Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-06-03
SELECTED STORIES.
MY CHUM.

Every lliner ". free To come and 90 as he
liked, bat at the gulch we kept n written
record Of the claims staked out. That rec
ord was a miners warranty deed as long as
he chose 70 remain, and new arrival who
should attempt 10 Jump him would have
tie whole canlD on his back. was keep
ing the book of record, and the entry I'm the
ease OF Johnny Glenn read:
"July IA. l'fe-Johnny Glen. first 30 feet
front west o. J tck Davis"
The new arrival was young man about
20 years cd lie was short and light, and
his hands were small. though sun Drowned
and callousel There wasn't anything un-
usual in the sight of boy among the dig
gers, but this young chap was bit differ
ent from the common run. He was quiet
spoken, had no cuss words to throw around
and didn't seem TO want to mix up much.
took a sort of liking TO him from the very
start. and it was at my suggestion that he
entered the claim he did. There was room
on the high ground for another tent. and
had him pitch his next to mine. Indeed,
asked him to bring his traps and share my
shelter, but the offer was declined.
Every man in IA mining camp has part
ner unless lac happens to be n mighty mean
man. | had lost mine by death, and it soon
came about that Johnny and l were known
as "pards." That means more than appears
on the surface. IL means a fair divide of
work and income; a confidence in each
other; strict loyalty. IL you injure miner,
yoI also injurc his "pard." If you kill one,
the other IL bound TO hunt you down. In
the old days, when every camp was law
unto itself and civilization was thousand
miles away, the ties were stronger than now.
Johnny Glenn was an enigma TO me from
the very outset His quiet ways and his
gentleness struck me as peculiarly strange.
He had handy ways about cooking and q
"Bnack" about arranging his tent and re-
pairing his clothing which were new to
me- He wasn't given to story telling or
joking, and now and then when l coaxed
him to sing his songs were all sad ones,
and there was something in his voice that
made me homesick and brought craving
TO throw away pick and shovel and head
for the states. | often wanted to ask him
to tell me OF his past, but that was a license
even partner" dared not assume without
encouragement So much as you wished
to tell was listened to and kept sacred. Be-
yond that you were asked no questions un-
less you wanted to tell.
Some of the miners were rough and rude
fellows and there were five or six in camp
who were always chatting Mt Johnny on ac.
count of his stature and weight and be-
cause he was bit awkward with his work.
ing tools. The boy never seemed much put
out at the sarcastic filings, but on two or
three occasions picked up the challenges
and battered the heads Of the challengers.
They were my enemies after that, of course,
though hiding their real feelings behind q
mask of companonship.
One day along in November went up to
store at Pawnee Bend to buy flour. When
got back about o'clock in the afternoon,
found all the men In the camp in a circle
and inside the circle were Johnny Glenn and
burly, big fellow called BOSS" Skinner
Each had knife in his hand, and it was to
be fight until one or the other was down.
I'd have. broken into the ring like a wild
buffalo, for my boy partner was no match
for that burly rufiian, but they held me
back. realized almost at once, too, that
If Johnny had any earthly show / should
spoil it by raising row and getting him
ratified. They told me that as soon as had
gone the BOSS" began fiinging out his
taunts and trying to pick a fuss. The boy
made no reply until the man began to ridi
cule and insult me. Then he fared up and
defied the other to fair fight with knives.
A part of the men cried out against it, but
the majority favored a fight, and it was
about to begin as l arrived.
Both men were stripped down to shirt
and pants. The BOSS" loomed up like
giant, while Johnny Clem appeared like a
child in comparison. Poor boyi / stood
there with my heart in my mouth, not even
daring to call out to him, and the only con-
ISOLATION had was In the knowledge that
the BOSS" would have to fight me next,
and that stood Q pretty even show with
him. When the word was given and they
sprang forward, / shut my eyes and groan-
ed. l heard them moving about, and
caught the "ohsp' and "ahsp' of the men,
but saw no more than as il / had been
blinded. 1t lasted about three minutes, rs
they told me. Then some one shrieked out
the voice Of a woman-not shrek Of
pain, but of fear and horror, and it brought
me to myself. The Boss" was down, with
knife in his heart, and Johnny Glenn was
sitting down with his hands over his eyes.
Hes woman-he's a womanr" shouted
80 men in chorus as they rushed forward,
and they were right. That shrek had be-
trayed my partner. She had fought the
BOSS as man. but when the knife struck
home she had given way to her feelings as
woman.
What morei Very little. On my honor
as man I had never suspected such q
thing. asked for her story, but she would
not give IL. from word dropped mere ana
there / concluded that she had come. out to
the mines in search Of lover and had thus
far failed to find him, but she was very
close mouthed.
We took up collection and sent her
away to Sacramento, and never heard Of
her after she left camp. She couldn't go
without "thank you" and hapdshake,
but she was shy and dignified. Even in
her parting with me, who had been 'pards"
With her for long weeks, she simply said:
"You have been square and honest and
kind. God bless you"
The boys had many sly dig at me after
ward about johnny Clem," but I have
told you how il was While his ways
puzzled me and while he always kept me
wondering wherein he differed from man
the idea of his belonging to the other sex
never entered my ymind.-Cincinnati Com
mercnl Gazette.