Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-15

II
Good luck, fortune, success, all abandoned me
! from that moment. I reckon you've read In
| books or heard old people tell what it meant to
| go overland TO the Pacific coast in those days.
Months Of hardship and danger. People and
cattle dying all along the trail Indian
whites on the scent Of every train that was
known to carry money, watching for q chance
OF pillage. Before We reached Salt Lake our
train was robbed by o couple Of rascals who had
asked our protection fifty miles back and lost
everything had my money, my supplies, my
blankets, everything but the horse rode and
| the clothes / wore. friend who had come
| with me murdered. The kindness of
| strangers saved me from perishing from cold
| and hunger In crossing the Sierras. For three
months after wo reached Sacramento lay sick
with fever. When got well enough i crawled
of to the diggings at the first bar up the river.
II had been arranged when left home that US
soon as l reached California l was to fix up
some kind Of q home and send for my wife and
little daughter. They were to start by steamer
as soon as they had word from me. / couldn't
write home and let them know the plight was
in. But had'a heap of courage. The country
was full Of gold and men were all the while re-
turning from the diggings with heaps Of dust
would strike IL rich like the rest and then send
back for my wife and child.
The bar was overcrowded, but they took
pity on mel was . pitiable object, weak and
wasted BY fever-and they let me stake out q
claim in the richest spot. All the men around
me were panning out two or three ounces
day. Every now and then some man took out
a fortune. I scarcely got color I moved
no better there. On again. The same luck
followed me everywhere. When I took hold Of
the most promising sort Of claim could barely
find pay dirt. When gave up and moved on
was sure to hear that some other fellow Ind
jumped my claim and made pile out Of it. I
left the placers and wen. prospecting for
quartz. The first ledge struck made q big
show on the surface, but it was pockety and
didn't dare to sink further for fear the ore
would play out. sold il for a song. The man
who bough. 1t stocked it, foated q few shares
put up a big stamp mill ard kept on taking out
rich ore. He has a million on the dump today.
Everywhere ii the same story with me;
never managing to keep more than oven with
the world or getting enough together to more
than carry me to the next camp when my claim
was worked out Before knew it the months
and wears had piled up, and writing home was
forever out of the question. unless some splen-
did stroke Of luck favored me-"
He arose and began to walk up and down in
a straight line under the oaks. The census
marshal observed that there was o hard-beaten
path there. She wondered how often his feet
had paced it.
I'm SIS came here" he said, stopping to
reach his hand to a great burr on one of the
u
rest it there. You've heard the yarns they tell
yet about the gold that was taken out of this
creek in those days. / staked out my claim
along with the first on the spot. 1t was the
Same old story. On all sides of me other men
TOOK out quantities of dust. There no more
gold inside my lines than you could find on q
church floor. I'd had enough Of chasing luck
up the rivers and over the mountains and hav-
ing IL slip up behind me unawares whenever
moved on l lowed I'd camp down here and
wait for il to come to me- I've toiled steady
from morning to night, every day could fift
my hand, sometimes at the old placers. more
often prospecting the lodges in the mountains
above. I've made some promising finds and
pan out little dust all the while, but often
times / haven't enough to pay for having my
drills pointed and have to quit work and take
my gun and 60 over the range for venison or
bear meat. But it can't last forever. Last
week found some rich float in the creek bed.
I'm on the track Of that ledge now"
And have you never written homer
what could / write? / don't dare think
about them. Some day I'll strike it rich and
then I'll go back"
In her heart she impressed by the single
ness of mind with which the old miner had per-
severed in his hunt after precious metal and
his faith that he was bound to strike il rich
some day struck her as almost pathetic. He
seemed wholly obliyious of the fact that there
call for pick or sluice. During all his lonely
years of toll II did not app ear to have &C.
CURED to him that the same energy. expended
in any legitimate wage-earning industry, might
easily have carried him to his goal and enabled
him 10 make u home and send for the wife and
child to whom he had been so loyal in purpose,
but had misorably failed III deed.
Now YOU know why don't want nv name
TO 60 down in your book. You know why I've
never exchanged a needless word with man or
woman till you came up the trail today. Two
lived so long alone with the rocks and trees and
the bare facts of nature that I've almost for
gotten the ways of civilized speech, but ! think
I've made you understand Do you want my
neme?"
The girl hesitated in indecision and doubt.
'ioa don't know No more do l. Do you
see that face in the rocks across the gulch?'
lie led her to an opening on the hillside and
pointed across the chasm down whose bed the
noun tain stream lenped.
In the Jagged outlines OF great cliff that
overhung the gulch the girl easily discerned q
massive. sphinx-like profile.
When you live alone in the mountains, -
said Grizzly jim. 'you get to depending on
signs and omens. You can't help il. When the
sun touches that cliff. little past noon. some
day the face smiles, sometimes it frowns. Wen
watch II today. II the face smiles III write in
your book"
The mis;s had long since Town back to the
sea. ana uae sun rode nigh In the heavens.
Only this portion Of the gulch remained in the
shadow, shut of by the crags that rose above it.
Slowly the sunlight crept past the rocky barriers
food of sunlight bathed the dark niche. The
ripple Of the water below sounded like chime
Of bells; burst o; bird song thrilled the air. A
wave Of light passed over the sculptured face,
and a benign smile fingered there for o mo-
nient; then the features rslapsed into their GUS
tomary calm.
Grizzly Jim reached out trembling hand for
the book and pencil.
The census marshal slipped over to her horse
and examined her saddle girths, for her bust
ness there was finished and the steep trail was
slippery Of descent The miner wrote slowly
and avkwnrdly, closely scrutinizing the fine
print at the head Of each column before he
made the entry beneath. When he had finished
he returned the book and pencil to the marshal
with grave courtesy. She could not resist Q
feeling of absurd solemnity % abe received 1t.
She had meant TO show . proper delicscy by
closing IL without looking Into II, but her wo-
mans curiosity overmastered her and abe took
one quick glance ut the name, which was boldly
and plainly written.
Her face crmsoned
ut 10 not true, she said indignantly. James
Godfrey Peyton died while crossing the plains
In ~. Miriam Peyton u my mother"
The effect Of this intelligence was like stu
pendous blow. The old man pressed HE hands
TO his temples, while he made an effort to span
the cruel gap OF years.
"Miriam-my little Miriam's child!''
~ H.. A. -