Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-12-08

call out the names of cards as they were
drawn from deck. Then they were
passed in turn to the crowd before the IL
Illuminated saloon, and the keenness OF
Dougan's peculiar eyesight was yocifer-
ouslv applauded. Occasionally some
skeptic asked the privilege of drawing
out the cards, and would turn the back
toward Dougan. who sat on a doorstep
across the unlighted street. But Joe
would invariably. say, Turn it round,
We fool! can't see through the card. :
And again Dougan would shoot at a
mark in the darkness, and often cut the
bulls eye. 10 The edifcation Of specta-
tors, who tested the result with dark
lantern. Dougan's skill with the revolt
yer was so great that Jack Hinton, who
was ON closer terms with him than any
other man in camp, to show at once his
friends remarkable eyesight and wner-
ring aim, on one occasion stood up in
the dark with a lighted cigar in his
mouth. which was 10 be Joe's target.
He cut the lighted end clean of, leaving
the stump in Jacks mouth.
Dougan was, as I said, very good ma
tureti. bat nevertheless he had almost 10
intimate friends, beside Jack Hinton,
wi,,, Was one Of these broad hearted fell
iws AT everybody seemed naturally to
::..N. t..;e into confidence Dougan
~. iY Inns. L win n the novelty of his
ST. c..c2lly lsd worn off and he
.ula.. , publicity. he was great.
tall, strong built man. with light hair
and mustache. He had, however, a way
of STOPPING over as he walked that made
him look shorter. This and his habit Of
going about with his eyes half closed
were due to the desire to hide those
cleaning eyes which darkness made 80
grewsome.
One day when Jack Hinton went to
Dougan's hut he found him reading. AS
Joe laid down the book his friend picked
it up and found it to be in a strange
language, which he judged to be German.
On the fly leaf was written Friedrich
Bauer" Jack looked inquiringly at
Dougan, who explained that it had once
belonged to German friend. This did
not, however, explain to Jack the fact
that Joe had been reading in it and had
turned down leaf when he laid aside
the book.
JUST ~ lille tiiuC a }c0Nk btcCh oSh-
man arrived in camp. He was immedi
ately christened "Dutchy," and was SUBJ
jected to q variety of rude practical jokes,
all Of which he bore with imperturbahle
gravity. He was a persistent fellow in
spite OF his rude, ludicrous English, and
somewhat of o mineralogist. So, in a
few weeks, he had made himself ac-
quainted with methods of work and had
investigated we'll the geologic aspects of
the vicinity.
At last "Dutchy" ran across q nugget
that seemed to indicate the presence of
valuable vein somewhere In the neighbor-
hood. He at once laid his plans, staked
off claim, and with the money he had
brought with him got number of men
at work running q tunnel obliquely into
hill His claim lay to the east and up
the slope from the working of a gang of
tramp miners, who looked on with evil
eyed jealousy at the confident way in
which the young German laid his plans.
Week after week passed. ''Dutchy's"
sloping tunnel was completed and they
were working on double cross gallery.
The young fellows money ran low, but
his spirits and his faith in his Judgment
did not. Then he had nothing left to
pay the men with and they quit work.
Still the determined young fellow toiled
on alone, digging, blasting and carrying,
but the mother vein seemed no nearer
than before. The boys got to betting on
whether "Dutchy" would strike il or
not; some, sustained by his answering
self confidence, backed the young Ger
man, but more were willing 20 give odds
the other way. At last one day there
were rumors about the camp that
s'Dutchy" had struck the vein.
That night Joe Dougan happened to
pass the young Germans hut. The win
dow was open, and though it was dark,
cloudy night and there was no light in
the cabin, Joe stopped in the road and
stared at the open window. He saw
something which you or could not have
seen. 1t was the figure of ''Dutchy"
sitting on the edge of his bunk, holding
card in his hand. Moved by some i'm
pulse, be knew not what, Dougan crept
up nearer; he saw it to be photograph
which the young German held in his
hand, and which, although he could not
sec it himself, I've pressed to his lips in a
way that showed he knew so well the
face thereon that the darkness made no
difference with him. His back was half
turned toward tho window into which
Joe Dougan peered. The youth finally
let his hand drop into his lap and seemed
lost in thought. Then Joe caught sight
Of the picture. He gave sort Of chok-
ing gasp, and hurried away in the dark
Aol. din Italsor- Hin
mel! Helena!"
Dougan strobe fiercely down the valley
road. He passed unheeding two dark
forms moving along in the direction Of
the camp. One voice exclaimed: "For
Gods sake, what's that" The other re-
Piled with q laugh, ''It's only Joe Dou-
gan's eyes"
But Dougan heard nothing and saw
nothing save the face OF the photograph
that had SO startled him. His mind was
tumult OF confused thoughts and half
asserted recollections. He walked on
down the valley till the road ran in the
shadows OF the pine forest, Above the
clouds grew lighter, and a faint, lurhi-
nous spot i'll the heavens indicated the
position of the hidden moon. Then
tQTOuKn Inc tTttS CJuiu " setli Nlouun
scudding across the moons face, and at
last these broke away and frosted waves
of moonlight flooded valley and noun
tains. 1t pierced the dark alleys Of the
pines and fringed the road with n lace
work of delicately traced shadows. Still
Dougan strobe on till the road ran out
from the forest again and followed the
course of n stream that caught and tossed
back from its ripples the sparkles of
moonshine as a necklace Of diamonds
flashes the light. Joe Dougan stopped as
lie stepped out of the cover Of the pines.
and the glorious prospect Of moonlit slopes
and peaks burst upon him and brought
him back 10 consciousness OF him
self and his surroundings. Then he sud
denly turned squarelv around and walked
quickly back the way he had come.
When he reached the camp there were
no lights to be seen; even the saloon was
dark. He went to Jack Hinton's cabin
and knocked at the door. There was no
L.. Il 4 4 I ~