The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-03-31
BOSS OF RUNNERS BEND
BY s. A. d. Cox.

handsome as ApOllo, SudNe, smooJn anu
plausible as the Old Fellow himself, Nor
gan Mortimer had very little trouble in
doing as he pleased with the rough, I'M
lettered miners OF Runners Bend. HE
had succeeded in having himself elected
mayor of the camp, and his word was law.
he was literally the boss Of Runners
Bend"
Whatever he said was tn be done, was
done, and no questions asked; though,
to do the miners justice, had Mortimer
asked them to do anything that they had
good reason to think it wrong for then
to do, they would have refused.
Mortimer was rather q shrewd finencier,
and succeeded In acquiring an interest in
several OF the best-paying mines in the
camp. He was an expert poker player,
too, which was almost as valuable to him
as q means of acquiring lucre, as his in
tercst in the mines.
He had been mayo of the camp several
months, when the miners awoke one
morning 70 find him gone Where he
had gone they had not the least idea, nor
why. A note which they found on the
table in his cabin stated simply that be
had gone East, and that he would return
in one month.
1t was a mystery to the miners, but
they did not lose any time from then
work on account OF it. They went ahead
as they had one before Che arrival OF Mr.
Mortimer in the camp, and did very well
on tho whole.
They did not know whether or not the
mayor would return, but, as he had valu-
able interests there, they rather thought
he would turn up sooner or later, and b.
did. The month was hardly up yet when
Morgan Mortimer came back to the camp
He brought with him a beautiful girl O!
about six years, and .old the miners that
she was his niece, the only child of q
widowed sister, who had died while he
was absent, and to attend whose death
bed he had o n away.
TIL miners accepted his statement with
ont question, and the little girl was soon
q general favorite with all. Mortimer
seemed to idolize Edna, which he said was
the child's name, and nothing was toe
good for her. She had but TO express a
wish for a thing, and il it could be pro-
cured in the camp, IL was hers.
There was one person in the camp, how
ever, who did not believe the mayor
story about Edna being his niece, md Thu
was an d old genius, half hummer, hall
miner, who was called "Old Arkansaw"
by the miners, because he claimed that
State as his home, and was Away
Dragging it up as the best State in thu
Union. He had appeared in the
camp the day after the departure
of tho mayor, and was wounded at the
time, having been shot in the head, evil
IDENTIFY from behind. The wound had moi
been serious, however, the bullet having
glanced. How he got the wound no one
could find out, as Old Arkansaw refused
to tell. He was able to work in a couple
of days, and taking a claim, went &c
work. He was present in the Miners
Delight, the leading saloon Of the camp,
when Morgan Mortimer told his story,
upon the day OF his return with little
Edna, and he was not slow to voice his
disbelief OF the tale.
al tell We, Teller citizens, tibet air is a
plumb fish story!" Old Arkansaw
sverred, decidedly, az soon as the mayor
left the saloon. "Thet air chap don't
war the same kind Nv a look as most bon
est people do, nohow. He's a-lyin' about
tibet air leetie gal, an I'm a-gsmblin' on
ter tibet air every timel"
But the miners only laughed ut him.
go long Arky?" they cried; "ye're
shore stackin' yer chips on the wrong
side o. the layout when We put 'em up as
shOuNlu VIC ihayoi oAh pump bquhf 4.
Ye're shore playin' ter lose, ole man, an
ven make money a-plenty by drawern
out!"
al reggin know n plumb white man
when / see i'm, as well as the next man"
protested Old Arkansaw, can tibet air
Yarmouth is black, underneath, shore!"
"Ye'rc way of, Arkausawl" the miners
said, and the old fellow said no more. He
saw it would do no good for him TO say
anything more against the mayor, whose
popularity was Wonderful.
One evening about a week later, a crowd
OF miners came rushing into the bar room
Of the Miners Delight, and leaping upo
Old Arkansaw, who was standing nj the
bar drinking, bore him struggling 70 the
floor, and tied his hands in a jiYy. Taken
by surprise, he could not do much, but he
struggled so nercely that the heavy false
beard which he were was torn from his
face, revealing O smosthly-shsven, deter
minsd-lsskin ceuntenancc.
"What do ysu mean Why have you
committed this sntrsref" cried the man
nngrily. "Is this your idea Of fair play,
10 Jump On a man when he isn't looking,
and down him In this manneri Speak
up, somebody and explain this matter"
I" reckon 10 don't need much explain
in, boss" answered one Of the miners.
CT 'spect o. how't you know wat we
mean all fast sncughi"
Indeed ! DO mott Explain, please"
oWal. you,ro sccussd nv h~fr, 49, 49,