The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-07-27

and never spoke, except when directly addressed. He appeared about camp at all hours of the day and night, until 1t became mooted question If he ever slept at all. Though he was continually wan dering, "prowlDg," as the boys termed 1t, noth- ling of value missed in connection with his visits to different portions of the camp and he soon came to be regarded as a harmless and mild type oi lunatic
 | The winter came and one of the coldest winters for many years 1t was, too, but for a wonder old Dobbes survived 1t all right, when not less than half score of men gave up the ghost through fretz ing during those long, cold months. The old man lived, when at home-which he rarely wAs-in a crazy little affair that half cabin and half tent The most of the time he shared the somewhat su- perior accommodations of the miners, and by the unwritten law of such communities he was always tolerated though, perhaps, he was seldom really welcomed.
 When the spring had come again the gulch was once more most delightful spot to dwell in. The climate was dry and healthy, and there seemed to be vigor and new life in the very air. Every one appeared to feel the revivifyng effect of springs advent except old Boobies. "How did ye come through the winter, old man?'' the miners would ask him, and the queer old fellow, almost as much of a stranger as when he came to the Red Star would shake his head mournfully and say
 Poorly, sir, poorly; my cough is getting worse and worse every day"
 And, as if in verifcaton, his words were fol- lowed fnvariAbIy by tremendous tt or coughing. Consumption" the boys would say as they turned away from old Dobbles; "poor old fellow, he won't see another whole winter here. He'll pack his dust and go before the Eternal when cold weather comes again"
 The old man seemed in fair way to realize these predictions concerning himself Indeed, he ap- peared to be gradually melting away into another world through the hot summer that followed the spring.
 "You must sleep more my boy" said the store keeper, compassionately, one day; "don't prowl round 80 much by night. It don't look jest hon. est like, and it ain't healthy, nuther."
 "It's the only way 1 rest" said Dobbles, brokenly; cit seems to do me more good than sleeping"
 This was followed by another spasm of coughing The old man to.tered away, his legs trembling un- der the weight of his body and his head shaking if palsied.
 syndicate of eastern capitalists bought fl ve or six adjoining claims that gave promise of great pro- duction, and by summer time the new company had over one hundred men hard at work. I'm proved machinery brought vast amounts of precious out of the soil of the Red Star guch and every claim that promised gold in abundance was speed fly staked out by fresh arrivals who came in hun dreds.
 Maurice Tellson, dashing black whiskered, ath- leticlooking fellow, who stood over six feet in his long bOots had been selected the superintendent of the "Marjorie," the big claim of the eastern speculators was styled. Telson had come to the gulch 6 few weeks previous to Dobbles first ap- peArance. He was not particularly well ked, for he distant and inclined to be overbearing; but he was a fluent talker when he wanted to be- a dead shot and thoroughly game" qualities which insured him respect if not esteem. Wages were paid to workers on the Marjorie the first day of every month, and Tellson person. ally supervised the paying of. Gold and silver coin were the only forms of money even seen in the Red Star region in those days, and even that would not have been available were it not for a
 little bank which had been started about two years earlier st Payson City, forty miles distant from the gulch. Naturally enough, the work of bring ing the coin on from the bank was also personally superintended by Tellson, who devoted three days to the round trip, always accompanied by an ample guard, for the "rusters" were perniciously active in the vicinity of prosperous frontier communities | fn dov