Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-12-07
- Nan rs was Wronsed,"

If il had been a pleasant dav. and if we
hadn't all been out of sorts with our luck.
we should have had word of welcome
for the stranger as he entered our camp
that wretChed afternoon. As It was, fifty
Of Us saw him leave Chinese Trail at Dead
Mans Elbow and walk into our camp,
and never q man rose up to salute him.
The stranger seemed 10 expect just such
a reception. That is, he didn't seem bit
surprised. He passed dow the single street
We had named Road TO Riches, turned TO
the left at the .one pine tree, and without
once looking around him he staked of a
claim and began to erect a shauty.
Bad man, I'm Rfeared, "growled Judge
SlasheT as he partly closed one eye and
gave the stranger the benefit of the squint.
hin bounced out OF some camp for
stealing" added the big chap from Ken
lucky.
TEL you, he's got hang-dOg look, /"
put in the man known as ''Ohio BILL" "
Every man in the camp was down on
the fresh arrival, Ond that without cause.
Ordinarily we were a jolly set, and a
stranger coming among US met with words
of cheer, but that afternoon the devil was
10 pay. the three mules belonging to
camp had strayed off and been gobbled by
the Indians, and on the heels CT this dis
cOvery came TIE announcement that We
! had Cn;y sat enough to last two days,
while tine sugar was entirely gone.
Sowe were cross grained and all oct oil
sorts. and it Vas lucky fer the stranger
/ that he gave us no excuse to pick quarrel
The next day was bright and fair, ard II
II hadn't been for Judge Slasher some Of
us would have gone over and excused oul
manners and asked the stranger to chip II
and become neighboTly; but the Judge
said
Hes bad IN, lie is. kin tel! It by
I the way his head is set oil his body. Fus'
:hing we know committee will como
aong here and gobble him up fur robbery
or murder
/ Two weeks had passed, and while somC
of US mad given the stranger curt ''goot
morning." no one had struck hands will
him. or entered his shanty to smoke s
friendly pipe. Then climax came. The
SIX of us occupying one shauty were work
ing in common, and ouT bag of dust Wa.
buried in cUroer of the fire. place. On,
morning thl- bag was missing. and yoj
can imagine that there was first clas;
row in no time. There was tie holt
where some one had dus under the stone!
ard carried Ct our treasure, and WHOM
were We 10 suspect? We had faith il
each other, anG We could not suspect out
siders because none of them k lew wher'
our Dag wss concealed, and because thi
was the first case of stealing ever know
ION Betsy Jane Hill.
Yes, we were mad, and In the excite
ment Of the first discovery we came nea
having free fight among ourselves. j
Increased our anger TO discover that W
could not reasonably suspec: any one, AM
iais fact made every one of US try tn
harder to pick up clue. At length judy
Slasher sprang to his feet with the excla
nation
"By the bones of Kidd but know tn
theft"
"That hang-dog. sheep-ste'''ng stranger
Hang NE if didn't dream % his comm
in here last night to borrow q shovel, an
it was his digging under the stones whic
started that dreaml He has held aloJ
from us, snd that's proof enough hat b
came here Tor no good purpose"
1t was straw to catch at. VIC had lo'
in NJ yh. all we had gained by months /
hard work, and We didn't stop to reasol