Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-10-30

drew away and walked some distance
down the guloh, where they came to
halt.
"Now." says Brandy. "you have all
heerd the gals tale. an We all know
old Ike. Whut ye got to say to itP"
For a minute no one spoke. then
Jerry, stepping forward, said:
Brandy. you've allus been sorter OF
a leader here, an I'd like ter know
what you've got TO say. yerself."
Brandy stood for moment silently
rasping his jaw with his nails.
"Wal, boys" he said at LAST. ''you
all heerd me a-talkin' up thar while
ago, bout a wife and a gal I've got
back East, didn't YEP"
They nodded their heads.
wal, I'll tell We, boys, s'pose that
wife an that child'ud git notion into
'em TO come a-huntin' me up out yere,
an s'pose bout the time they'd found
whar wuz I'd done som ethin' an the
fellers'ud string me up. lt'ud be purity
doggoned. hard on the wife an gan,
wouldn't itpn
bet 1t would" Jerry replied; "an'
I'd be in for lettin' you go il you'd
stole ever cent o. gold dust in the
mountings."
"Them's my sentiments, boys" Bran
dy said, in conclusion. "Now, what
do the rest OF you sayp"
LET i'm go! Turn i'm loose!" they
all cried.
Then he goes" said Brandy, and
the miners broke loose in wild cheer
that echoed and re-echoed through the
gulch and far up among the mountains.
They've found 'im-they've found
'im!" the child cried, when she
heard it.
IL dunno" Sam said, whether
they've found i'm yet, but they will
find i'm purity soon. He was here to-
day, and he can't be far off. Is your
ma much sickp"
"Yes, sir; she's awful SICK, and don't
know nothing that goes on. She just
talks all the time about pap, and begs
us to fetch him to her"
''Then she didn't send you up here
after imp"
mo, sir; come myself. / had just
enough money to pay my way"
IL reckon you'd like to go back to-
night, wouldn't youP"
IF l could find pap would, for I'm
afraid mother amt goin' to live long
May be not till morning."
There amt no stage down tonight,
an it's long ways to walk"
"Oh, wouldn't mind that, il Il only
had pap to go with me. Do you reckon
they'll find him soonp"
"Yes, s'pect So"
just then they heard the miners com.
ing back, and the girl waited almost
breathlessly for their approach.
wal, little gal," Brandy said,
"we've found your pap, an he'll be
here in a minute. The boys is fetch
in i'm up from his cabin"
In little while Ike Samson came
mp, and after gazing at the child an in
slant, opened his arms, saying: my
Jane, my childg'
She flew into his arms and they
closed about her, as the father and
daughter sank down to the ground
weeping together.
The men stood around in silence and
not a word passed between them,
though more than one coarse sleeve
was drawn across pair of wet eyes.
Directly Brandy whispered to Jerry,
and moment later there was clink-
ing OF gold and silver as a hat passed
about from one to another.
This is fer you an yer ma" Brandy
said, as he tied the money in a bag and
handed it to the girl.
"And for pap, too?" she asked.
Eyes, for him, too"
"Now, boys" Sam said, like must
be got down to tho fort tonight, fer
the gal says her mothers bad off an
mayn't live till mornin', an she's jist
a-beggin' for Ike all the time. He
must git there right off,"
That's what he must" Brandy re-
piled, IAN I'll go dollar on hirin'
Jim Bankers wagon an team"
mo, you dOn't!" Jim cried; "my
team'll take 'em 'thout cent o. pay"
In short order the wagon was
brought around, and when they were
settled in it, Jim cracked his whip and
away they bounded down the gulch,
followed by long-continued cheer
from the miners of Rattail gulch.
They never saw Ike again, but two
years later they heard of him living a
quiet, sober life back East, happy in q
good home with the love of his wife
and daughter. Thomas p. Montfort,
in Leslie's Newspaper.