Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-10-12

L
as | peered this side anti that in the
dusky shadows nothing but hillv,
spascly timbared country. as FAR As
| the eve might ,iiscern,
! had started some six weeks pre-
| yious for the cheap lands in the West,
intending to purchase homs with the
little allowance ! possessed / had
been rather unfortunate all my life.
| When mere child, my father went to
| the frontier, and my mother, after hav-
ing looked i'll vain for word from him
| for wear or more, concluded that the
Indians had numbered him they at
that time being in state of hostility
and, gathering her little all about
| her. went back to New York, broken
| hearted and discUnsulate. In few
months after her arrival she sank into
the grave, leaving me Il penniless or
| phan.
A gentleman of her acquaintance
adopted me and removed me, with his
family, to In,iieun, before the grass
grew green on my mothers grave, and
thus hurried me away from all j held
dear on earth, and many were the bit
ter tears shed in the deep woods OF
Hoosierdom in memory of the lonely
| grave near Utica,
| Nevertheless, when became of age
/ remembered, in looking over tho
| past. that | had had kind father in
my roster-perent, and when he gave
me quite a little sum and sprightlv
pony, saying, go West, Clifford, and
get rich | started ut once.
As a sequel, at the close of a cold,
raw November day. l found myself
toiling over winding, isolated road,
bound for somewhere, / hardly knew
where.
Dismomtiug ] slipped the rein over
my arm and concluded to walk down
the rocky decliyitv before me: as
proceeded slowly, wondering where J
nigh. camp ont ion the night, ! came
suddenly on RI old man, with handle
on his back, at a turn in the road
He looked up with a quiet Good
evening" and turned aside to let mo
pass. could Won tell me-" | said,
where I might lind shelter for the
night"
He looked at me again -tcadiiy tor a
moment. then, without answering my
question, asked cautiously where |
hailed from
Prom indiana" | replied. Il am
hunting fortune in the great West,
and | rather think have struck tcof
section to-day"
II guess yo have, sir; but Just be-
yond these hills lies beautiful strip of
farming land" he said
| A. 10, e., .,-1,4
he continued, shifting HE bundle lit
tie, ii you're not ever particular as to
concentrations, why, | reckon YOU can
bunk with me; and your nag can do
very well i'll the shed with bunch o
fodder. faint the finest in the
world, stranger. bnt it is the hest
know of, Mess you go ten ,nilte turthcr
up the creek,
Il shall be very thankful for your
hospitality" | said: and we trudged on
together in the gathering night, until
We came to another road branching off
into the scattered timber,
Il live up here ways, he remarked,
| turning abruptly into the dimly out
lined way. A quarter of nile furthcr
on and we came to his ',omiclle Here's
where | STAY" he said, opening the
door to rude log hut which seemed
to have grown into the side of hill
On entering | found It qt,itG com
Portable on The inside, despi the I'M
promising exterior. Now rest vour-
self he said, putting down his bundle
ard striking a light, while give your
nag IL bite under the she'd" With thi4
the old man laughed Il little. Is q sort
of npologl, ] thought, and disapI cared
outside.
l sat thinking. Somehow ] rather
liked his locks Not so very old. he
seemed cheerful, Notwithstanding hi,
gloomy surroundings, and | wondered
why he was here alone. wife is
dead, | Thought, booking about me
around the plainly furnished, one
roomed abode "Mayhe Il confirmed
old bachelor, or notorious character
hiding from justice, and one who in
tends finishing me for his own aggran-
dizcment,' whispered an evil genius in
my ear.
| This suggestion made me shiver and
| sat revolving it in my mind until it
seemed the m"4r natural thing in tho
world, and by the time he returned
| was in good trim to watch every move
| rlcnt of the uuuSuspectipg old man us
| he busted himself about the evening
| meal.
A short nag is soon curried," he
said with a smile, arranging the corn
| bread, bacon and coffee on the table.
| | wa somewhat taken aback. however
in the evil prompting considerable
when mine host of the cabin bowed his
/ head royerentlv and asked Gods bles-
sing on the frugal repast
Well" thought, " lie surely isn't
an escaped convict, unless lie hasEre-
pointed here among the hills And
truly it seemed to me, just then, a
citing locality for repentance of the
| deepest kind.
What might your name be?" he
! asked, as he handed me the second cap
CT coffee
When ! told him, he gave little
start and eyed me curiouslv for mo-
| ment, before he settled back into his
former quiet deneanor, but said moth
i@g. '...... .. ... .r.....
After the iepGst lie took pipe from
the shelf and asked me if l smoked.
Upon any replying That | did not, ho
Tiled the eorp'coh invention With home,