The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-07-11
J0E'S ATONEMENT.
The Cause of the Great Boom at
Big6ins' Bar.

The snow was twenty feet deep on
Che 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 little while, trying
to gain strength enough to make one
more effort for shelter; for night was at
hand, and to be there until his limbs
stitlencd meant death.
Its no USE he muttcrcd. 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 | could If looks goes fur
anything, there amt a white man
within hundred miles of hyer; and I'm
clean done out, 'thout an idea thin
a hundred miles o whar | 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
NiilbbSh Sp lillll Gl2ub plates Ollu llOU
desert him now. and once satisfied that
there was no likelihood of any settle
ment being near, he bundcred on in
search of more protected spot where
he might pass the night.
Chance was good to him. Before he
had gone half 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 one side was a wall of
snow, on the other the wall of matted
roots and dirt, with just little opening
at the top, through which he wormed
himself and sank down with Il SIGH
upon bed Of leaves.
lie heard the wind without bowling
as though at his escape, but it droned
away into gentle, lulling hum. and
before long he ceased to hear it at all.
He was sleeping the sleep of exhaustion.
When lie awoke the sun was shining
brightly, well up in the heavens, and he
was feeling very much better than he
had imagined would be possible He
had burrowed down among the leaves,
and the close quarters kept the heat in
fairly we'll, and though he was still
enough from his tramp the day before,
the principal trouble was the gnawing
in his stomach. which demanded to be
satisfied.
He lay quiet for few moments TO
gather his wits fully about him, and
then stuck his head out of the opening.
1t is uncertain what the tur cap that
surrounded his Uranium most looked
like but at any rate the moment it
emerged, zip - came an arrow that
went through his cap and grazcd his
skull so sharply as to draw blood.
''lniuns, 10y hokey!h exclaimed Jim,
in a tone of dSmay as he tumbled back
into his burrow and felt for his sole
weapon, a navy revolver, brlted over
his hip at won't take long to finish
this trip he continued. If 90 ont
Ill get shot, and if | stay in I'll starye
Hit or miss, they've got me sure
It never struck him that he might
have been mistaken for an animal of
some kind, until he heard light foot
steps IN the snow outside, and then a
long pole was run in with the evident
intention of stirring him out
lie fired promptly, and the shot was
answered by yell, whether of pain or
dismay he could not tell, but mme-
diateIy afterwards he heard few haSty
steps and then all was silent.
He kept silent. too. He was in a
trap from which there was no exit with
out presenting fair mark to an unseen
enemy.
What was his surprise to hear a
voice in good mining-camp English ex-
claiming:
Say, you! who's in thar?"
Jim higgins! Efyou're awhile man
what'n thundery you mean pluggin' away
at meP Eff you amt white I'll give you
Just the livelest shake upyou ever heard
tell of about the time | get my 'volyer in
runnin' order"
"Shakc on that, pard. I'm white from
the ground up. Come out an let's size
each other up, | didn't s'posc there war
q white man thin fifty mile
PrudcntlY retaining his hold on his
revolver, higgins crawled out a good
deal more rapidly than when he went
In, and found himself in the presence Of