The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-08-26

names and this tradition of Holy Writ all
the way through generations from Vir-
ginia and the Carolinas
In about week the two younger broth
ers got all cleaned up in the claim down
in tho gorge under the cabin, and their
friend Flanagan weighed and brought
them back their dust cleaned Of black
sand and stray bits Of clinging quartz and
pyrites of iron, nearly q 600. Not much,
it is true, for three men. But the long,
shin creature in the corner, who by this
time was pretty well doubled up, all except
the persistent and ever moving feet,
stopped coughing long enough, as they set
the dust in the goldpan by his bedside, to
say, Boys, divide up and go home"
And here was the example of another
tradition that had come down all the way,
even from beyond old Virginia-the old
English loyalty and obedience to tho head
OF the family. It is to be sincerely re.
GREETED TINT this has SO entirely perished
from among us now.
The two young men held their heads ST.
lently for moment; then glancing at each
other, they came forward.
eyes; put her in three piles here on the
table by the bed, an Hez he'll turn his
back an I'll touch one pile with the pint of
my jackknife that Pat gave me to peel my
toenails with when get well next week,
an he'll say, 'WhoseT"
The poor fellow was tied in O knot cough
ing for time, and then he seemed to take
up some broken thread of conversation
with those remote and multitudinous blue
acquaintance down yonder beyond the
foot pole till the dust was divided. Then
he turned his hollow eyes and looked on
the glittering little heaps, and he smiled
to see that nearly all the big pieces were
heaped on the biggest heap. And he was
glad, for that would 60 to little Hez-little
Hez, who had worked night aud day all
the time that he lay there in the corner
talking to his toes. Sim, the other broth
er, was good, but he had a beard on his
chin, and he had baby at home, too, but
this boy was Benjamin.
"Turn your back. Hez; whose~
"Brother Zekes."
1t was minute or two before Zeke could
see straight enough to touch another pile
with any precision. But when it was ali
divided they came up smiling and propped
him in bed.
"Say, Hez," he said as he took the larg.
est piece In his pilein his slim, blue fingers
"say, want you to take this and buy Sis
pirote. Oh, won't she cavort to hear IL
screech ana scream and cuASP
He tossed the nugget into his young
brothers heap, and then after tying up
and untying himself he took another piece
and tossing it into the other brothers heap
he said: Say you get her another pirote.
Boys, get her three pirotes when you get
to the isthmus. One might die, and then
the other one would be lonesomelike. Yes
one might die. That happens sometimes"
He pushed his gold all over and away
from him, and then with the big blade Of
the jackknife he divided it in two and
made them put it into their long buckskin
bags as they stood there before him.
IAN now you git; you git tonight; an
you git now. Provisions short. an / need
'enl, now as I'm gittin we'll. Go, 60 90
toniRhti Therel Goodby."
One hand to each in q long. hard clasp,
and as they hurried out-for their hearts
were full and they would not weep, these
men Of old, in the presence Of anybody
they heard piping, CHEEKY voice calling
after them, Say, don't forget the pirotes
for Sis, boys"
tried to read some more to him right
away to Keep him from talking to his toes
about Sis and the "pirotes," and was right
In the midst Of the struggle between Simon
and John, where the streets Of Jerusalem
were running blood, when he suddenly
turned his head and said slowly, "Say, how
much more is they Of that flghtin, an when
will you come to where Josephus had that
trouble with Potiphar's wifew
closed the book and tucked up his
feet, telling him as l did SO that would
havo to ask the librarian about it.
That's right; an say, you bring Frank
Campbell with you tomorrow. feel kind
o. low, now that the boys is gone, an want
to git some speerits to pull me up like
Yes; goodbyp
Frank Campbell laughed that queer,
quiet laugh Of his as we went in there the
next afternoon, for those feet, as If they
must surely be going somewhere, had
pushed away out and out and ont; and
the mans face was entirely under the
blankets. Campbell tiptoed up and began
to ticklB his foot little as he laughed and
laughed that low, quiet laugh Of his, for
he did not want to startle him. But sud.
denly he let his right hand fall and with
his left lifted his hat and let ii hang low
down by his side as he said softly to him
self, looking at the poor tired feet, "Going
homc."-Joaquin Miller in San Francisco
Call.