the two Cornishmen
grabbed Bill an carried him out-they
couldn't stan the heat. Ferguson sent down
the rope agin, an up come Sam Hildreth,
with jist strength enough to make fur the
door. The roof over the biler and the pitch
on the door-post was smokin'. Jist as the
rope went down fur the fourth time, an we
loafn' round on the outside watchin' every
minute to see him drop, an net man of us
with gumption enough to think OF what was
wanted, a woman rushes into the fiery fur
mace an slings wet blanket over the bravest,
gamest man in the State of Californy.
"sThat's the ticket shouts Ferguson.
You're trump, whoever you are, my girl,
an won't forget ye, live or die
"An' he didn't. 1t was Sam Hildreth's
sister Maggie, an when she came out o the
smoke and flame with her dress in blaze,
she calls out sharp to the men:
"'Keep the blanket wet There's water in
the tank. I'll marry the first man that throws
a bucket O water over Dandy Ferguson-lll
marry him if he's Cbinaman.'
"Them's her identical words, mister. The
men didn't need no further orders, cause, you
see, Maggie Hildreth was the han'somest girl
in the country, an the best, an he'd ev'ry
young buck fur miles aroun' close at her
heels all the time, handicappin' each other fur
smiles But her brother Sam saved her from
them galoots-saved her fur better man, by
victim the blanket himself.
about this time the heat was terrible !;
one man in the drift an another half way up,
crawin' slowly to the ragin' furnace on top,
crawlin' fast enough in ordinary circumstan.
ces, but hardly fast enough with death racin'
down on his savior at a two.forty gait. When
Jack Harmon came out O the shaft he stood
q minute on the scantlin', swayin' back an
forth like drunken man, blinded by smoke,
an bewildered, an if Ferguson hadn't
caught him, he'd gone back again.
Two more of US had got in with buckets
O water-'bout all there was in the tank !;
but it seemed to dry off as fast as we poured it
on, fur the blankit was smokin'. When the
rope went down fur the last time, to haul up
Joe Harper, the scantin' was burnin'. an the
upper timbers was beginnin', to blaze. The
whirlin' smoke hid Ferguson from US, but we
knowed if he didn't come out purity soon the
whole shebang would give way and bury him !;
the sides was in light blaze, an the place
where the winlass stood was the only spot
where even Dandy Ferguson could worked.
1t must a bin an awful strain on him-the
last pull-but he never owned it, an bimehy
up comes Joe, the bravest man in the camp,
1 reckon, barin' Dandy Ferguson, cause, you
see, he wouldn't touch the rope till they'd all
the coward, Miller, an then came through the
burnin' shaft himself, watchin' the little
tongues O. fire shoot up from the side every
once in while, as ifthey'd lick the life-thread
in two.
GAS Joe grabbed the upper chains the
shaft lit up with hiss an a roar, as if the
fire was mad at losing its prey. Joe got out,
an Ferguson staggered away from the vim
lass, but his luck went back on him at the
last minute. He stumbled an fell jest as he
come to the tramway at the door, an the
whole side O. the buildin' come down on him
with crash. A hundred men forgot danger
an death, an rushed into the flames; but
Miller, the man who played it so sneakin'
mean down in the saft, got to him first, an
dragged him out.
EVERY body thought he was dead, an
the crowd carried him and Miller-who drop
ped nsensible after he'd got Ferguson out
to camp. But Dandy Ferguson lived through
it, though fur weeks he lay between life an
death, an fur months he didn't stir out Of a
dark room. But there wasn't no lack O help
an prayers an faithful nurses to bring him
round. No, sir an there wasn't man, wo.
man, or child within hundred miles O. the
Chapparral Mine that wouldn't a crawled on
their hands an knees to watch one hour at
his bedside, an thought it one O. the biggest
kind O. honors-you ken bet your life on that
Yes, sir; Dandy Ferguson is king in this
yere couniry-he's better than four kings
most O. the time, cause any man that knows
him would lay down four aces any day if
be held them against Ferguson; it would be
like takin' the advantage, ye see, to hold 'em
out on him. He can have anything or do
anything he likes. We'd send him to Con-
gress if he'd 90, but he won't. We've got
him here, though, an I guess he'll never
leave l wish l was one O them poetry writers;
I'd write the bulliest poems about Dandy
Ferguson you ever read, you hear me.
"Yes, he's married. Got married after he
came out.
"Talk about weddin's2 That ,oas we'd
din !; ev'ry body got an invite, an ev'ry body
piled in to see the gamest man in the State
tied to the gamest woman on Gods footstool.
Who was she' Why, Maggie Hidreth, Of
course. Who else would it be, I'd like to
know? What became of Harry Mller'
Well that's purity good. Miller, ye see, came
out all right, an you bet be didn't rest till
he begged Bill Slocum's pardon fur leavin'
him in the shaft as he did but Bill wouldn't
have it said that Miller had balanced &C.
counts by the savin' the life O Ferguson, the
man that saved him. But that's played.
"You want to know what become Of him.
Well-say, look here, mister, I don't like to
own it, but I'm the cuss-Im Harry Miller
Interdooce ye to Dandy Ferguson? Ofcourse
l will, an you'll never get an Introduction to
a gamer man, or one it's more honorable to
know.
"An', mister, ifye ever tell about the Chap.
parral shaft, an how Dandy Ferguson stood
by that win'lass in the red.hot histin' works,