The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-07-15
THE STRANGERS CALL,
An Incident That Interested the Miner
at Homesick Diggings.

of us at Homesick Diggings. and it was
the hour of noon on summers day
when big Jim Davis came over the hill
with his pack on his back and staked
out claim. He came alone. and that
was why we noticed him so particularly.
He seemed to fight shy of us for three
or four days, and that is why we Won
dered if he was all right. Big Jim had
got squint at the face of every man in
camp before he thawed out and became
social. In a little time we found him
to be good fellow, and so we gradual
ly came to forget our first suspicious.
We were still agreed, however. that
there was something queer about him.
He appeared anxious and perturbed
whenever new arrival was announced.
and if a party of half a dozen came
along, Jim would go into hiding until
he had sized them up. 1t was as if he
suspected some one was trailing him
down.
mining camps in those days. and it was
the rule to mind your own business,
As long as a miner obeyed the rules and
regulations laid down for the govern
ment of a camp he was looked upon as
all right. What he had been in the past
was nothing even to his terminate.
There was a big shanty in the center
of our village which was occupied as a
store saloon. bank nd general rendez-
vous after working hours. | was in
there one afternoon just before the
miners knocked off work, when a
stranger quietly entered. He had come
by the trail and alone, but no one had
noticed him. He was a slim. light
weight man. and though clothed in
rough garb you could see at once that
he was not a miner. He was sunburned
and unllempt, but that was to be eX-
pected out there. He was talking with
the stoorkeeper as | entered-asking
after just such a man as Big Jim Davis.
His face struck me pleasantly enough,
but there was a something in his gray
eyes to remind YOU of wounded beast,
and a something in his voice to satisfy
you that he would be pitiless enemy.
He went out before did. Where he
kept himself for the next hour | never
learned. The boys had knocked off.
washed up and eaten supper, and about
twenty of us had lounged into the store
for smoke and talk. when the little
man suddenly show ID up. This. mind
you, was three months after Big Jim's
coming. Jim sat on a box facing the
door. which was open. l happened to
be looking at him, and / suddenly saw
his face grow pale and his jaw drop.
j looked over to the door and there
, stood the stranger. He had leering
sort of smile on mis- face and was look
ing only at Big Jim. In ten seconds all
conversation had ceased. We instinct
ively felt that the two were enemies.
and that the little man had finally
trailed Big Jim down.
1t was fully two minutes before the
stranger moved or spoke. Then he
stepped forward until close to Big Jim
and said:
1T has been over two years, but I've
run You down at last
Davis looked at him as one who sees a
specter but made no reply.
You have skulked and lodged like a
coward" continued the little man in
the same quiet voice. but you'll be a
man now. of course The boys will see
fair play Shall it be pistol or knife?''
If Big .Iim's eyes hadn't been wide
open we might have thought him a
dead man. You never saw terror more
plainly written on a human face.
Its a little flair of our own, gentle
men, explained the stranger, as he
turned to us I've travelled thousands
of miles while looking for Big Jim I've
been hunting him down, to kill or be
killed. This world isn't big enough for
both of us. Arrange the details to suit
the crowd"
Not one OF us had spoken. just as
the stranger finished Big Jim recovered
from his stupor and made move for
his pistol Like fash of lightning the
little m an had him covered and then
he la ughed harsh. dry laugh and said:
Il ought to shoot you down like dog
but III give Won a show. Come out doors
Shall it be this or that knife?'
Big Jim turned white again and re-
lapsed into his former state of dumb
ness The stranger surveyed him in dis
gust and contempt. and by and by
turned To us and said:
Back in the states this white-livered
coward betrayed my confidence and
wrecked nv home and my life Even his
dead body would disgrace your diggings.
Come. Jim"
He stepped back and beckoned to
Davis. who slowly followed. staring like
one VINO wa ks in his sleep. The little
man backed to the door-out of it into
the moonlight. and thea started up the
trail Davis foil owed like dog. never
looking To the right or to the left-mak-
ing not the slightest move to draw his
weapon. Ii was as If he had been mes
merized. mething of that same feel
ing was upon all the rest of Us. for we
stood at the door, specifies and amazed.
a~a looked after the pair until they
We're ont of sight Il was like dream
and men rubbed their eyes as if heavy
with sleep.
Up the hill-around the great black
rock-past the tree on which we hung
Taylor for murder. and then they were
out of sight The stranger we never saw
again. \ month later a prospecto-
found Big Jims skeleton in a ravine
two miles away.-N. Y. sun.