The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-06-07

| comm up yere 10 SnOOJ tnaJ Unar poo'
consumpted chap. Blamed If I wa
ever so 'shamed in all my days. Tel
yer whut, felt like I wanted four
year.old mule to kick me fer hour as
hard as he could lay 1t on. Blast my
! buttons, but felt mean"
"Bet l did," said Jake. "Jes
nachully felt like I'd been KILN sheer
an got ketched at it. I never felt Sc
derned sneakin' in my life."
"Wal, he needn't never know what
we came fer, and after all Pm glad we
| did come" Dock said, "for we kin git his
| gal to i'm. You know that gal over tc
Riclson's. at the post? Wal, that's the
| one. She's his sweetheart an we must
fetch Ter up yere tonight"
"Bet we'll fetch 'er, or bust hahn
string" Jim Buster cried. Jake, mem
you'll go after 'er."
'I'm ergreed," said Jake. "I'm will
i'm to do any thing to make up fer want.
in to shoot that chap. Dock, I'm glad
you didn't let me drop i'm. Blamed II
| wouldn't as soon shoot ghost of q
corpse"
"Reckon the claims his'n, anyhow, y
Jim said, land we're purity nice lot o
rascals from fust to last"
"Wal, thar amt no time for monkeyin'
now, fellers," old Dock remarked, "an'
If yer goin' to git that gal up yere afore
the chap goes over ther range, you'd
better be gittin' on, fer swun If think
he's got more'n six hours O. life in i'm.
Better hustle"
Jake and Jim departed at once for the
post, while old Dock walked to and fro
in the darkness, listening to the clat-
tering of their horses feet on the stony
road that led off down the gulch.
-Four hours passed, and Dock heard
them coming back.
''She's with 'em," he muttered. 81
hear three horses anyhow, if not four.
It's all right"
Then he went in and sat down, and
after waiting a moment, said:
81 ruther guess mebby we'll be able
to help We out bout findin' of yer friend,
mister"
Have you found her?" was the eager
question that followed.
"Wal, dunno as l kin say ne hev
azactly, but think we acM purity soon.
She may be yere afore mornin'. In fact,
she may be yere directly"
"Then you have found her?"
"No, l haint; but ! s'pect some O. ther
others hev. She'll be yere in minute.
They were already at the door, and
moment later the claim-jumper and his
long-lost sweetheart were in each 9th
er's arms. The miners very consider
ately withdrew and left the young
couple alone.
"Say, Dock" Jake called, when they
were outside, 81 figgered it out that
them two would want to get married,
mebby, an so / fotched a gospel-feller
along from the post, SOS to be ready in
case of er emergency. You'd best goin
an see if they want to be iined, an tell
'em the preacher is ready fer 'em, an
will splice 'em up quickern a wink"
Dock went in, and after awhile came
back out.
Bring that preacher in yere, boys.
It's all right"
1t was solemn, weird wedding, away
off in the Rocky Mountains at the dead
hour of midnight, with none but few
rough, rugged miners, and they stran
gers, to witness the ceremony; but many
times there is n bright future growing
out of the dark present, and such was
destined to be the case in this instance,
and with this couple.
Robert Erwin grew we'll and strong,
and for five years he and his wife were
neighbors and friends to the miners
down at Pickett's camp.
Dock and his party were considerably
that they did not return
home as they expected, but they gave
up all claim to the new mine cheerfully,
and never from that day did they once
their true purpose in going to
the cabin up the gulch.-T. T. Mont
fort in Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.