The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-25
UNDER TEE FIR TREES.
The Toughest Man In the Camp Had
Heart After ALL

A0dEb AlbST al.
From the Neio York Sun.
On the hill above our camp, Just where
the trail from Red Dog DigginEs came
wsnding down to cross the creek, stood
three fir trees They were close together,
with the largest in the center. In those
days we had name for everything. and as
those trees were sort of landmark we
named them Mother aud Children
No doubt every miner looked rough and
no doubt we fell into evil ways In our
camp somebody was shot every week or
two, and al least once o month we had to
hang some one in the interest Of public
safety. For all that, however, we had all
come from the east, most of US had wives
and children waiting our return aud the
roughness did not reach down to the heart.
Many a time | have seen O miner who'd
shoot you offhand on the slightest provoca-
tion sit down of an evening with tears on
his cheeks as he thought OF home and his
loved ones.
The toughest man in the lot was a chap
we all called Bully Ben. He seemed to 20
about seeking quarrels, and he had no fear
OF any living man. Twice We warned him
to leave White Horse creek or pay the pen
atty with his lie, but be did not 60. Once.
the vigilance committee started out TO hunt
him up and hang him. They found him,
He had his back to a bowlder and a gun In
each hand, and he deied them. We hated
to admit that we were afraid Of Bully Ben,
but it was fact that we were. and he knew
it, We could have downed him had the
whole crowd made move, but when every
one OF us realized that 1t would COST four or
five lives there was lack Of enthusiasm to
begin operations.
used sometimes to wonder what bis past
had been--if he had a heart like other
men-if there was better nature deep
do xrhi oh nft had
Sometimes / caught him looking steadily
into the camp fire. as IL the flames were
weaving picture for him. Then the hard
lines OF his face would soften, the evil look
fade out of his eyes. and Bully Ben would
appear to be stranger to our camp. One
day he got caught in cavein on his claim
and was terribly injured. When the fact
was reported almost every man rejolced
over it. IL was at first expected that be
would pull through after bit, but 1t was
soon discovered that he was hurt internally
and that it was only question of hours
when the end would come.
IL was an unwritten law with us that
when a miner got hurt or fell sick the one
whose claim WAS next to him on the right
should attend him. / was next to Ben, and
so it fell to me to nurse HIM as best l could.
From the first he had no complaints to make
and no questions to ask. 1t was almost
shutdown one afternoon. and the mark Of
death had been plainly stamped on his face,
when he quietly said to me:
Last night | dreamed of Mary and the
children. | saw them coming over the hill,
and they kissed me before died. Poor Mary
poor ohildrenm
| looked down into his face and there was
such a change that / could hardly credit it.
1t had grown soft and gentle. and the eyes
might have belonged to woman. There
was something to touch the heart in his
ka fnruaA hia RI fha
and continued:
"Yes, Mary and the children. she was
leading them and they had come TO see me
die. Do you think they will be here In
timer
/ soothed him as best knew how, and
pretty soon he seemed to fall asleep. Dark
ness had hardly come before the great full
moon lifted herself above the hills and
poured such flood Of light down on our
camp that it was like day again. sat at
the door looking out upon the glorious sight
when Bully Ben aroused from bis lethargy
and said:
MARY and the children are coming over
the trail / must watch for them as they
come over the hill Draw me to the door,
and let me be the first TO see themm
/ moved his COB into the doorway, and
propped him up that he might face the hill.
The blindness of death had already come
to his eyes, but after a minute or two his
vision seemed 70 grow CT arer, and ne
pointed to the ir trees and called out:
az knew they would GOMEZ It Is Mary
and the children, and they will kiss me be-
fore l die"
looked up at the three trees-"Mother
and Cumberland for time I believed
them to be human beings pausing there a
moment 70 look down upon our camp. l
had never seen the moonlight bring them
out in such light before.
"Mary-children- knewp
turned my head away. l heard him
gasping, and when looked down upon his
face again he was dead. / left him lying
there In the moonlight for the men 10 look
upon as they filed past They wondered at
the smile on his face, and when told them
of Mary and the children and Of his vision
they said:
Then he had heart, after all, and TO-
morrow we will lay him away In a grave
under the trees