The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1884-02-07
An Unknown FRIEND.


iialt-MOon was new mining camp
In deep canyon at the head waters of
the GunniSon. One of that adventurous
class known ~ ''pruspecturS' had. in
tho fall OF 1881, wandered through that
country. following burro which bore
upon It's lack all his worldly wealth.
and hal brought into winter quarters
M the valley Of the Arkansas such
promising specimens Of brittle and ruby
silver that many, seeing them. were in
duced tn 20 in the spring In spy out
the land. And so il happened, on n
March nigh, in lSN2. tlat dozen
camp Tires were brightly burning.
dozen tents were dimly Outlined in the
shadows and openings of the stunted
pines, and forty or lifiy men, in groups
vi from three In SiN. were gathered
around the fires smoking their evening
pipes and relating their experiences and
wonderful ind, OF the year before.
Among nifty men brought together
from every part ot the world. in wild
country, hy a purpose born, To some eN-
tent ~ least, OF SclliShnc,S and greed.
some are likely To be found in whom
brutishncSS prcdominatcS. There were
several such in the camp at llalt-Moon.
The poets say that communion with
nature reiincS aud clevatcs the soul, and
leads men onward and upward toward
natures Cod. The poets are somewhat
wrong. The kindly spirit born and
reared amid the best influences of u
city home. where all the surroundings
ARE uf Il refining character. will become
kindlicr and better - the years 20 ON;
while the dull man will become dullcr.
and the mean man mcauer, in the very
presence and hush of nature. At lcas:
II j. sometimes -; and il was So with
BIZ Lewis.
lie had seen nature in all her ma 'cstv.
moods and aspects for more than thirty
years; had travcrscd the country from
the Missouri To the Pacific shore:
lunchcd on the highest submits and
campcd in the deepest gorses. And
yet his dcpravity was immense. He
had been convicted of a dozen crimes,
and committed an hundred others with
out conviction. Zach succeeding fall
had found him worse in every way than
the preceding spring, aud those who
knew him best frequently remarked upon
the new and cvcr-incrcasing capabilities
for sin which he was constantly unfold
ing.
but he was not wholly bal Perhaps
no mau ever was. There was a rllmor
among the miners, credited by few.
that once or twice during his career his
rough voice had become gcntlcr. and
the light in his fierce eve softer. when
he had been surprised into speaking OF
his mother Where he had come from,
.'what made him leave. where his moth
or lired or whether she lived at all. no
one knew or had the har,lihood In ask.
There was another manor rather
boy--in that camp; but he could not be
seen that evening around any Of the
fires. He had come into the gulch in
crowd of seven who had been on the
trail some twenty DAYS together. and
Bill Lewis was another Of the seven.
His name was Icno Brown. His COM
ra,les hal failed to catch or compre-
bend his first name. and he had come to
he called Little john
lie would have been remarked any
where in mining region rs one wholly
out of place. He was light, delicate
and fragilc-though seemingly in good
health before coming To the gulch-and
was illy fitted To meet the vicissitudcs
of mountain life He might have
been born for an artist or poet. or both;
he certainly was mover intended for IA
miner. Everybody except Bill Lewis
liked and piticd him. Bill apparently
did not hate him; but he deSpiscd him
for his soft. tender nature; was in the
habit of calling him ''Sus'c" and Mel
lie," and other feminine diminutiyes,
and never let pass an opportunity To hui
initiate and wound him.
In coming into the gulch the party
hal an unusually serious trip. The
trail was illy defined; the snow was
deep and soft: they had been compelled
To unpack their animals score OF
times. and To sleep in wet clothes and
wet snow. For all this, however, most
of them cared but little. They were
not invalid tourists, and they had
crossed the range TOO many times in
bad weather 20 be much troubled by one
trip more.
But with Little John the case was
different. He had never before been
thus exposed. and was evidently not
sustained 10 any considerable extent b.
n hopeful spirit. and he had succumbed.
He Law In his tent in his rough blanket
bed. sick. Frustrated. exhausted. There
was no physician there. although most
of those men knew something OF sick
ness. and in discus sing his case, while
none could say that he had this or that
disease. all agreed that he was ''clean
gone an likely To croak."
They had been talking OF him around
the fire when some one. coming from n
tent In a grove near by. said:
81 think Little John II 90 up to-
night. He's crazy now. an thinks he's
in Ohio; an keeps talkin' OF his moth
er."
Bill Lewis, before silent and sullen.
started up at once. "l'll go see the
kid" he said.
He went. and all followed in wonder.
.rhs he'd was warm enough. and soft
enough. But IL and its surroundings
were terribly rough for ono like him IN
his condition. The pale face amid the
SHAGGY blankets, Lit up by tallow
candle burning in n can; the saddles,
ropes- kettles and tools scattered
around among the bushes upon the
earth floor-alI together formed scene
weird and impressive.
As the man had said. Little John was
delirious and talking OF his home and
associates away back in Ohio. but most
Of ali his mother. piteously begging her
~ forgive him for deserving her, and
c, :. k.l;oya him Otiilty
Beyond this brief hint there was moth
inc Ineligible In his sayings. Now
I'D then a word of pity or sorrow was