West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-02-08

w eli uOnc, pafuS. L Know IL YOU II
come. The kid was better NJ the cabin;
but whether alive or dead now don't
know. Look an see.
Little John was alive and warm.
Now. pards, there's six O you.
Balaam's pretty nigh played out.
Shoulder the ends o. them ERE poles an
strike for CaSra = cabin-iirst trail 10
the left after We strike timber. Balaam
an I'll go back to the cabin, an come
over in the mornin'. You kin wait for
me. I'll come for I've learnt sumthin'
at that thar cabin. an I'm goin' 10 see
this thing through"
The six men took up the litter. and
Bill and BALKAN went back to the cabin
mt timber-line. Thoy bad packed the
trail pretty well coming down i'm line.
and SO. without special difficulty, though
slowly and YEARLY, they gained the
summit, and the dreadful and critical
ility feet once passed, they felt that
their troubles were ended.
The next morning was a bright one
on the eastern slope of the main range.
Low down in the big timber. nestled i'm
warm nook, with an eastern and
southern exposure, was miners cabin
Already the water was dripping from
the roOf-logS which overhung the front:
the pile OF mineral specimens on the
rude shelf beside the door sparkled i'm
the sunshine; the dog basked upon the
chips; the burroS rubbed their necks to-
gether at the watering place; the fire
was swapping in the rude forge, and a
, miner was heating and pounding his
drills and picks Other men were sit
ting ON the shafting timbers which were
piled around, smoking their pipes and
| talking of the sick boy who lay within.
Little John had already made his way
20 these strangers hearts.
lie was not delirious now But he was
pale, and wore hopeless look that was
pitiful. No one ot them thought he had
yet come out from the dark shadow,
and there was n sadness in their faces
and hush in their voices.
After u few hours Bill came. The
miners proposed to 90 to the railroad
! station for physician and such deli
CAGES as mining camps do not af.
ford. Bill accepted the proposition in
regard TO the delicacies, but insisted
that he himself would be nurse and
physician.
Under his rough but gentle care the
boy rapidly improved, and ut the end of
the week Bill called the two Half-Moon
men out for a little talk.
kid?"
Both answered that they had not.
They left everything to him.
Well, then, / hev; an I'm goin' to
say to you two what I've never said to
any man for more II thirty year. When
( they wuz all goin' to Calilorny, in 40,
| wanted to 90, too. wuz n Kid. then.
younger than this I'm. lived in York
State. There wuz only one o. me.
Mother wuz widow. She didn't want
me to skip out, but stole seventy dol
lars--ail the money she had--an' lii
out. wuz goin' to go back in year
or two, with thousands % dollars. an
make the old lady comfortable for the
balance o her life. But somehow |
didn't git back. Bimcby word come she
died NV broken heart.
Their amt been many nights since,
pardS, when | wuz sober, that | ain {
seen her; an pards, so help me God!
that night on Red Mountain, she went
with me from the cabin at timber-line.
an all the while. back ards and for
'ordS, she Wdikcd beside me, an helped
me pack that Their trail, until We came.
Then she went away. | could never
'ciAS ~ bipu's DdIuS-IlcNcf.
well, this kid wuz clear-headed at
the cabin on tother side, an him an
me talked an talked. We've talked
mere. An, YOU see, he was n clerk or
somcthin' in bank, back in Ohio: an
there was money stole They took him
up for stealin' it; but somehow they
couldn't prove it on him, an had to
turn him loose. But many people said
Z lp stole il nll IN go.,,n l.. g..
bear the disgrace, an so come to the
mounta rs. His mothers Door What
he got in the burned bank wuz all both
on 'em had. Since he come TO P'eblo
he's foun' ont who did steal that money.
But he hain't got N sinner to 90 back
with an set himself right. That's how
he's here
Now, pards, I've got nineteen
thousand odd in the Leadville Bank.
ID in on my Bcldcn sale | hain't
got pesky relation in the world an if
l git my hands on that money I'll likely
dow II IN. 80 I'm goin TO send that
heSne, an give ten thouSan' TO his
mother The balance is a big enough
stake fur me; an then. We see, if / do n
goou thing for MS mother may be it'll
count agin the internal meanness | did
] '-'N'fr' ~ wv "a Aftht MIN uOWn 10 Hay
/ den's, an one o. You can stay with him
an tother go up with me to Leadvillo
an get some money an draft-Pye
got her name an whar she lives-an'
then we ii come back an send him
hom', an send the draft to his mother.
/ Dye see?'
Three days afterwards they put Little
John in slecping-car, with a ticket
and fifty dollars i'm his pocket. and on
the same day draft for ten thousand
+ dollars was mailed TO his mother in n
letter of remittance signed: CAS- UN-
KNOwN FRIEND"
Two hours afterwards Bill Lewis in
suited respectable stranger and pro-
yoked fight at the railroad station.
and before morning was arrested for
cu ting man in gambling house.
Hd.tDm u. Iarsoas, IN The current
/ (ChicGg1).
Mining"
a." Mining is an exciting business. Sc