Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-06-22

come more and more disheartened at his
i'll luck, and, at last, he was found dead
in the pit one morning. with bullet
hole in his head. and a pistol in his hand.
Poor boy! he had given it up For a
long while the pit stood empty none Of
the miners would go near it. for they
declared il was haunted by the ghost of
the dead man; but when Mike McShane
came into the district lac Immediately
took possession of it. saying that the
spook would guide him to the right spot
to dig.
About eight months after Mikes APP
pearance in camp regular out aud out
Yankee struck the district He was a
good one and no mistake.
Zone night he sauntered Into our hut.
Mike wasn't around. strange to say. and
sitting down by the fire, began to talk
and to spit tobacco juice at one particu
lar flame Somehow the conversation
gradually drifted on to the relative abili-
yof the English aud Americans. Tompy,
as usual, did most of tie talking tr Old
England, while the Yankee defended the
United States: and must say he downed
Tompy, to to speak, ON every point the
latter would bring up Finally, as Il
clincher to IA particularly strong argu-
msnt. he ran his hand deep into his
pocket and brought out what thought
at first was a large. uncut diamond.
"'There, said the Yankee. do you
think YOU Englishmen can make such
an imitation jewel as thatE See how it
flashes even though in the rough!
"'Pooh- said fotnps not IA bit abashed,
"a greenhorn could tell that wasn't genu-
inc. That will do to fool Americans
with
"'Will it, replied the Yankee, with
his peculiar drawl, and he was about Il
replace. the false stone in his pocket-ai
at that instant brilliant idea struck
Tompy.
"'Hold ON, my friend, he said; Let,
look at that minute
The Yankee handed the false ston,
over to Tompy, and the latter turned !
over and over in his hand. Presently h'
looked up and said
"'You don't want to sell this piece o
glass, do you. stranger?
THAT depends, said the Yankee la
conically. as he neatly extinguished tn
bright little flame by a larger shower o
nicotine juice than usual.
"Well, to make short work of it, the.
dickered around till, finally, Temp.
traded stone worth five pounds for tn
paste jewel. As soon rs the Yankee wa
gone, Walters, the Lancashire lad, and
spoke up.
"'What the devil did you do that for
we cried in u breath.
"'Never you mind replied TompN
! coolly. I'll have some fun out of Mix
: McShane and this paste diamond yet.
s'The next morning, while we wer
eating breakfast, we were startled by
terrible racket coming from the othe
: end of the camp.
".Whats that" asked
'"Give il up said Tompy, with an ODD
sort of smile. Guess you'd better take
look outside
"Walters and rushed for the door
and Tompy followed more leisurely. 4
laughable sight met our eyes. At th'
head of a crowd Of miners was Mike Me
Shane, capering about like mad, and yell
ing and singing by turns, but all th'
willie advancing towards our hut ant
crying:
;.'Hooray! Hoorayl me bhoys, oi'v'
found il at last, oi said oil would, and yei
see me dhrames have come true. Och
Nora, me darIint, yer fartune's made.
AT that instant happened to look a
Tompy, and saw that he was trying e
keep from laughing, and it Immediately
occurred to me that he had perpetratee
some Joke ON Mike, and that the paste