Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-08

opening at the foot of the creek, away
there where You can see q break in the
trees. We mean to locate And walk
ing up to Bob, she put her hand on his
shoulder, and Mr.. Bob, if ye raise yer
pile yer can bring jest little piece of
gold down for Nell to remember she
brought better life for ye.'
He took his rocker and put it in run
ming order down the ridge by a little
pool of water, fed by small stream,
where he could bring his dirt and wash
out for haitian hour, and then pack down
more while the pool was filling 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, began digging
ont ditch in the grass, about two feet
deep and two feet wide, down stream,
and took the dirt to his rocker. He
| worked until sunset, only finding about
| six bits of coarse gold, but in his last
bucket, when washed out, he found q
good solid piece Of gold weighing three
ounces.
In the morning he arose by daylight,
| and after his breakfast of fried pork and
| coffee, ending with the usual smoke OF
his pipe, he went to work again, deter
| mined to work the gold out for Nelps
sake. if he did not make fortune.
He worked hard and steady through
the day, only stopping at noon Tor some
coffee and a smoke beneath the pine tree
| camp. The sun was very hot, but he
didn't mind it. At night, when he wash
ed out the result of the days hard tot, he
only had a dollars worth of coarse gold,
but he fonnd q little piece of blue ribbon
| Nell had lost from her hair. This con-
soled him amply, as he kissed it and SAID
to himself, Bob, better luck to mor-
row." His claim was what miners call
every spotted" for the gold was scat
tered in spots here and there. The next
day and the next, his labors brought him
the same result--about enough to pay
EXPENSES or as the miners call 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, the other full 5000. Bob was hap
ply that night, and tied the blue ribbon
with a leather string round his neck, so
that it could rest on his heart. The next
two days brought no big piece, but the
seventh he took pieces of gold from the
clay-like cement weighing about 500.
| It was dark colored gold, pretty solid,
and twisted into strange shapes with
holes in it, but not appearing much worn
or, in mining parlance, washed"
When the miners passed him daily on
their way to the divide, they stopped to
ask what his luck was, and when they
saw very little coarse gold in his pan,
they laughed at him. But Bob kept his
Jumps of gold in his pocket, or buriee
them beside the rock in his camp. In
this way he worked on, taking some
times large pieces of gold ont, half as
large as Nells little fist, and then for
days very little.
He now examined and weighed his
gold, and found that he had about $4,000,
mostly in heavy pieces. This was o
pretty good fortune for seven weeks
digging, and Bob felt an unconquerable
longing to go and tell Nell about it.
The next morning by daylight he cleared
mp, packed up his things and started
down the ridge to the nearest trading
tents. But in his blankets, carefully
strapped out of sight, was heavy bag
| of gold in place of whisky bottle.
1t was early in the day yet, and Bob
set ont to find the ranch of Nelly's peo-
| pie, leaving his pack, except the blanket
| containing the gold, which was slung
| over his shoulders on his pick handle.
In o little over miles walking no
found a pretty valley at the mouth of
the creek, where some new log houses,
fences and clearing indicated Nelps
| home.
In back room, with her white,
strong, beautiful arms bare to the
shoulder, stood pretty Nell at the wash
tub, very busy in stream of soapsuds
and Kentucky jeans, singing free as a
| bird
Bob put down his pack and walked
in, but Nelps quick ear heard, and she
turned and saw him, and her cheeks
flushed and her eyes sparkled.
| .IUb,+ Dok 20 TINT ,-nr oop,a OF lott ,