Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-01-24

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 a step like
an antelope's.
Whisky Bob was believer in luck,
destiny, or whatever We may choose to
call 1t. and more particularly, he had
strong belief in his own good luck, es-
pecially in its relations to the fair sex.
He took his rocker and put it in ruu-
ming order down the ridge by little
pool of water. fed by small stream,
where he could bring his dirt and wash
out for half 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 pebbles of the rivulet. and
taking his pick, commenced digging out
ditch in the grass, about two feet
deep and two wide, down stream, and
took the dirt to the rocker. He work.
ed until sunset, only finding about six
bits of coarse gold, but in his last buck
ct, when washed out, he found a good
solid piece of gold weighing three
ounces. This encouraged him. and
frightened his hopes for the future.
There was gold there he now found to
be 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
Nells sake. if he 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 the result of the days hard
toll. he only had dollars worth of
coarse gold. but he found a piece of blue
ribbon Nell has 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 "very spotted" for the gold
was scattered in spots, here and there.
The next day and the next his labor
brought him in the same results-about
enough to pay expenses. or, as the
miners call it. "grub money"
The fourth day, just before he wash.
ed out, in his last rocker of dirt. al
sunset, he found two p;eees of ssII
one worth $3.50, the other full 5000
Bob was happy that night, and tied the
blue ribbon with leather string round
his neck, SO that it could rest on his
heart. The next two days brought NJ
big pieces, but the seventh he tool
pieces of gold from the clay-like cemen
worth about 500. 1t was dark color
ed gold, pretty solid aud twisted into
strange shapes, with holes in it, bu
not appearing much worn, or, in mining
parlanee, "washed."
When the miners passed him daily OF
their way over the divide they stopped
to ask what his luck was, ,and when they
saw very little coarse gold in his PAL
they laughed at him. But Bob KEEP
his Jumps of gold in his pocket, or buri
ed them beside the rock in his camp
In this way he worked on. taking some
times large pieces of gold out, half a.
: large as Nell's little fist, and then for
days very little.
The days and weeks passed by. bu
Bob toiled on. determined to work ou
his claim thoroughly. He dug dowl
stream, until over the edge of the fiat i
became SO steep no show of gold coult
be found, and then dug holes and cross
bitches to see if the little depression o
the mountain had any more chunks o
gold buried under the grass-roots. Blu
he had worked 1t out; and what wa
better, he had kept his word to Nell
r his resolution to himself to reform, ant
had taken out his pile at the same time
He now examined and weighed hi
} gold, and found that he had about 81,
, thousand dollars, mostly in heavy pieces
This was pretty good fortune for sew
en- weeks digging. and Bob felt an un
: conquerable longing to go and tell Mel
; all about it. The next morning by day
| light he cleared up. packed his thing
; and started down the ridge to the near
, est trading tent. But in his blankets
carefully strapped out of sight, was
| heavy bag of gold in place of whisk
r bottle.
/ Bob had heavy load to pack, but
was all down hill. and therefore easle
for him. He arrived at the miner
q store, or trading tent, so common in th
t mountains in olden times, where almos
s anything could be purchased-from
e paper of pins to calico shirt an
i broadcloth pantaloons. Here he reste
:. and renovated himself generally, foun
an old sailor who could cut and trir
e his lonn hair and heard To raasona hl