The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-21
ARIZONA DAN.
CHAPTER I.

So much has been written about mines miners, and mining adventures that am happily saved all necessity for explana- uon at the commencement of my brief story. For instance, every body knows what rush" to any particular dig gings means; and it was through exas- 'gerated reports ot the richness of the de- posits at Big Trees Gulch, Colorado, that ljoined in the rush to that place. Like every other mining speculation l had aried-and had tried many-this was sad disappointment to the great ma ority About one miner or one associated group in fifty did well, and about one in fl 'ty of these lucky ones had sense enough to keep their gains. Their comrades souan- dered all while the herd of unucky ones toiied from early to late, at the hardest and most unpleasant work imaginable, for the payment of an ordinary mechanic m the cities-often for no payment at all had lef tolerable prospects and good home in England, against the advice of my friends. to make my fortune by short cut in the gold fields of the west; and, lucky or unlucky, shame prevented me as it has prevented many prodigal sons before me-from ackno wledging my er- TOT and goisg back.
 At our camp-we called it city" in the columns of the Big Trees Banaey- ehere were not score oi even wooden houses ot any pretensions tents and ill., built nuts or shanties, not good enough TOT stables in civilized countries, lodged our population. Such was the city !: while we had in our community a fair share of the ruffians and bulies that are usually found on the frontier, or at the m,nes of the west-men of whom we read in the pages of divers writers, who would fa'n persuade us that there is something dfoll and jocHlar in the manners of these roughs, and good deal of amusement to be found in their comp panionship. have been much in the neighb>rhoods where they are found, and never knew any general feeling beyond fear, dislike, and even disgust to be felt for such men In these sentiments was a thorough sharer, and yet fite so ordained it that the worst and most notorious of the whole crew Arizona Dan became my most intimate chum at Big Trees Twas trusted by him, and was with him in his last illness.
 had not been long at the town, where ! was doing but badly, yet had of course heard all about the most pro ninent row. dies oi the community, and among these Arizona Dan was pre-eminent He had acquired this name, not from his being nauve of the territory, but because he had killed two men in the same evening at mining camp there. Ihad seen this hero, but had not come into contact with him or his partner Five Ace Jemmy, a man still more disliked and dre ade than his bolder associate. Every man in the camp had sobriquet. This partner was more of gambler than fighting rowdy, although he was credited with several homicides, and suspected of several O. h. CTS. The general disbelief in his fair play may be traced to his nickname.
 One night was returning to the town from an outlying camp where had been inspecting claim which was for sale, when storm broke upon the dis tiiet with saddenness only seen in mountain regions. At frs. there was no xain, although ere long a tremendous deluge descended but the thunder and