The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1880-11-27

| Ls
| Now. Mr.. Bob without the whisky
it seems to me-" said Nell, "ye'rt
throwing yerself away and thar NIGH
be something better for yer, if ye'd seei
II" and she looked at him with an ex.
preston of some interest.
1 know it, Nell, if / could only dc
it,"
Got no folks, no family, to keer foi
youP" said Nell.
Nary one," replied Bob; "never
had, | toted myself up this ridge to jest
seek my luck once more, and quit the
cornJuice and reform. said to myself
Bob, if ye could only meet a woman
anywher in these diggings, and stake out
claim wher she stood, it would bring
ye fresh luck, and ye might turn over a
new leaf, and be somebody once more.
And here, sure enough, I've met you.'
Ye mean right, I'm sure, said Nell,
softly, " bat down the trail away yon-
der, see my folks are coming along
with their fixings and plumber, pau, mau
and the rest ov 'em. Unjust put out,
stranger; but. Mr.. Bob, let me say a
kind word to ye on parting from short
acquaintance. Ye say woman brings
ye luck every time. Now I jest hope
III 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, hesitating, eff We
do find it, and act up to yer good inten-
tions about the cornjuice-well, then,
Mr.. Bob, my folks are raising log houses
and shed tixings down on the opening ct
the foot ov the creek away thar whar ye
can see break in the trees. We mean
to locate. And walking up TO Bob. she
put her hand on his shoulder, land, Mr..
Bob, eff ye raise yer pile ye can bring
jest little piece of gold down for Neil
to remember she brought better life
for ye."
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 like
an antelope.
Whisky Bob was believer in luck,
destiny, or whatever we may choose to
call it, and more particularly, he ha6
strong belief in his own good luck,
especially in it's relations to the fair sex.
He took his rocker and put it in run
ming order down the ridge by little
pool of water, fed by small stream,
where he could bring his dirt and wash
out tor hall an hour. and then pack down
more while the pool was filing 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 ditch in the grass, about
two feet deep and two feet wide, down
stream, and took the dirt to the rocker
He worked until sunset, only finding
about six bits of coarse gold, but in his
last bucket, when washed out, he found
good solid piece of gold weighing three
ounces. This encouraged him, AID
frightened his hopes for the future.
There was gold there he now found to
be a fact.
In the morning he rose by daylight,
and after his breakfast of fried pork and
coffee. ending with the usual smoke of
his pipe, he went to work again, de-
termined to work the place out for
Nell'ss sake, if be did not make a for
tune.
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 Inc result of the days hard
toll, he only had dollars worth OF
coarse gold, but be found little piece
of blue ribbon Nell had lost from her
hair. This consolcd him amply, as he
kissed it and said TO himself: '' Bob, bet
ter 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 him the same results
about enough to pay expenses, or, as the
miners called it, "grub money"
The fourth day, just before he washed
out, in his last rocker of dirt at sunset
he found two pieces of gold-one worth
$3.50, and the other..full $500. Bob was
happy that night, and tied the blue rib.
bon with leather string around his
neck, SO that it could rest on his heart
The next two days brought no bis
! pieces, but the seventh he tool
pieces of gold from the clay-like cemen,
weighing about $500. 1t was dark
colored gold, pretty solid. and twisted
into strange shapes, with holes in it, bu
not appearing much worn, or, in mimi.
| parlance, washed"
When the miners passed him daily OF
| their way over the divide they stopped
to ask what his luck was, and whel
they saw very little coarse gold in hi
pan they laughed at him. But Bol
kept his Jumps of gold in his pocket, O
buried them beside the rock in his camp
In this way he worked on, taking some
times large pieces of god out, half a
large as Nell's little fist, and then TO
douc x,orx, l;tt1o