Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-25
marked in a quiet tone: Probably well

WoTk ueTe any more.
mot this season, l 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 well
known sign worked OUT over the opening.
Then they returned to the central part of the
camp, where they communicated the tidings
of their defeat to the other miners, who re-
ceived them with different degrees of sur
prise and Indignation. Some swore eternal
vengeance on the head of the young swindler,
and an ominous hourishing of pistols indi-
Gated the fate of the stranger if he should
appear in Silver Camp again; but Bill Saun-
ders turned to the crowd and calmly said:
Never mind, pards He's got the trump
card now, but it'll cun our turn some day"
''Thet's so; Bills right Let the matter
drop, an we'll take it up agin' some more
convenient day" remarked two or three in a |
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 before.
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 a
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 two days heavy
| storm that the Old Begum-the suggestive
title by which the river that flowed by the
camp was known by the miners-threatened
to overflow its banks and drive every man
from his hut to the higher grounds, 1t had
| been tremendous storm, even for those wild
parts of the country, and reports were COM
ing in from every direction about the dam
| age to life and property that the river had
caused. Small rivulets on the mountain
sides assumed gigantic proportions, and
reared and tumbled over the rocky country
in an appalling manner. The lower lands
were already covered with several feet Of
water, and people were seeking refuge from
the flood on the billy 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 n body
to take observations. The rain was still
pouring down in torrents, and the men found
some difficulty in facing the storm they
trudged over the large powders 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 col
lected in small bundles in the huts, so that at
moments notice the miners could make
break for the higher land should the food
suddenly burst upon them
'.SeemS to me the chaps from Steal
Clearin' s proSpectin' too" said Bill Saun-
ders to his comrades, as he jumped upon
small rock and looked up the river. They're
comm this way in body jes' as eff they was
excited bout somethin'.n
shouldn't wonder eff the Old Begun had
burst through up thar" remarked another
miner "Thars big cut jes' above the
clearin' an 'twouldn't take much to induce
the river to flow through it"
"Waal, pards, l 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 brilliancy.
Talk was rife in the camp that the loss of
his fortune had troubled Bill Saunders more
than he cared to own up He certainly had
aged much since the young swindler had left
the mining camp, carrying 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 be brooded considerably over his ruined
prospects 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 be would be destitute
of money Just when he most needed it. His
strength was fast failing him, and as he stood
upon the rock perched several feet above his
comrades. his white beard and gray locks
impressed them all with pity and venera-
ton.
'Bill is loolIin' pretty badly Whispered
one of the miners into his comrades ear
} =" Twill nigh break his heart to lose his hut
an few belongin's now by the flood, won't
l itF'
= slow shake Of the head was the only re
Spouse. and then the takers looked in the
direction the old man was pointing.
: A few minutes later dozen burly miners
with rifles in their hands, emerged from til,
woods near the bank Of the river, and begaI
t struggling up the little hill They were from
5 Steal Clearing, and were evidently seeking
3 refuge from the flood
"Hello, thar shouted the foremost mem
Der of the party, as he caught sight of the
, Silver Camp miners. ''Hev ye seen anythin
r of a stray chap roun these ere partsl A nice
good lookin' chap, with a smooth face an {
: - nice, smooth tongue: Eff ye hev, jes
8 tell him he's wanted up at Steal Clearin'
Y We've got some joyful news fur him thar, an
. twon't take him long ter find out what It's
4 Jes' a rope an a tree thet's all he wants.
e The two parties of miners bad commo
9 interests. A young stranger had sue
4 cessfully swindled 1he miners of Stea
: Clearing out of several thousands O
# dollars, and the descriptions of the ma
! given tailed exactly with those that ever
q miner of Silver Camp remembered as apply
ing to a certain stranger who had entere
T. their village several Years before. The foo
e and the danger threatened to the two camp
d were forgotten and the search for the 81
capped swindler was begun in earnest
T. Hold on, boys said Bill Saunders, wit
" a nervous jerk in his voice AS the ma
Is who has been most injured by this youn
t. 'un, I'm entitled to say sOmethin'- We mu'
ID go bout this thing thoughtfully, We wal
ter catch tibet youngster, an we'll do i
Y, either by our hands or our bullets. Nov
let's separate into three parties. While OF
es follows the river, let the other two scour Il
ID country ont thar"
:" "Bill's right We mustn't be hot heade
:" bout this here job" responded Jake Wife
Of with shake of his head. Eye lead Il
Ii party down the river, Bill, an I'll tai
be charge o anuther tibet goes over yonde
mt Cum, men, tharis no time ter be LOST
to Once more the two outraged miners seemt
n, to renew their youthful spryness, and, as the
hurried along down the river their ey
b, were as keen and their footing as sure
as they had been when they first entered Siv
ty Camp, nearly twenty years before. Evel
IN open glade and rocky elevation was quick
a searched, and then onward the party sp'
er toward another good place for concealmen
losing no time in following the trail of the
tn victim.
be The trail led directly toward Silver Cam
ly and the tops of the huts were just wish
be above the surrounding underbrush when Il
mt form of a man was seen to skulk up from Il
tn rivers bank and to enter one of the ru
r. dwelling places.
er "Hist, boys, hist He's gone inter one
the huts. Well have him now"
Is It was the voice of Bill Saunders, and
IN trembled with excitement as he uttered t
he words of caution But before they could
inf needed a terrible roaring noise behind t
bo party startled them. Faces turned viii
kv with terror, and hearts almost ceased
al beat. The river had broken loose, and W
m now overflowing its bank just above Silv
va Camp.
- "Save your lives, men. We amt got
~ time to waste" shouted one of the miner
ha and, setting the example, he broke for
y, .o from the clump of bushes, and started on
w. dead run for the higher land. The others
4