Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-09-21

ened up, and once or twice leaned with
his hand to his ear to listen. sit mout
be wolves and it mout be Injuns," NUT
tered the half-douhled old man as he
hobbled away from the bar, where he
had sandwiched himself in between two
muddy miners and so had succeeded in
including himself in the treat.
Suddenly there was a ripple of de-
light. The red-headed barkeeper ran
his two hands up through his flaming
hair till it shot up like one of the pine
knots blazing about him. The miners
fastened down into the mine. Old
Rocky Mountain Kit undoubled himself,
as if he were rusty old jack knife, and
| smacked his parched lips. The pine
torches and pine-knots that burned on
every hand seemed to glow and burn
with brighter flame. Colonel Bill Will
liams had come booming through the
narrow rocky pass in the wall!
A magnificent specimen of physical
manhood he was. Tall, strong, broad
breasted, bearded like prophet, black
eyed, and altogether impressive, he
stood before his followers there the &C
knowledged king of the new mining
camp. He had small, feeble and I'M
pretentious partner, with stoop in his
shoulder, squirt in his eye, and crack
in his shrill, piping voice. This little
mans name was Doctor Baggs. The
Doctor seemed to have been waiting for
the coming of the Colonel, too, for as
soon as he made his appearance he
ceased to seem longer one of the shape
less and dirty rocks that had made a
part of the wall, and came briskly for
ward.
| The great, strong arm of the Colonel
swooped out and took in the neck of the
little Doctor, as if it were by chance,
and with his broad hat pushed back
from his brow he strobe, without word,
past the mouth of the shaft to the bar.
He leaned against the rough boards a
moment, and then releasing the neck
from his elbow, he turned with his back
to the wall. Still disdaining single
word, he made another gesture with his
arm and swooped in every one, strangers
and all, who stood within the light of
the pine-knots and torches that famed
behind, before, right and left, and
above.
When all had drank, and the crowd
had melted away, the Doctor-who was
really doctor, at least by practice and
Professionalism his pill-bags to Gin
ger, and stood looking up, respectful
and expectant, at the face of the bearded
leader, from under his glasses, as the
giant still loafed against the bar.
A low chuckle of delight reached the
ears of the Doctor from the black beard,
and then the satisfied face of Colonel
Bill Williams beamed above him, like
the sun through rift of clouds, as a
broad hand descended and covered the
narrow shoulders of the Doctor, with a
force that knocked cloud of Colorado
dust from his old threadbare broad
cloth.
"Well, Dock, old pard. he's a-comin'
Yes, he is, a-coming' to buy our mine.
And if don't sell out to that old duffer
this time and see Maine and Maria
again, and with bootleg full O. gold
dust, too, I'm Dutchman!'
"You seed him, Colonel Bill? Seed
the old English lord?"
s'No, no, no; didn't see him, Dock.
/ never seed a real live English lord in
my hull life. No, but Snagly went into
the hotel up thar, and seed him for me.
know him; pard of yours, Ell? Well,
he's smart. Gosh, ali over. But can't
he talk! You can't get word in edge
ways where Snagly is. And can't he
lie, though; been member of Con
gress; oh, can't he lie, thought
Hereupon s'Rocky Mountain Kit
"And how do you know the old En-
glish lord has come to Colorado to buy
a mine?''
GLOW do I know he's come to Colo
RADIO to buy minep What else do these
big bugs come to Colorado forp You
don't s'pose Teller comes to Colorado
for fun, do youP''
"Come to Colorado to buy a mine, or
else to be doctored. Every human
bein' that comes to Colorado comes to
buv mine or comes to be doctored for
his health, don't hep" spoke up the little
doctor, sharply.
There was a pause here, and the great
leader looked first at the steady stream
of men pouring up and down the shaft
with the regularity of little meal buckets
in great mill, and then at the doorway
in the wall of rocks, as if expecting
some one. At length Ginger said:
SCOT her sailed, Colonel Bill?''.
Gayly lifting his glass and Waiting
forward, and looking down into the
shaft, and then prancing back, the Colo
mel answered:
"Saltedp-I sailed her-and then,
for fear I'd forgot it, sailed hel
ag'in!" -
Here low chuckle of delight came
from the region of the great black beard,
and the admiring miners nudged each
other with their elbows. The Colonel
continued: "Why, I've put in more
honest labor a-saltin' of this mine than
!: l ever done in my life afore. Sailed!
Well, should illuminated" The honest
miner grew thoughtful for moment
and then, setting down his glass, said
slowly: 81 tried first, you know, boys,
to catch syndercate-a syndercate Of
, lambs from New York. Well, they sent
out an expert. You all remember him
boys. An expert! And an expert from
college! Never seed a mine in his life
afore. Well, this expert, he wanted
half to report favor'bly. Half! Think
of it, boys! Wanted half of an honest
miners money. 1 wouldn't give it
I've got principle, l have. You al
know me-"