The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-07-09
JOE'S ATONEMENT.
The Cause of the Great Boom at
higgins Bar.

The Cause Of the Great Boom at
higgins Bar.
The snow was twenty feet deep on
the spot, and his prospects for living
till morning were worth about three
cents, the night Jim higgins struck the
valley. He stumbled and slid down
the natural trail, and finally fell ex.
hausted on the drift when his mo-
mentum no longer carried him ahead.
There he lay for a little wbils, tryilg
to gain strength enough to make one
more effort for shelter; for night was at
hand, and to be there until his limbs
stiffened meant death.
.sIt's no use," he muttered, as he
swayed to and fro and looked around in
a dazed sort of way. '.Imay just as well
cock my toes up and pass in. I've done
Their best I could. If looks goes fur
anything. there amt a white man
within a hundred miles of hyer; and I'm
clean done out, 'thout an idea thin
a hundred miles o. whar 1 be-"
He stared around him as he spoke,
shivering, feeble, scarcely able to see a
rod in any direction. Nevertheless, the
pure grit that had pulled Jim higgins
through SO many tight places did not
desert him now, and once satisfied that
there was no likelihood of any settle.
ment being near, he Numbered on in
search of a more protected spot where
he might pass the night.
Chance was good to him. Before he
had gone half a dozen rods he stumbled
among the branches of an overturned
tree, and following the trunk up he
found a hollow caused by the bullying
roots that had been torn from the
ground. On n side was a wall Of
snow, on the other the wall of matted
roots and dirt, with just a little opening
at the top, through which he wormed
himself and sank down with q sigh
upon a bed of leaves.
He heard the wind without bowling
as though at his escape. but it droned
away into a gentle. lulling hum, and
before long he ceased to hear it at all
He was sleeping the sleep of exhaustion
When he awoke the sun was shining
brightly, well up in the heavens, and hi
was feeling very much better than hi
had imagined would be possible. H,
had burrowed down among the leaves
and the close quarters kept the heat il
fairly we'll, and though he was stiff
enough from his tramp the day before
the principal trouble was the gnawins
in his stomach, which demanded to b.
satisfied.
He lay quiet for a few moments Il
gather his wits fully about him, anc
then stuck his head out of the opening
1t is uncertain what the tur cap tina
surrounded his Uranium most LOOKED
like, but at any rate the moment i
emerged, .'zip!" came an arrow tina
went through his cap and grazed hi
skull SO sharply a to draw blood.
..Injuns, by hokey!" exclaimed Jim
in a tone of dismay as he tumbled bacl
into his burrow and felt for his sol
weapon, a navy revolver, belted owe
his hip. '.1t won't take long to finisl
this trip" he continued. IF 1 90 on
I'll get shot. and if 1 stay in I'll starve
Hit or miss, they've got me sure"
1t v struck him that he Nigh
have been mistaken for an animal O
some kind, until he heard light foot
steps in the snow outside, and then
long pole was run in with the eviden
intention of stirring him out.
He fired promptly, and the shot wa
answered by a yell, whether of pain O
dismay he could not tell, but imme
diately afterwards he heard a few hast
steps and then all was silent. :.
He kept silent, too. He was in
trap from which there was no exit with
out presenting a fair mark to an unsee
enemy.
What was his surprise to hear
voice in good mining-camp English ez
claiming:
..Say, you! who's in tharp"
Jim higgins! Efyou're white ma
what'n thunder you mean pluggin' ava
at mep Eff you amt white I'll give yo
just the liveliest shake upyou ever hear
tell of about the time l get my 'volver i
runnin' order"
"Shake on that, pard. I'm white fro1
the ground up. Come out an let's siz
each other up. l didn't s'pose there wa
a white man thin fifty mile"
Prudently retaining his hold on h
revolver, higgins crawled out a goo
deal more rapidly than when he wer
in, and found himself in the presence {
a tall, gaunt-looking man, who held
knife between his teeth. and a bow an
arrow in his hands.
At sight of each other all suspicio
seemed to be dispelled. They put ava
their weapons and had ahandshake ths
was all the more cordial for the DANCE
that each had put the other in a few me-
ments before.
"Any grub?" was the query of Biz
gins, after this operation had been pc
formed.
.'Sich ez it is" was the answer 6
amt much fur a layout, but I'll let W
in on Their ground floor. Yer see, Il
lost hyer, an I've he'd awful tough time
but eff you've got any forty-five car
ridges things II begin ter bloom agil
I've a Winchester, but it amt bin Il
good since l III outer ammunition, al
eff l hedn't fixed up Ingin fashion I'd
gone nigh ter starvin'."
'An' I'm clean starved already, b.
l kin load yer up with blue pills an pc
pulsive power. You bet / hung ont,
'em when 1 found wher l war comil
out. Now whar's yer 'beefsteak al
inyunsp"
This way pard. You warn't lool
in round very close er you'd smoke
me. sure"
Without hesitation higgins followe
his newly.made friend and was rejoice
~ lind that they had not far TO 40, ~