Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-09-05
changed the direction of their excavations,

changed the direction of their excavations,
but all to no purpose. The farther they
dug into the sides of the mine the less OF
the precious substance they seemed to
find. They returned to their hut that
night down hearted and crestfallen, but
neither communicated to the other what
was passing through his mind. The next
and kept at it until late in the afternoon
then Bill Saunders threw down his pick,
and laconically remarked, "Salted."
eyer right, pard, an no mistake.
We've been taken in to big amount, "
calmly replied Jake, seating himself close
to his comrades side.
The two remained quiet for long time,
while they looked gloomily at the walls
of the mine, for the purchase of which
they had expended the last cent of their
hard earned fortune. The gold nuggets
with which the mine had been salted
would not yield them over couple of hun
dred apiece-a poor return for what they
had given for them. The innocent look
ing, beardless youth had outWitted them,
a fact of which they were painfully con-
scious; but instead of threats against his
life, they merely remarked in quiet
tone: "Probably We'll meet him agin."
eve may as we'll close up this mine ter
night, Jake, an return to the old one," said
Bill, as the gloom of night began to close
in around the camp. eve won't want
ter work here any more"
"Not this season, guess, pard," replied
the one spoken to, slowly rising from his
seat on the damp earth.
The two closed up the mouth of the mine
with their own hands, and placed the
we'll known sign worked out" over the
opening. Then they returned to the cen
trail part Of the camp, where they communi-
Gated the tidings of their defeat to the
other miners, who received them with
different degrees of surprise and indigna-
ton. Some swore eternal vengeance on
the head of the young sWindler, and an
ominous foMishing of pistols indicated
the fate of the stranger if he should appear
in Silver Camp again but Bill Saunders
turned to the crowd and calmly said:
"Never mind, pards. He's got the
trump card now but it'll cum our turn
some day."
"Thet's so Bill's right. Let the mat
ter drop, an We'll take it up agin' some
more convenient day." remarked two or
three in chorus.
So the little ripple on the surface of the
quiet life of Silver Camp, caused by the
strangers advent in the place, subsidized,
and life went on among the miners as be-
fore. The luck did not seem to improve
much; every ounce of gold that was found
was bought at its full value by hard labor,
and few of the younger members of the
camp became discouraged and carried
their few traps elsewhere.
One spring the SHOWS on the mountains
melted so rapidly during atwo days heavy
storm that the Old Begum-the suggestive
title by which the river that flowed by the
camp was known by the miners-threat-
ened to'overhoW its banks and drive every
man from his hut to the higher grounds.
It had been tremendous storm, even for
those. wild parts of the country, and re-
ports were coming in from every direction
about the damage to life and property that
the river had caused. Small rivulets on
the mountain sides assumed gigantic pro-
rocky country in an appalling manner.
with several feet of water, and people were
seeking refuge from the flood on the hilly
plateau where the mining camps had
erected their small huts.
The second day of the storm the miners
of Silver Camp started up the river in
body to take observations. The rain was
still pouring down in torrents, and the
men found some difficulty in facing the
storm as they trudged over the large bowl
ders and loose rocks. They wished to see
what direction the river was taking, and
to ascertain if any weak places in the left
bank had yet been made. Every article
of value had been collected in small bun
dies in the huts, 80 that at moments
notice the miners could make break for
the higher land should the flood suddenly
burst upon them.
''Seems to me the chaps from Steal
Clearin' g prospectin' too," said Bill Saun-
ders to his comrades as he jumped upon
a small rock and looked up the river.
"They're comm this way in body jes'
as eff they was excited bout somethin'."
"Shouldn't wonder eff the Old Begun
had burst through up thar,"' remarked
another miner. "Thar's big cut jes'
above the clearin' an 'twouldn't take
much to induce the river to flow through
it,"
"Waal, pards, I guess we can give 'em
some shelter an food, eff nothin' else,"
replied Bill, slowly removing his hand
from his eyes, which were now losing
much of their former keenness and bril-
liancy.
Talk was rife in the camp that the loss
of his fortune had troubled Bill Saunders
more than he cared to own up. He GER
tainly had aged much since the young
swindler had left the mining camp, carry
ing with him the hard earned fortunes
of the two old miners. Though Bill never
spoke about his loss to his comrades, it
was evident from his manner that he
brooded considerably over his ruined pros
poets. His daily toll in the mines did not
yield him much more than enough to keep
body and soul together, and, unless the
long looked for luck struck the camp soon,
it was evident to all that he would be
destitute of money just when he most
needed it. His strength was fast failing
him, and as he stood upon the rock perch
ed several feet above his comrades, his
white beard and gray locks impressed
them all with pity and veneration.
"Bill is lookin' pretty badly" whisper
ed one of the miners into his comrades
ear. GOT will nigh break his heart to lose
his hut an few belongin's now by the
flood, won't it?"
A slow shake of the head was the only
response, and then the takers looked in
the direction the old man was pointing:
A few minutes later dozen burly min
ers, with rifles in their hands, emerged
from the woods near the bank of the riv-
er, and began struggling up the hill.
They were from Steal Clearing, and were
evidently seeking refuge from the flood.
"Hello, thar" shouted the foremost
member of the party, as he caught sight
of the Silver Camp miners. "Hev We seen
anythin' of stray chap roun' these 'ere
parts? A nice, good lookin' chap, with
smooth face an a - nice, smooth tongue?
IF we hev, jes' tell him he's wanted up at