St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-10-17
CHAPTER K.
a SURPRISED ENGLIsRMAN

talnmen6!
John Parsons was resting in his arm
chair, with Lucy and Johnny near by
upon the porch, when his ears were
thus saluted. There was something in
the tone of voice in which the words
were uttered, or in the presence of the
speaker as he turned and saw him,
which on the instant prompted a
thought of denying the request. Per
haps it was that he was not in his usual
cheerful mood.
For some time after his return from
San Francisco, where he had heard the
system of hydraulic mining described,
and accidentally learned that arrange
ments were being made by a company
joining county above him, there had
been days when he had been gravely
silent, if not moody; but as several
weeks passed and he heard nothing
more regarding it, this feeling had worn
off, and he had resumed his usual joVial
look and bearing. But only that
morning, while at the Landing, he had
learned that the supplies for the mine
were being sent up, and that the t1ume
which was to furnish the water was al
ready under way, and at once all his
moodiness returned, and all that after
noon he had been silent and thought
full; not even Johnny, who was his con-
slant companion when about the ranch,
being able to draw him into converse
ton or bring q smile to his face.
The company which owned the mine,
so he had been told, was composed, in
part at least. of Englishmen; and al
though he had no prejudice against the
English, and had once in his own
mining days worked in partnership
with an Englishman, and had now no
reason to suppose that the owner of
the voice which he heard asking for
nights lodging had any connection
with the company upon whose mining
operations he was meditating SO gloom
ilY, yet the two facts, that Englishmen
were interested in the enterprise and
that the party addressing him was an
Englishman, somehow formed con-
nection in his mind and tempted him to
do what he never yet had done-re-
fuse to extend the Inequalities of his
house to strangers in need of nights
lodging.
AS quickly as it came however this
thought was dismissed, and he adj
vanced to meet and welcome the stran-
gers.
81 reckon you kin stay, strangers;
an welcome to such as we have. May
be it isn't as good as ye have seen, but
then agin you may see wus if you are
goin' fur up into the mountains. jest
ride yer animals round the back way
and they'll be seed to, !, and he opened
the front gate before which the stran-
gers were sitting upon their horses and
led the way to the gate opening into the
barn lot.
"Light down." he said, San come
in"
There were three men in the party;
the one who had acted as spokesman
being, as his speech indicated, an En-
glishman, and one of the capitalists who
were interested in the hydraulic mining
operations of which Mr.. Parsons had re-
Gently heard. He had come out from
England to see for himself and his En-
glish partners if things were being
properly managed, and to get a better
| knowledge of the actual value of the
SIdIlI4S AG4GA 0hS
He had stopped in New York to con-
| suit with those who were furnishing the
other half of the capital; and the son of
one of these capitalists had come on
| with him, not exactly as representa-
tive of any portion of the stockholders
there, for they already had one of their
number in charge at the mines, but for
the purpose Of seeings the world and
learning something Of business. His
name was James Annelsey.
The third member of the little party
was Silas Ensign, a workman in the en-
ploy of the Hydraulic Mining Company,
who had been. sent down to Sacramento
to obtain some bit of machinery needed,
or to carry an order for supplies, and
who had CHANGED to meet with and was
now guiding his companions to the
mines.
eli say, but this is a 'orrid dusty
country, remarked Mr.. Jobbers as he
alighted from his saddle. "Hensign,
you see to the 'orses, an then you can
come in halso,n he added as ne and
Annelsey turned to follow Mr.. Parsons
who led the way to the pump, where an
opportunity was given them to wash
after which they were requested to enter
the sitting-room and make themselves
at home while their host returned to as
sist Ensign in caring for the animals,
Erastus not being present at the mo-
ment.
When Mr.. Parsons returned with En-
sign, and the two were washing at the
pump, Erastus joined them, and to-
eether the three entered the room to
which Mr.. Jobbers and Annelsey hes
already preceded them.