The Opelousas courier., 1889-09-14
IS VAGABOND.
fHoarAs p. MoNTFoRT.

%&8 %#N%NA @E 1900 G##E8k E%H Ht
fHoTAs p. MoNEFoRT.
Do Etle.mining camp Of Rockrift, up
ail Gulch, was never particu-
s,,a GEGa4or its piety and morals; yet,
haan 4ltin all, it was a fair average
N Alarming camp of its time.
gl;sa twas, of course, the usual amount
rinking and gambling, with the
Inv carousals and fights, and the oc-
ponal and semi-occasional shooting
ape. II was typical in other respects;
Efere we're men coming and men going
sFerv day; men making fortunes and
iasfng them within the same week; q
mixtuFs of the good and the bad as they
q found everywhere.
Among the characters of Rockrift was
I'D IKE Samson, q tall, raw-boned, leath-
an featured man of a generally neglected
a5~peSrance. If he had eve had any pride
Il his personal looks, he had long since
mtorown it. His hair hung well down
liz back, while his coarse beard had SO
ldae run wild as to give his face more
lie appearance Of q hazel bush than the
visageof a human being.
Old Ike had been in Rockrift from the
IM. He was ii of the pioneer settlers,
md had drifted from somewhere over the
nape: and from that day he had re-
NAMED there, not because he had any
eaa0a for staying, but because it was
ier 10 stay tIIan 1T was to move on,
IL because he had SO far had no incen-
I've To move on. Old Ike was a man who
nsver did anything without an incentive,
nd the only incentive that ever influ-
aaced him to move was an urgent notice
IRON bis ~neighbors. He was the yaga-
bard Of Rockrift.
e WAS well along toward the latter
nsft 0f June when one morning tx
miaers went down toward the lower end
81 Rattail GuIch To collect the gold dust
ama had accumulated from the washings
q TIE day before. But what wa their
azpFise and Indignation when they ar
sYsd III the diggings to find that the
apiee boxes had been robbed during the
OF course this discovery created
s. little excitement in the camp, and of
Fery one knew, before a word had
Apoken, what would be the fate of
tender IL he was ever caught.
asse days and in those places a
might kill another, and if he had a
aeW Of proyoeation for the act he
did nat be molested. but if he went
iii III ron i slnice-box u engage in
theft whatever, he brought down on
81 head the seyerest penalty of pioneer
Lice and was promptly hung to the
tree
some time the Rockrift miners
se III II loss to conjecture who the of
&saaer could be, but finally some one
maaa The discoVerythat old Ike was alb
aat from camp, and suggested that he
hight be the criminal.
rhafhs ies who it is, boys" said old
ndy Smith, after be had mentally di-
Eed tile suggestion for d full minute,
the same time energetically munching
81 anid of tobacco. tits ole Ike, and
ny eIse.
laint ID shore NV that, Sam Sloan
Nplied thoughtfnlly, rssping his grizzly
@N with his fnger-nails. "It mout
been He and It mount
Wal who else is it eff il amt hlm2'
nsandy asked. TsVVho else could it bel
That's what I want ter know
Wal IS fer that = Sam replied, 'sit'ud
purity doggoned hard ter tell. Iknow
hainst III iijjee who it is
Don't II pear right SMART like es e
e bout ther only feller that could
ena itsn Brandy asked.
Sam admitted, II low pear.
nkas III seera right smart agin Ike, fel
ia Eils, somehow, / sorter feel like
@ebby II warn him.
However much Sam doubted the gull
4 DID Ike, yet it twas apparent that Brandy
niEh was settled lii his mind on tina
N0n, and That nothing short Of positive
violence would influence him to believ'
81 Kess innocence and it was further ap
aren't that The miners all held to OLE
nEandy's opinion.
wal, Il seems to bs settled that oil
Rot fha dust. some q remarked
now the question Is, what's goin' I,
s. done shout it9
Nothin Z reckon, Brandy replied
sF they hahn nothin' we kin do. Tn
s cone, an DE Ikes gone, an that
as eend NV II, onIess be come back, an
fhat case ! low we know What'nd p
s. DOL.
Reckon we know what'ud be gu
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