The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-08-22

rsh and berries. so that tho little money
they had could all be- spent for blasting
powder. Every morning At daybreak
Wash, gaunt and silent. went 70 his
work; every night ~ dark be stumbled
home TO his cabin.
Jennie" he said. II know there IL
gold there. We will find II soon.
never before worked month In the old
mine without taking out something.
This deadlock has lasted more than =
year II cant last always will find
the lead again. and then we will let the
rest go and buy q farm in the valley
where We can forget about this fight"
She believed every word; for she was
q loving. loyal woman. and she knew
that this great. awk ward Missonrian was
. man among thousands. The very
boys In town booted after him. and
called him crazy; but she knew better.
Her family had once urged her TO leave
him and come home. but they never ven-
tured 10 suggest il again Old miners
passing by looked At the claim and said
there was no gold left Men who had
had thousands OF dollars from her hus-
band. and owed their entire fortunes TO
him, az last refused to give him credit
for sack Of -four or side Of bacon.
You stick BY the mine. Wash; I'll
stick BY YOU" was all that Jennie said.
She never told her husband that she
had gone 10 her brother. who was rich.
and asked him for little money to
carry them through the winter. Not
for that spendthrift Aiissourian to
waste was his answer ''Iie can clerk
in my store II he will give up his fool,
ishness-"
Somehow the camp was down on
Wash. lie had given away loads OF
money. but always after fashion Of h Is
own. When old Doc. Seiby was X nocke
out by the leading saloon-keeper, and
nearly died in the snow, Wash took him
up, learned his history and sent enough
money to his family East to educate his
children. That was we'll enough. but
he told the saloon-koeper that he ought
ter b. hung" and in the present crisis
the old fellow was not idle in advising
people TO let that fool Missourian alone.
| There had been some who would have
stood By Wash in different fashion.
and seen him through" to their last
dollar or last drop Of blood. But none
OF them were left in the old cam D; they
we're scattered over the Pacific Coast
from PAnamint to Cassiar; some Of them
lay silent under pine-tree slabs on the
hills west Of the river.
Wash's hair grew gray and thin. III
ss9oped lower and lower Deep line.
we're craven in his face. and his eyes be.
came fierce and terrible. Men met hin
in the gulches trapping game. or dowr
in the streams with his fish-ncts, and
passed him By without word. Pros
pectors. climbing over the hills. heart
the sound Of his pick as he toiled in hi
tunnel. and laughed him TO scorn. BE
cause he found few pockets he is Dor
ing right into the granite. Crazy as
loon. and his wife rs bad. Her relations
have done every thing to help them
offered them q farm and the best kind
Of show down in the valley"
4 1t was an afternoon in October. Tn
saloon-kecper sat on the bench by hi
door reading newspaper. lie heard
noise al the head OF the street; the vii
lage boys were shouting Here CONES
the crazy Missourian MINER Wash
ragged and misera BILE. came into sight
and. after moments hesitation. spok.
to him:
Evening. Mr.. Riley
II can't DO any thing for you"
MIR. Riley. listen to me. l hain's
cent in the world. We've sold all ou
goods and worked in the mine together
this month. Jennie's held the drill
while druvit ! cant get pound 0
powder. but the holes arc all set in the
face. ready. Some thing tells me tha'
this time il will touch gold. can fee
1t Just ahead I've felt IL all along
but now its right thar. within reach O
one more blast tell you, Riley.
know it's thar
You're crazy. WASH"
Riley. you've got money. Give m,
one keg Of powder. an I'll make you ;
rich man. llgive you half we take out
You don't know how I've wor ked thil
year. I've hammered from day :.
dark. gone hungry and slept cold. an
fell down in dead faint time and tim'
over. Put your hand tbar!" He siezes
the saloon-keeper-s hand and held il OF
his breast The man felt wash's hear
sway several inches, as IL II had tori
loose from in place, and its Wild, lous
throbblng was like the beating Of
mighty engine. Thar said Wash
you see Amt for long. That mine.
for my wife. She's stayed with 1t ans
srfth mn on.,ht n Iave dropped 4