Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-08-09
ONLY A TRAMP.

dragged heap of rags into the car.
80 you were sneakin' ride, were your
Wall, you be "A tough nut, sure enough.
Got anything ter say fer yerself?"
The figure within the tatters Strengthened
itself up, wiped the alkali dust from its
eyes, essayed to speak, then pointed to the
ice water tank and sank back to the floor
exhausted.
"The poor critters bout done up" said
the man from Texas; where's my flask"
"Where'd you get the poor cuss2" asked
the San Francisco drummer, wiping his
perspiring brow.
Found him on the brake beam when we
stopped at the water tank, >" said the brake
man.
"Great heavensl you don't mean to say
that mans been riding under this car"
calculated the drummer. ooh, Lordl and
I've been sitting here grumbling about the
heat and the mean DEGREES Of fate Poor
cuss"
Hes all right till we get to El Paso,
now" remarked the conductor. "Gainst
the law to put a man off at this part of the
road. Put peddler off once; found his
pack and fine skeleton a week later"
The tramp at last reganed his BREATH
and the tender hearted Texan assisted him
to seat.
He was man of middle age, with a
stubble beard and a great scar running
diagonally across his forehead. from the
scalp to the right cheek. His clothes, or
tatters, denoted him n tramp-a western
tramp at that.
Hungry" asked the Texan.
"Hed nothin' fer thirty-six hours"
Gentlemen" remarked the Texan, "a
strangers at yer door"
Eyer all white" said the tramp a half
hour later, as he pulled match out Of his
pocket and used it for a toothpick.
Gentlemen, you'd hardly think | owned
a name by my looks, would yerS but | do
and good one at that. George Calvert
ez my title. Thirty years odd ago used
to say that handle came to me from Lord
Baltimore the jamestown Puritan, but /
never says it now"
That's perty tough wipe you've got
thar, partner" remarked the Texan, re-
spectfully eying the scar across the tramp's
forehead. "Be thar an Injun story thar"
Nav"
And the tramp looked out Of the window
with a wistful expression on his SCARED
face before proceeding.
THAT scrape never come from an lnjgn;
ct come from Greaser, and his bones hev
been picked long ago by the cayotes out
thar
"Taint often tells my woes, cause no
body believes my story. Would you like
to know why Pm wearing rags and ridin'
on car trucksr"
"In the year 80 / was n young man
studyin' law in Boston, with eZ good pros
poets ahead ez any man ever he'd afore him.
he'd just come in fer five thousand by the
death of an uncle, the last of kin. One
evening, at a social hop, Imet Mary-don't
matter about her other name-and-wall,
twas case of love from the word go. She
was rich mans daughter; my wealth
didn't go fer much 'gainst the governors
but then he'd prospects.
"Things went on ez slick ez possible feI
a time, when my health failed, and the
doctors ordered rest and change. The gold
fever struck me, and | made up my mind
one day TO dig for fortune in Caliiorney
and get my health I'm the bargain. COURSE
Mary cried, and | give up the trip twice
but finally got started.
Gentlemen, loved that gal eff ever NOR
tai loved any critter on Gods green earth
used to lie under the great sky roof OF
the prairie at night, wrapped in a blanket
starin' at the stars, building great big golC
castles, and many's the time | turned IN!
boss head round to go back to Mary. f
had gone back I'd never been here.
wall, ! reached the diggings finall.
and located a claim ct Gold Hill, and in 81!
months laid away quite a pile WASH
much on drink then, and didn't hev tn
red nose | ha now.
zone day a letter come tellin' me tn
governor he'd dropped all he owned in tn
loss Of three ships. This didn't bother m
much. Bout three months skipped by
and another come which made me wild
The letter was all full Of love and tea
stains and said that the man who ha'
saved the governor from complete ruiz
wanted to marry her. She objected, q
course and the old man coaxed an
stormed, and the new lover waited, wist
full like.
81 was for goin' home, but Mary said nc
ct ID spoil my chances.
"Wall, the end come at last. She maj
ried him. The news dazed me ct first fer
couldn't get ct through my head. Then
left the diggings for nowhere, and ende'
up-well, finally jined party of scouts
and wandered over the western countr
fghtin' Injuns.
1.-TWO years later was one of a party Q
ten prospectin' in the Wahsatch noun
tains, In Utah. We had settled fer cam
one evening in a natural cave not far fror
a precipice, from whar we could look 4
the valley and over about two miles to tn
stage coach trail, windin' in an out 'twee
the mountains
81 was standin' on a rock lookin' at tn
valley underneath, when ! saw the stag
coach way up on the trail, roundin' tn
bluff. Icalled the boys to come and see ct, ft
ct was somethin' 10 see in them days. w
squinted through our glasses at the coaci
and waved our hats, though we knew the
couldn't see Suddenly one Of the boys sal
in an an excited way, Boys, they're goii
to be attacked; see them forms dodgin'
an out round tibet bluff Sure enough
said the whole crowd, but how are we goil
to warn themp We stood thar hesitatii
until we saw the coach stop; then we a
made a rush together for the trail
TOOK us over an hour TO get thar, an
we found the women hudded against u
cliff, the driver and two men shot, and OF
woman gone They'd been attacked
Molva, a Mexican halfbreed, and his gan
of cutthroats The men, headed by Il
husband Of the woman Molva had stole
had followed the band in pursuit. III
husband OF the woman, the women sal
was about crazy wi grief, and sed he'd fiji
her IL he he'd to blow the mountain 81
high to do it.
"Captain Watson headed our party, al
he knew every nook in the range.
"Tll bet my boots said the capital
III. ,havtva e,ona over To BOar'R Hef