The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-06-17

| a boy, VINO had the grass Ine oeWp
Birds, bees, the sun, the stars, like you,
She met. "What do you want7 " sighed she.
| "Oh have everything" said he.
| -4..-
In the " Good Luck"
The day was nearly over.
The long lances of the western sun just
!. tipped the far-away, snowy crowns of the
range, twenty miles to the east, and the
gloomy shadows were beginning to creep
from the canons and gorges, and empurple
the ragged sides of the great mountains,
sweeping about them as with kingly cloaks.
All day long Tim Houlihan had lain hid
den in the nest-a bit Of rock, hundred
feet above the surrounding timber, and
watched less the fierce Utes, who were driv-
ing the miners to the northward, should
come upon us unawares, and slay us at our
work. at-
All day long, Jim Mccarthy had sat at the
plymouth, rifle in hand, while Charlie Muir
nan, Jack Scott and I had delved beneath
with our gang of " "chopsticks," urging for
ward the drifts already begun, and opening
more and more d the precious ore-vein
which we had found. We were working in
danger, but tomorrow that danger would
be past, for already the troops were moving
and swinging in between our camp and the
Indians, and in one day more we should be
safe. But this one day we couldn't afford
to lose.
The twenty Cinnamon had gone sloft,
and only Charlie, Jack and remained.
From our position at the foot of the shaft,
where we awaited the buckets last trip, we
could see the evening stars far above us,
and family hear the voices of our compan-
ions. al4.
'Another days work DONE" said JACK,
dropping his rife into the hollow Of his arm,
for we all carried our weapons with us in
these troublesome times-'sanother day
gone, without an attack Of the copper-noses
Eff the cusses will keep away twenty-f -four
hours more Wen be-"
He paused suddenly, his bronzed face
blanching with sudden emotion.
i, From above, . new sound came to our
ears-a wild, blood-curdling yell, shrin war
whoops, and the sound of rushing feet,
mingled with rife-shots. And the same in
slant the rattle of the bucketchain above
caused us to shrink against the side of the
shaft and gaze quickly upward The bucket
was coming for us, but too late. There was
no one above to hold the crank. s--.
With q hoarse rattle, the iron chain ran
humming from the windlass above; with
heavy, changing sound, the great metal pail
swung from side to side, as it shot down.
ward toward us 1t was coming at last, but
not to rise again. '''t '
u p We shuddered, then crowded into the mar
row mouth Of the drift lest we should be
crushed, when Charlie suddedly grasped my
arm and pointed upward, with a cry.
l Twenty feet above the bucket and cling
ing to the chain, with face white as a corpse,
and eyes almost bursting from their sockets,
there clung man-our comrade, Jim
shooting downward to death.
q For one brief instant this horrible sight
flashed before us-for q single thoughts
space our eyes were fixed upon his; then
came q sudden shock, dull roar, q wild,
despairing shriek, and the bucket was down.
g With tender hands we lifted the broken,
bleeding body, in which the breath of life
still fingered, and laid it gently upon the
earth within the mouth of the drift.
As we did 80, poor Jim groaned little,
and the blood trickled in slow, black drops
from his lips as he strove to speak.
We bent to iisten.AIE Hb4F
"A complete surprise! Tim-and all
the Cinnamon en-murdered I tried to-es
me DOWN. A hundred
red" ~
l., His voice broke, then came long, sigh
ing moan, quiver of the suffering frame,
the shadow of great agony, and Jim was
at rest. ana a8l.,l-
We raised our eyes, blood-sbot with hor-
ror, and looked each at his mate.
"a hundred redskins =" muttered Jack,
and his lips grew white beneath his beard,
"thirty to one, and we IN this grave"
"They may not know" began, when
I was interrupted by the roar of guns and
the rattle of ball and arrow against the walls
of the shaft without, followed by chorus
of fiendish yells.
"They do know" said Charlie. grimly;
sand they viii be down presently"
"And then?"
"Did you ever kill bar in her den p
growled old Jack; ''an' wasn't it bloody
work2 We kin fight snug here!"
And he touched his knife-hilt as he spoke,
deadly gleam lighting his eye.
shuddered; then the courage of my
companions swept through my veins, and
the experience of years upon the border
brought the color back to my cheek and the
strength to my arm. SEAS
"We three can defy thousand here" I
said, cycling the opening before us, "if our
cartridges only hold out, and we can"
The rattle of the bucket-chain in the shaft
again interrupted me, and, with rifle at .
poise, crept forward
It was almost dark, deep in the earth,
where we stood, but the circle of blue sky,
Lit by the rising moon, shone as pure As an
emerald far above, and clearly defined
against this heavenly background the great
chain hung like gigantic spiders thread,
while upon it, and slowly working their way
downward, discovered four dark figures.
Already our enemies were coming.
touched my companions, and pointed
upward. Even in the cleaning could see
the savage joy that Lit their features; and
Charles rifle sprang to his shoulder as mine
had done, but old Jack dragged 1t down,
and, as the sliding figures drew nearer and
nearer, he leaned toward us and hissed in
our ears
"Save yer balls-yen need 'em. This b
best"
And with his long hunting knife he made
a sudden heavy lunge forward, then pressed
backward against the wall
There came sobbing groan, hideous
writhing of the lowest head upon the pend