Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-04-16
THE GRIZZLY'S POCKET.
BY HENRY NEWPORT.

BY HENRY NEWPORT.
''That's a pretty little girl you got
with you in the Pullman, Cap. Grand
daughter2"
mo, she amt no granddaughter"
said Cap" looking at the conductor
with an injured expression. II amt
no spring chicken, nor yit amt no
granddad."
Daughter, perhaps"
mary daughter.
'Niece?"
''Nur yit niece"
Child of friend, may be?"
Cap. gave two or three savage pulls
at the long cigar, which had beguiled
him from the side of the little girl in
the Pullman into the free and easy
atmosphere of the smoker, before he
saw fit to answer the conductors last
question The express Ten route to Ell
Paso) had entered on that long run
between Oakland Pier-four miles out
of San Francisco-and Lathrop nine>
ty~one miles distant, and seeing sew
eral hours without stop before him,
the conductor had strolled into the
smoker for chat.
''See here, young feller," said Cap
at last, did pay that little gals way,
or didn't I? Did you punch her cow
pom with that there silver pistol of
yours, or didn't you? Do I owe this
yer road anything? Eff I do, present
yer bill; eff [ don't, what in tarnation
makes you so ALFRED keen to know
the whole history of the case? I amt
a kidnapin' her; you kin bank on
that; but all the same she amt no
kith nor kin er mine, and she don't
belong to no friend. I'm takin' her
to her mother in ST. Louey. Just heft
that pile"
He twiched q red cotton handker-
chief out of an inner pocket and thrust
1t into the surprised conductors hand.
''Jest heft that pile, he continued,
''it's pure, solid 24-karat gold; every
grain of it belongs to that little gal,
and I'll bet the drinks you can't come
within hundred of It's value. Jest
heft it once"
The conductor held the handker-
chief by its ends and gravelY ''hefted"
something of about the bulk of an
ordinary fist, which was knotted in
the center of the rag.
cit weighs about two pounds, I
Judge" he said, after some little hest
tation.
"What is the fgger?"
"Well, if it is pure gold, as you say,
it may be worth $500"
"You are Jest hundred out She is
worth S4O2 %. A greasly bar played
st. Nicholas game last Christmas
Eve and throwed that handsome little
tribute into the girls stocking. He
killed her dad at the same time and
died himself-which was two Of the
whitest deeds as ever greasly done,
to my way of thinking"
To the conductors way of thinking,
as well as that of every passenger
within hearing, Cap. was altogether
too light-headed to be trusted with his
own superintendent while making
his five days run between San Fran
cisco to st. Louis, much less to be the
pro tenn. guardian of a seven -year~old
girl. He saw the incredulous smiles
excited by the remark, and seemed to
understand the plying chances
which went out with them.
f'Of course, you think [ am crazy,
- said simply. They can't be no
'A31 thing as that happen. All the
curious things has happened already.
There amt no gold IN California no
more, and they amt no greaslys in
the Rockies, and they amt nothing
odd nor outlandish in the whole
world. Everything is dead open and
shet. What you don't see you don t
believe. But all the same its true,
and eff I told you it happened back n
'49 you'd believe it; but becuz it hap
pened last Christmas eve, and becuz
I'm here and the gold is here and the
little gal is back in the Pullman asleep
it seems too much like bringing mir.
icles home to you, and you shake your
head and say: All lie; the old mans
crazy,
He had the knot in the handker-
chief undone by this time, and gave
theconductor, as well as two or three
of the passengers satisfying inspec-
ton of the pound and q half lump of
dull, yellow metal which it, had en-
folded. The conductor pronounced
the metal to be without doubt genuine
gold
"You see, it was this way" said
Cap, turning about IN his seat SO that