The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-26
POCKET-BOOK SAM.

reputed to be full of fish and the coun-
try around alive with game. There
was, accordingly. no difficulty in max
ing up party of half dozen last fall
10 put in week there fishing and
shooting We all enjoyed the trip. vet,
il must be confessed, not solely for its
sporting pleasures. Fish were few and
hard to catch. though what we did get
we're those nimble brook trout found
nowhere but in the clear streams of the
Rockies. Game was even scarer, and,
in fact, we got barely enough to stock
our larder The Joy of the trip came
in when, after hard days tramp over
an abominably rough country in search
of deer or grouse, or after a fruitless or
rather Gshless polling expedition on n
clumsy log raft over the lakes without
even bite, we sat after supper around
a camp fire, with back against a tree
or stump, and tired legs stretched out
The fragrance Of the pines comes back
even now, and emphasizes the memory
Of the time.
One night we were sitting thus and
watching the four or five Jacks which,
good, patient animals, had packed up
our outit. One Of them had Just de-
voured an oily old newspaper in which
some bacon had been rolled, and we
were laughing over it when a rugged
old prospector, as taut and trim as an
Indian, and jolly good fellow, spoke
up.
Boys" said he, you've often asked
me how come to be called Pocket
book Sam. Well, I'll you. 1t is all on
account of the omniyorous appetite OF
a jack, or rather Of a jenny, for it was
TO one of the latter that | owe the
name. There's precious little romance
in the life Of a prOspector; it is all
downright hard work, and poor pay for
it, too. Now and then. however, we do
have something a little strange happen
to US, and once in a long while we do
strike a rich mine. Both these things
happened to me together once, and out
OF II grew my nickname. Some of you
know, perhaps, that | was the locator
Of the Russian mino over on Mount
Lincoln, near Alma, in Park county.
hadn't been in the State above six
months when | ran across it. When ]
came to Colorado some eighteen years
ago, | went first of all to FairplaY, in
Park county. 1t was a pretty rough
place then, and | was well enough
pleased to 60 on up to Alma, where an
excitement was just beginning. Ny
partner at that time was a man named
Steve Cutter. 1t was well on in winter
when we went, but we hadn't beer
there very long when one day, as | was
working my way round a ridge on
Mount Lincoln, | came across an out.
crop that looked too good in my eve tc
let pass. Steve had a look at it next
day, and laughed at me as a tenderfoot
for paying attention to such a showing.
/ had faith enough, however to 90 tc
work at it. though the snow was very
deep. Before the end of January there
was as pretty show of mineral as 9
man could wish. l had got about
twenty feet under the grass roots by
that time. and it would have done youl
heart good to see how Steve, and, il
fact, most everyone in camp, changed
their tune about the Russia
Il determined to take jack load o.
ore over to Fairplay to see if couldn'
interest moneyed men in the property
| went to Mr.. Birge. who was the prin-
cipal merchant at that time, and he
lent me jenny to pack my ore, and a
the same time asked me to get 81, ,20C
for him at the bank and bring it over
| agreed readily enough, and started
out. / made one grand mistake here
/ hadn't the Russia recorded yet. The
only thing to show who the owner:
were was the location stake at the
mouth of the shaft, giving half anC
half to me and Steve. If | had takeI
the trouble to record the certificat,
while in Fairplay, half would have beer
mine in spite of anybody. As it was
if were out of the way Steve coulC
get the whole mine by simply rubin!
my name off the stake. But | trusted
him too fully to think of such thing
Il left my ore to have assays made
got the money in the shape of roll o
bills. and started back through heav,
storm of wet snow. BY the time
reached our cabin at Alma it had clear
ed off and a bright sun was shining, bu
was wet through. laid my coat il
the sun to dry, and on top of it spreat
the bills, for they were damp. | thel
went to get something to eat. Stew
was outside smoking, and the jenn.
was picking up what it could find nea
the cabin. On coming out i went t
my coat. and to my horror the none
was gone. At first l thought Stew
was trying to play trick on me, bu
he assured me that he hadn't seen tn
money; that either it had blown ava,
or else the jenny had eaten it. Their
wasn't breath of wind stirring, an,
so | finally concluded it had gone dow
the jenny's throat.
II went over to Birge's and told hin
had lost his money, and the Who'll
story. He didn't seem inclined to be
lieye it, but said very little at tb
time. | went to bed pretty early tina
night, feeling tired. l had hardly go
asleep when a gang of fellows will
Birge at their head, broke into the cab
in. Almost before l could speak the.
had rope round my neck and the 9th
er end over beam in the roof. Ih
rope tightened, and fellow called ou
that l had just five minutes to give u
the money or die. Good God! l wa
choked. l could hardly breathe. don
know what did. l tried to tell ther
l hadn't the money, that it was reall.
lost. but they only jerked the rope an
bid me hurry up or they'd string me.
broke into n cold sweat. fell on m
knees and begged and prayed for life
Those few minutes were years to me
and had given up all hope. when
heard Birge's voice:
/" Let the critter go, boys; let's lea
him out of town like the thief he is
with a rope round his neck, and if b
ever comes back we'll hang him.
Go on with the hanging, yelle
half a dozen; we don't want an
thieves in Alma
No; lost the money, and it's m
say replied Birge.
After lot of talk they let me dow
and breathed again. Then they lie
me out of town. l made tracks, yo
can believe. l stopped in Boulder
When had been there about thre
weeks, one night Birge and three min
ers came to my boarding-house. Birg
walked up to me, and said he: San
shake, old boy; we've got the none
all safe. We treated you like dog
and we've come to apologize.
Il could hardly trust my ears, br
they soon told the story. The yer
next day after I'd been led out of Aim
my partner, Steve. was caught in
snow-slide while going up to the Ru:
sia, probably to take off my name. II
lived long enough to be brought
town and to make a confession. Whe
was inside the cabin the jenny, snuff
ing around for something to eat, ha
very innocently protruded her tongu
and taken into her mouth the whol
$1,000. Steve happened to see he
just as she was about swallowing he
valuable rations. ran to her, put h
hand in her mouth. seized the greer
backs. and brought them forth. II
then hid them, with the almost fat:
result TO me that have described. II
pointed out the spot where he had hit
den it, and Birge got his money l WI