Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-10-30
IKE SAMSON.
How the Vagabond Of Rockrift
Was Disposed Of.

The little mining camp Of Rock
rift, up in the Rattail gulch, was never
particularly noted for its piety and
morals; yet, taking it all in all, 1T was
a fair average Western mining-camp OF
its time.
There was, OF course, the usual
amount OF drinking and gambling,
with the nightly carousals,and fights,
and the occasional and semi-occasioual
shooting scrape. 1t was typical in
other respects; there were men coming
and men going every day; men making
fortunes and losing them within the
same week; mixture Of the good and
the bad as they are found everywhere.
Among the characters OF Rockrift
was old Ike Samson, tall, raw-boned,
leathery-featured man OF a generally
neglected appearance. II he had ever
had any pride in his personal looks, he
had long since outgrown 1t. His hair
hung we'll down his back, while his
coarse beard had SO long run wild as
TO give his face moro the appearance OF
a hazel-bush patch than the visage OF
human being.
Old Ike had been in Rockrift from
the first. He was one OF the pioneer
settlers. and had drifted from some
where over the range; and from that
day he had remained there, not be-
cause he had any reason for staying,
but because it was easier to stay than
1t was TO move on, and because he had
so far had no incentive to move on.
Old Ike was q man who never did any
thing without an incentive, and the
only incentive that ever influenced him
to move was an urgent notice from his
neighbors. He was the vagabond of
Rockrift.
1t was we'll along toward the latter
part OF June when one morning the
miners went down toward the lower
end of Rattail gulch to collect the gold
dust that had accumulated from the
washings Of the day before. But what
was their surprise and indignation
when they arrived at the diggings to
find that the sluice-boxes had been
robbed during. 1.-The night OF course,
this discovery created no little excite
ment in the camp, and, OF course, every
one knew, before word had been
spoken, what would be the fate OF the
offender II he was ever caught
In those days and in those places
man might kill another, and If he had
"a shadow OF provocation for the act he
would not be molested, but X he went
so far as to rob sluice-box or engage
in any theft whatever, he brought
down on his head the severest penalty
OF pioneer justice and was promptly
hung to the nearest tree.
For some time the Rockrift miners
were at a loss to conjecture who the
offender could be, but finally some one
made the discovery that old Ike was
absent from camp, and suggested that
he might be the criminal.
That's jes' who 1t is, boys" said
Brandy Smith, after he had mentally
digested the suggestion for full min
ute, at the same time energetically
munching his quid of tobacco. '.It's
ole Ike, an nobody else"
IL amt so shore NV that" Sam Sloan
replied, thoughtfully, rasping his
grizzly jaw with his finger-nails. ut
mout a-been Ike, and it mount"
wal, who else is it of 1t amt himp"
Brandy asked. "Who else could it
bep That's what l want ter know"
"Wal, es fer that" Sam replied,
''it'ud be purity doggoned hard ter
tell. know / hain't no lice who it
is"
''Don'tit pear right smart like es ef
Ike is bout Their only Teller that could
a-done itP" Brandy asked.
"Wal," Sam admitted, II low pear
ances do seem right smart agin Ike,
fer sartin. Still, somehow, / sorter
feel like mebby it warn't him."
However much Sam doubted the
guilt Of old Ike, yet IL was apparent
that Brandy Smith was settled in his
mind on that point, and that nothing
short OF positive evidence would
influence him TO believe in Ike's
innocence; and it was further appar-
ent that the miners all held TO old
Brandy's opinion.
oval, IL seems to be settled that old
Ike got the DUST" some one remarked,
AN now the question is, what's goin'
to de done about itp"
"Nothin', reckon" Brandy replied,
"fer they hain't nothin' we kin do
The dust's gone, an ole Ike's gone, an
that's the eend Nv 1t, onless he comes
back, an In that case / low we know
whatud be to do."s
Reckon we know what'ud be our
business in sech err case" one OF them
answered; "but 1t hain't hardly likely
es ole Ike'll ever strike Rattail gulch
agin. Guess he thinks too much NV
is hide fer that"
The miners resumed their work and
nothing more was said OF old Ike and
the robbery, since every one felt cer-
tain that he was gone for good, and
that Rattail gulch and Rockrift camp
would never again be graced by his
appearance.
II was late In the evening, and the
men had eaten their suppers and were
enjoying a smoke outside the cabins,
when from away down the qulch there