The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-02-28
BOB DAYTON'S MINE.

The familiar sight of two young
asses, or Jacks" as the miners call
them, loaded with mining tools and
provisions. and driven along by two
miners who walked behind them,
would have attracted but little atten-
ton among the loungers in front of
the Grand hotel at Cedar Gulch, had
it not been for two or three peculiar
circumstances which Colonel Brown
preceded to narrate to the by
ISLANDERS.
Since coming to Colorado, three
wears before, the colonel bad sue
ceeded. without any visible means OF
support, in maintaining an existence
as free from toll: as that of the lilies,
and by his abundant leisure, his skill
full disposal of tobacco juice and his
success at the faro table, had fairly
won his title. The talker and his
audience leaned against the rough
logs of the one-storied Grand hotel.
Aiming a brownish flood at dusty
stone some feet away, the colonel
began:
"Queer pards, those. There's Bob
Dayton-he amt much more than q
tenderfoot, but he's white man right
through. But as for Sandy Joe, |
wouldn't trust him as fur as l could
see. If he didn't jump that claim OF
Cap. Perry's last spring, I'm niger.
How Dayton ever happened to strike
in with Joe l can't see, except that
Bob's rather fresh in this country.
You ought to have heard him tell me
last night in confidence all about his
girl in Ohio. Lizzie, think, he
called her. He was poor, and she
was poor; and he didn't see much
hope of getting married unless they
wanted to live on little less than
nothing. So he came out here to find
his fortune. Hope he'll get it. He
deserves to, anyway, going out pros
pecting on the mountains i'm Colorado
in October. Like as not there may
be three feet of snow on the noun
tains tomorrow. Joe ought to
know better, at any rate;
but he's reckless enough to do any
thing. By the way, Bill, what abou:
that roam horse that Powers lost upon
Mount Shavano. Hasn't found it
vet, Ell? He'd better be looking
around lively if he expects to get it
down before the SNOW comes.
And then the conversation OF the
group In front of the hotel at Cedar
Gulch drifted off on to other topics,
while the two men of whom the colo
mel had spoken proceeded on up the
gulch, and turning to the right, struck
the trail leading up the sides of Mount
Shavano.
A great contrast was apparent in
the looks and manners of the two men
working together in the close COM
partnership which is implied In mining
regions by the term partners
Robert Dayton was a tall, fair
haired young man, with frank, open
-countenance, that made him friends
even among the rough class of men
among whom his lot was cast in a
Colorado mining camp He had been
well educated by father who left
him only his education as an inherit
ance. He had become engaged to a
pretty and rich girl, but her father
lost in a grain speculation most of the
wealth that he had acquired, and
Robert was unwilling to urge her to
speedy marriage unless he could pro-
vide for her a home with at least
some of the comforts to which she
had been accustomed. Accordingly,
he had sought the silver lands of the
west, in the hope of there obtaining
more speedily sufficient means to JUS
tify him i'm making her whom he
loved his own. But his sanguine ex-
pectations had been disappointed, and
for several months he had wandering
from one mining camp to another.
till at last he arrived at Cedar Gulch,
weary and almost disheartened He
was just in the mood to listen to
reckless proposal which he heard
made in the hotel one day by Sandy
Joe, to 60 on prospecting tour in
spite of the near approach of snow.
Robert did not know, and did not
care much, who his partner was, if he
could have another chance to labor
for the treasure which he was seeking.
No one knew the real name of Sandy
Joe, as he was called, with the fire.
quent appropriateness, of Western
nicknames. He was short, dark
complexioned and dark haired man,
with an unenviable notoriety for quar-
relsomeness. This ill-assorted couple
proceeded on their expedition with