Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-11-13

'Ihat didn't make nice dessert,
for Bill was a wonderful clever fellow
and would think nuthin' O. pluggin'
q man; so we kinder sneaked outer
that store, feelin' uncomfortable.
"'It's all right, sez Zeph, laugh
ing. Come on, boys, and get yewr
TOOLS
''We took our tools then and went
off up the gulch to where strong
company of Chinese was at work, and
they watched US curiously as we be-
gan prospectln' about, washin' q bit
O dirt here and bit there and ab
ways goin' off discontented and sour
like till we came to one place close
up to the rocks, where it ran sheer
up 400 or 500 feet; and after working
with our picks bit, we begun to
wash the soil in pan, gatherin' round
| it afterwards an kGowin' all The time
that one or other Of the teapots had
an eye on us.
"rhen we washed bit more earth
-gravelly, quartzy stuff it was-and
collected again; and then we grew
excited, and began to dig faster, and
to wash more, and examine what we
had done each time arter pickin' over
the pan, throwin' out the rubbish :;
and when this fell, yew could see 8
few specks O. gold dust glitterin' in
the sun, while what we got went into
leather bag as Tom Paggins held.
90 we marks out this here claim as
our'n!' sez Zeph out loud and tax.
in shovel, he chops out bit of a
rough trench, just to show the extent
we meant to hev; and as he did SO
first one plgtail and then another
comes up to watch US, and l saw
them look at the specks O. gold in
amongst the refuses we had thrown
over the side beyond our claim.
! " No goodee, washee washee,
Mclean mani sez one round-faced,
smilin' cuss. No golee, no golee! !"
oh, no; none at all, Mister
Teapot sez Zeph. Jest yew keep
a bit further off, Or
s'He touched his shooter, and
the Chinaman scurried back a little
ways, while one of us fetched some
water, and we began to wash another
shovelful of earth.
" 1t pans out fine!' sez Tom Pag-
gins out loud, as we all gathered
round once more, and the top refuse,
with specks O gold in, was thrown
away again.
1--WE kept on at that for two hours,
and with Zeph to manage, we washed
out that little lot O. gold we had bor-
rowed abont four times; but it was Q
good deal less at the last than when
We started, tor some on it was sprlnk.
led in each o the holes we made, and
half u teaspoonful o dust was lynn
to waste in the refuse.
''All this time the Chinese were
comm up from their bit of camp
about hundred yards away. Zept
was awfully jealous, an KEEP drivin
'em away-not as We were skear
Of EN- for they're a quiet, sheepisl
lot, but to keep up the play,
Then half on us went down be
low, and got our tents and odds an(
ends, and set up as if we meant tc
stay; while the others went on wash
in and pickin' steadily, gettin' foul
Chinees to fetch water, and to do {
few rough jobs in moyln' quartz blocks
outer the way.
Somehow or other, there were {
few specks o gold under each o
, those blocks that the Chinese carried
off; and when that was done, Zepl
gave the smiIin' chaps bit O golC
each, and sent one on 'em with som,
dust to buy tobacco.
- It's workin' 3 sex Zeph to me
- Think SOP j sez.
Z" Wait q bit, old boss, and yew'l
, see,'
THAT night, after we'd been bi
nasty and thrcatenin' to the teapOts
who kept ieavin' their work, we coult
, hear a deal O. chatterin' goin' on
, and bime-by kinder dcppytation o
- six on 'em comes up, headed by
smiIin' cuss who looked hike 3 bI:
fat boy.
Meow, then, sez Zeph, tell yo1
! what; eff yew don't make ycw're
selves skecrce, ther'll be holes thres
some on yeN
, {. Poor Chineman" sez the bi!
, fat fellow; and he puts his head oI
| one side and smiles his head half off
Then Cother five says, in sorter Q
, whinin' sng-song chorus, POO
Chlnaman!' and all talf-smiled thei
4, heads off.
, Don't want any to-day Sc
t Zeph. Hook it,
p "We all sat smokin' and lookin
t on, and every man with his hand o.
: revolver and bowie, as eff We was SUE
< picious.
" Poor Chinaman!' whines tn
big 'un again.
Don't want any, l tell ye'
again!' roars Zeph savagely; and th
. deppytation only holds their head
on one side and smiles.
. Air yew gwine to cut?' sc
+ Zeph, seizin' number one by the tai
), when he goes down on his knees, ant
t others the same, rubbin' their chests
| and wagglin their heads from side t
Y side.
=" why don't you speak out?' Sc
4 Zeph.
D "Melicanman let poor Chinama
washee washee?' sez the fat fellow
0 p'intin' to the heap O rubbish.
q You want to wash that dirt owe
;, again?' sez Zeph.
e ''The whole party began to no'
!. their heads fast.
It "'Oh, MOI sez Zeph; we don
want yew here-eh, lads?'
!. emo, no!' we all growIed.
= 1" Send 'em OFF, sez Tom Pas
+ gins.
e 'But they wouldn't go, only smi
ed, and at last Zeph seemed to b
|, struck with notion; and the Ion
" and short of it was that, if we'd q
e low 'em to wash our refuse over agil
e the Chinese'd make bit of a streal
to lead water up to our claim.
e "'Well, that's no good, Zeph,'
L.