Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-10-10

Pho "'' Nf''V''V, '' 'hOJ 0t'Jt III "i' 0ie
uations.
"Now, Mr.. Bob-without the Whisky
it seems to me-" said Nell, "ye'rC
throwing yerself away; and thar might
be something better for yer, If ye'd
seek it," and she looked at him with an
expression of some interest.
|" l know it, Nell, If could only dc
it."
"Got no folks, no family, to keer fol
youP" said Nell.
mary one," said Bob; "never had.
toted myself and pack up this ridge
to jest seek my luck once more, and
quit the corn-juice, and reform. l said
to myself: Bob, if ye could only meet
a woman any whar in these diggings,
and, stake out claim whar she stood,
it would bring ye fresh luck, and ye
might turn over new leaf, and be
somebody onct more And here, sure
enough, I've met you. But, l say,
Nell, amt ye ever afeard up here in
the wilderness, alone by yerselfP'
"Afeard ov what, strangerP What
is it, and whar, that I'm afeard ofP'
replied she, Indignantly. Mr.. Bob,
look down the ridge about sixty yards,
and yen see a pine sapling; thar's a
ring-neck snake varmint coiled round
it, and wagging his head to charm a
poor tomtit bird sitting on his nest in
the crotch of the tree above. Now,
look here, Mr.. Bob" Throwing her
rifle up to her eye with her little hands
with ease, and even gracefully, she
fired. The snakes head went one way,
while his twisting body raised the dust
at the foot of the tree. Thar, stran-
ger, what should be afeared ov with
this shooting-iron aboutp'
"Thats an eternal fact for sure"
said Bob. Nobody could insult gal
like you, allow, and that ere rifle is a
consideration. But yen excuse a rough
miner, who amt sot eyes on a woman
for long time"
can right, Mr.. Bob, 1 accept yer
apology. Ye mean right, I'm sure"
said Nell, softly. "But down the trail
away yonder l see my folks are coming
along, with their fixings and plunder,
pau, mau and the rest ov 'em. 1 must
put out, stranger; but, Mr.. Bob, let me
say kind word to ye on parting from
a short acquaintance. Ye say woman
brings ye luck every time. Now, jest
hope I'll bring good fortune to yer, and
you may take yer pile out of this ere
spot, though l can't see whar it is.
And, Mr.. Bob" said the girl hesita-
ting, "ef ye do find it, and act up to
yer good intentions about the corn
juice-well, then, Mr.. Bob, my folks
are raising Lighthouses and shed-fxings
down on the opening at the foot ov the
creek, away thar whar ye can see n
break in the trees. We mean to locate"
And walking up to Bob, she put her
hand on his shoulder "and, Mr.. Bob,
eff ye raise yer pile ye can bring Jest q
little piece of gold down for Nell to re-
member she brought better life for
yer"
Bob was confused, and seemed to
feel tear in his eye, but he caught the
little hand and kissed it, while Nell,
blushing, hurried away with step
light as an antelepe's.
These two seemed at once to take an
interest in each other, as often happens
in life. Bob stood looking with his
heart behind his eyes, until Nell's wav-
ing dress was out of sight, and her peo-
ple's train had disappeared; then he
took his pack and other things, and
made his camp under great pine tree
that stood against tall, steep rock that
would give him shelter, gathered some
dry wood for his evening meal, and took
a look about him. The place was a
slight depression of about twenty acres,
where during the wet season the water
had trickled down and formed little
rivulet running through the grass until
it had left a visible line of worn pebbles
TO mark its meandering course for some
ninety yards. 1t was on top of the ridge,
and hundreds of miners had passed it
daily without supposing gold could be
found in such place. But Whisky
Bob was believer in luck, destiny, or
whatever we may choose to call it, and
more particularly, he had a strong be-
lief in his own good luck, especially in
his relations to the fair sex.
He took his rocker and put it in work
ing order down the ridge by little pool
of water, fed by a small stream, where
he could bring his dirt and wash out for
half an hour, and then packing down
more while the pool was filling with
water again.
Next he went and rolled away the
rock where Nell had been sitting and
singing by the dry pebbles of the rivu-
let, and taking his pick, commenced
digging out a ditch in the grass, about
two feet deep and two feet wide, down
stream, and took the dirt to his rocker.
He worked until sunset, only finding
about six bits of coarse gold but in his
a at htnkaf NUhnf1 xUa ohnA hA
a good solid piece of gold weighing
three ounces. This encouraged him,
and frightened his hopes for the future.
There sOas gold there he now found to
be fact.
Under the very roots of the grass he
found black, volcanic, powdery dirt
occasionally, and this seemed to be the
strata that held the gold. Bob slept
the sleep of the righteous and sober
that night and dreamed of pretty Nell
and big pieces of gold.
In the morning he rose by daylight,
and after his breakfast of fried pork
and coffee, ending with his susual smoke
of his pipe, he went to work again, de-
termined to work the place out for
Nell's sake, if he did not make fort
une.
He worked hard and steady through
the day, only stopping at noon for some
coffee and smoke beneath his pine
tree camp. The sun was very hot, but
he didn't mind it. At night, when he
washed out the result of the days hard
toll, he only had a dollars worth of
coarse gold; but he found little piece
of blue ribbon Nell had lost from her
hair. This consoled him amply, as he
kissed it and said to himself: +" Bob,
better luck tomorrow" His claim
was what miners call every spotted, "
for the gold was scattered in spots,
here and there. The next day and the
next his labor brought the same results,
about enough to pay expenses, or, as
the miners called it, "grub money"
The fourth day, just before he wash
ed out, in his last rocker of dirt, at sun
set, he found two pieces of gold-one
worth a hundred and fifty dollars, the
other, full two hundred. Bob was
haDDV that NIGHT and tied tha hlua -; h