The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-11-06
FOOLISH FRANK.
Billings Prediction Proves Correct
in an Unpleasant Way.


saIamander City was a mining camp
nesting in a little valley in southern
New Mexico. This camp, ike the ma
jority of camps of The kind, was made
up of men of all classes. kinds and ma
tionalities. There We're good men, bad
men and men of Indifferent character
in the camp, but If there was any diff
ference the bad men prcdominatcd. So
it will Ge seen that the camp wnuld not
be easily surprised. no difference how
odd. how unique the specimen of hu-
manity might be who dropped in upon
them.
But one day n newcomer put in an
appearance whose like the citizens Of
Salamander City had never seen be-
fore lie had every appearance OF an
idiot, being wild eyed. long haired and
crazy looking. lie had a peculiar way
of dodging every once in awhile, just
as il he thought some one were strik-
ing at him. lie was almost starved
when he appeared in the camp, and it
took several days to get his hunger ap-
pcascd, the miners giving him only
Srch scraps aS they did not want them
selves When asked his name he an
swered Frank" but To all other ques-
tfoning he returned no answer. and the
miners qno'.'y r----.--.---------I fool
ish'' before his name, and as '-Fooiisl
Frank he was known.
He took up his abode in an empty
cabin, and here he lived, the citizens of
the camp coming presently to look
upon him as a permanent fixture.
But while the citizens looked upon
Foolish Frank as simple, harmless
fellow as Il whole. there was 1T least one
among them who thought differently.
This was iaril Billings, a big, burly,
-avage-lootlinr fellow half miner, half
gam bier, who gave it a. his belief that
Foolish Frank was not what he seemed.
..Iou cant fool me.' he declared,
with an air of conviction; that fellow
isn't what he seems. Thar something
wrong with him, and III bet my hat
on it,
s.Yes-he's foolish laughed a miner.
Maybe he is. and maybe he isn't"
said Billings, doggedly; Just You fel-
lows wait and see if somethin' don't
happen around here before long,
"Well wait" said the miners, and
nothing more was Thoughts of the mat
ter until about a week later, when the
camp was thrown into state of eX-
citement by robbery. The partners
of about three hundred dollars worth
of dust, savings OF thepast two months.
The miners were wild with rage.
Woe TO the thief, should they succeed in
laying hands upon himi II was now
that Mark Billings words of suspicion
regarding Foolish Frank were remem-
bered. and many were the dark looks
bent upon the poor fellow as he went
shambling about among the cabins Of
the miners begging for something to
eat. The majority laughed At the idea
of his having had anything TO do with
the robbery, however, and he was not
Inolested-
Although diligent search was made
the thief or thieves were not appre-
hended, and the owners of the Gold
Bug had to stand the loss of the dust
as best they could
week passed and another robbery
occurred, just as mysteriously, just as
inexplicable as the other. The thief
was not found, nor SO much as a clew
to his identity.
That i, it was a mystery to all save
Mark Billings. He knew who was the
robber.
Its that Foolish Frank, / tell ye
fellows,' he said. when it's too late
you'll find I've been giving it to you
straight He'll steal all the dust in the
camp and then skip out, and after he's
gone-after it's everlastingly too late
you'll wake up 10 the fact that you've
kept viper alive, only to have him
rob ye,''
The miners Were unwilling to take
this view of the case, however, until a
week later, when, another robbery oc-
curing, they rose up in arms
''Mebbe tits thet air blamed Foolish
Frank, arter all!'' cried one miner,
angrily.
Il tell We, fellow citizens, ct air time
we war loolxin' inter this hyar matter.
Eff il is Foolish Frank we must find el
out, and / reckon he won't do IL nc
more: an eff it amt we wanter know
it, SOS we kin look somewhar else fun
the thief Thar's ben enuff dust stol,
in the last three weeks, and ct hez GO
ter be stopped!''
That's fackr' the miners cried
and they lost no time in huntin.
Foolish Frank up.
They found him sound asleep in hi
cabin, and when three or four of tn,
miners yanked him out of his bunk an,
appeared with him before the GROVE
outside he simply winked and blinke,
like an owl suddenly transferred from
darkness to light, but he said never
word. He did not seem to be surprise,
or frightened. and if he was othe
than he seemed he was certainly goo
| actor.
The mayor of the camp. one Doug
las Jerrold, took Foolish Frank i
| hand.
See here" he said, stepping fol
ward and laying his hand on the nor
deseripts shoulder, thar hez ben
lot NV stealin' NV gold dust done in Tn
past three weeks in this hyar cam
an you air accused NV doin' the stealth
\ We hev stood thet sort nv thing il:
ez long ez were goin' to, an vgo'V