San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-08-31
A STORY OF CAMP LIFE.
BY ALFRED DALcH.

BILL" said Jack Harding, "who's
the chap that's taken Slingsby's claim p
"Dunno," laconically responded the
bar-keeper, as he struck match to
light stump of cigar; "s'pose (puf)
he's some ones (pufD got more money
puff than sense, or he'd "a let that
thing alone" puff, puff.
"That's what ! kealkilate'" went on
Jack. "Slingsby got busted thar, an
Jones afore him, an dunno as emmy
man'll ever make grub in such a hole. "
The two men having apparently ex-
hausted the subject, Jack gazed out
the open door, while the barkeeper
spent his time catching flies and throw
ing them at old Pete Farley, who, al
though it was only twelve o'clock in the
day, was apparently in his usual drunk
en- sleep in the corner. In every min.
ing town there is generally one or more
men who have gone "to the dogs" from
the use of drink. How they live is a
mystery for they no sooner get few
cents than they spend them for liquor.
Sleeping in bar-rooms, getting their
meals as chance dictates, and often not
getting them at all, they gradually sink
lower and lower, until suddenly one
hears so-and-so is dead; dead in the
gutter or in some tumbled down shed
in which he has crept to die. Possibly
some men say in half plying and
wholly contemptuous tone: $50 that
old drunken beast has gone. Good
radiance to such ruobish;" and this
serves ass the drunkard's requiem. Old
Pete Farley was known in the camp as
a sot. He lived by the chance contri-
buttons of the men who would give him
meal or a drink out of charity; and
quite an item in his income were the
small sums he was able to borrow from
strangers. Miners are exceedingly
generous men, and Pete's requests for
the loan of two bits twenty-five cents
were rarely refused at first. The news
that stranger had arrived was, there
fore, to him something of the nature OF
information of an unexpected legacy.
While old Pete was apparently asleep,
he had carefully noticed what was said,
and he soon afterwards got up, left the
saloon and made his way to Slingsby's
old claim up the gulch.
Arriving there, he found young
fellow of about twenty-five, working as
only gold miners do work. Pete sat
down on the edge of the bank and
watched him. AS he did so he was
conscious of curious feeling of admir-
alton, and an equally curious reluctance
to breach the object of his visit, re-
luctance he did not remember having
felt for many years. The worker in
the claim at length paused, and noticing
the old man, hailed him with:
Hello, stranger! It's nice day."
You're bout right; I see you're
working on Slingsby's old ground"
"Yes, I bought it the other day. Gin
ten ounces" ($19O).
wall, you gin all twas with. What
mought your name be, strangerP"
peter Phillips"
"Phillipsl Phillipsl Pears to me
I've hearn that ar name afore."
"Quite possible. There's a good
sight of Phillips going round. It's
obout dinner time, stranger, an my
cabins just APP there. Won't you step
in an, take q bite?"
Don't care i'll do" was the answer
from the old man; and the two walked
together to the cabin.
Phillips made old Pete thoroughly
welcome, fed him well, and talked with
him for over an hour. When they got
up to go out of the door he gave him
most cordial invitation to come again,
and old Pete actually found himself
walking of without the two bits neces-
sary if be would drink that afternoon,
and, more than that, with q strange
feeling of satisfaction that be had net