The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-21
the lean crafty face of Five Ace Jemmy


 he had introduced us to each other my partner, Jenny, is going to quit this claim and attend to his other business, and shan want another man with me. Jemmy will still have share iu the wash ings, but not half, of course. Now, Squire Lester, have heard of you be- fore and your character is good; but if you were perfect str anger and the worst scallywag in the diggings, you saved my life last night, and you should be my friend. This is big claim; we have struck great lead, and you, Squire Les ter, are coming in as my partner"
 And this IS how became a partner in the first profitable claim" had ever worked, and this was the commencems nt of my intimacy with Arizona Dan. But for hls great liking for me, which con- tinued unabated, and induced him to de. fer to me in most things, and to waive some of his peculiarities D my presence, we might not have remained friends for any considerable time; but seeing how thoughtful and considerate he was in his way, at last grew to like him much bet ter.
 This was by no means the case with Five Ace Jemmy, who divided his time between Big Trees Ci,y and another large camp at some distance, at each ot whi ch he had established gambling saloons, which were reputed to be of enormous profit to him. He came to see us at the Ild claim sometimes; but avoided him as much as possible, which was the easier to do, as he never cared to take any no. tice of me, whom he reg 4rded as a con. temptible, spiritless fellow, withou, enough brains or courage for either a miner or a gambler. Yet it was from him that first learned the great change that was coming, and had indeed come over Dan. Perhaps l was not so observ ant as l should be, but to me the big miner always seemed as rough, burly ana overwhelming as he had ever been. Jemmy, however, coming into our hur one day when l was there alone, asked after Dan, and ere could answer, said
 "Oh, see him. He is talking to the boys n the Copperhead Gulch claim; reckon will go to him, for 1 want to see the boys myself l guess Arizona Dan will never see Arizona again not that he wants to he is New Jerseyman But he will join the mejority before next spring.
 {" What do you mean P said. "Wnat is there wrong about Dan? Heis quieter and more friendly with everybody than he has ever been."
 No one doubts that, squire" returned Jerhmy "but he has got the bison in him. He's dead man. Look at him If you had seen him three years ago when he first came from" He left of abruptly, as though he felt he was saying too much, and went out of the hut; but his brief speech had opened my eyes
 l saw then how snnken were Dan's eyes, and how hollow his cheeks, while his voice although still loud, was hollow also. My heart warmed to the man now l never had really liked him before, al- though had seen traces in him of better things than those on which his unpleas. ant reputation was built
 We were more together too; for this last-mentioned visit of Five Ace Jemmy was to arrange for his absence during a considerable time fron Big Trees. In plain language, he had so offended the miners, that they were resolved te lynch" him if he did ne. leave or "vamoose the the ranch" as he phrased it. Hehad re- ceived strong hint of this, and as, in su case, even Arzona D ans courage and prestige would not help him-would, indeed, only provide two victims instead ot one-he discreetly resolved to go with out further ceremony. | Five Ace Jemmy quilted Big Trees that | very day. was glad he was gone, for l had always felt dislike of the man al- most amounting to dread. T could not help looking with increased | interest at Dan on his return to the | shanty, and as l did so wondered how the change, now so visible in him, could | have escaped my notice. He was so strange a man, although invariably friendly toward me, that scarcely knew how to speak to him on the subject. Il thought that perhaps he had, of his own prompting, consulted the doctor-our | only one: hoped he had done so But on asking pr. Hirkenschelds- broken | Engiish-s -spe Aking Germ an, much given | 10 beer drinking, to smoking. and to | gam oiing, but not an un,k,lifil or un. kindly man, for all that-l found that D m lad not been near hum, and that the | doctor was afraid of obruding hls advice | on him.
 assured the medicine-man that Ari- zona D m was by no means ferocious in | priv ite life, that he was rather of mel | ancholy turn than otherwise With m any | Po'tSiot OatuS ana Intern Atlonal exprcS- l slons, he declined to interfere, but recon. mtnded me, as friend who had conf dence in D ms amiability, to take the matter up This was the gist, at any rate, of Dr. HTkenschelds' reply
 l 4d already made up my mind to do this. and that very night an opportunity ff.red. Dan was out late, as was often the case, and had lam down on what we called bed, aud was dozing when he came in. h lieu of throwing himself on his own buffalo robes and blankets, as was his practice, he sat for while over the fire, to which he added few sticks of wood for the nights were now cold. The blaze trom these showed his features dis tlnctly, and perhaps by their wavering light incre ased the ominous look he wo C B. that as it might, the gloom and de l :. . .l