Richland beacon., 1880-02-07

fellow, and he puts his head on one side
and smiles his head half oil. Then the
other five sez. in sort O whinin' sing
song chorus, Poor Chinamanv and all
half smiled their heads of.
Don't want any to-day sez Zeph.
Hook it!
"We all sat smokin' and lookin' on
and every man with his hand on re-
volver and bowie, as eff We was supic,
ious.
"Poor Chinamanp whiues the big
'un again.
"Don't want any, tell you again p
roars Zeph, savagely, and the deppy.
tation only holds their head on one side
and d smiles; ai. S., u.,.. 30 o,, % 90, z,
seizir' number one by the tail, when he
goes down on his knees, and the others
the same, rubin their chests and wag-
glin' their heads from side to side
Why don't you speak out?" sez
zeph.
Mellicanman let poor Cninaman
washee, washeer says the fat fellow,
p'intin' to the heap O. rubbish.
"' You want to wash that dirt over
again? ? sez Zeph.
The whole party began to nod their
heads fast.
"'Oh, no? sez Zeph; we don't want
you here-eh, ladsT
No, nor We all growied.
"Send 'em OFF, SEE Tom Paggins.
"But they wouldn't go, only smiled,
and at last Zeph seemed to be struck
with notion and the long and short of
1t was that, if we'd allow'em to wash
sur refuse over agen, the Chinese'd
make bit of stream to lead water up
10 our claim.
"Well, that's no good, Zeph.' l sez,
as soon as they were gone.
"Wait a bit, lad and yew'll see,' sez
Zeph, with a wink; and we sat there,
in the pleasant evening, smoking, while
there was evidently mighty commo-
ton in the Chinese camp, ard before
long the deppytation came back.
"' Poor Cbinamanp sez the fat chap
again.
"Oh, yes we know all 'beout that"
sez Zeph. Now, what is it?'
der dollars? says the fat-headed chap,
and all the Others nodded their heads.
"'Will we sell you this claim for two
hundred dOllarsT says Zeph
"They all nodded till you'd ha'
thought their heads'd come of.
"fCut.' sez Zeph, catching hold of
fat 'un by his tail and kickin' him.
"Yew mayn't believe gents, but
them same chaps came back twice be-
fore it was dark and made fresh offers.
advancin' hundred dollars each time
and we swore at 'em and said we would
not sell, and if they warn't up TO time
in the mOrnin' to see about the water,
they shouldn't be allowed to wash the
dirt.
Fust thing next mornin' them six
fellers we're up again, just as we had
got good painful O stuff in course O
workin', and l saw their eyes twinkle as
they caught sight OF the gold.
"Then they offered $4O0, and we said
we'd shoot 'em if they'd come agen; but
come they did, and offered S40O, and as
the mornin' went on, seven, eight, nine
$1,000.
"'Take it, we said, as they came this
last time.
"'They'll give $4,000, l tell yew. Pm
sure they will, says Zeph.
But 81, 900 is enough to chisel the
beggars out Of sez /.
"Yes,' sez Tom Paggins; 'and it'll
take this time tomorrow sure to get up
to the $4,000.
"If l warn't so 'tarnal hungry, I'd
hold out SEE Zeph, hesitatin' and then
turnin' to the six Chinese as waitin' fur
our answer: Look hyar, you cheatin'
cusse,,' he SEE, 'takin' up a shovelful of
earth, IN which the dust were a-sparklin'
in the sun, this claims worth $20,000w
"No; only worth 81 ,000, said fatty
shakin' his head.
"Shall we let 'em have it, boys? sez
Zeph, turnin' to us.
"Yes, let 'em have it, ] sez; we can
find plenty more
"Come on, then,' SEE Zeph; and ne
and two more went back with the dep
pytation to the tent of their head man,
and thousand dollars worth o dust and
nuggets was weighed out into a bag :;
Zeph put his mark to a kind of dockv-
ment in Chinese. and half an hour
afterward we went back to camp, leavin'
the smilin' Cinnamon to their purchase.
"It's q darned shame to cheat the
Door, innercent babies like that, /
sex.
"Not itv sez Zeph; it's only like
playin' poker with 'em and winnin'.
Lots 20 and liquor
"We didn't expeck any row, for
them Chinesese had to keep very quiet
for fear O. bein' sent of; and Zeph sed
they'd put up with their loss, clear out
and 20 to some other gulch.
But they didn't; for the next day
Tom, who went up to see what they was
a'doin', said they moved their camp up
round the hole, and were workin' away
like q swarm O bees
"That night, - we were sittin' smok-
in at Bills store, some chaps strolls in,
and one of 'em says, in bit of temper
"Call this here free courtryr
"Yes, stranger, l dew, SEE Zeph,
rattlin' some nuggets in his pocket
who sez it amt?
Z" dew, sez the new conner. Here
are we workin' like slaves for few dol.
lars worth O. dust, and pack o. heather
cusses comes and settles down and grab.
Ill Al -