San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1893-12-22

"a N4lfgsSrAH,<A, ! was doing a heaV1
BFRSsgNN1& business all along
A$G n w. the line Drinks
/ b-Fn& Ewere being rapidly
\ -&ilIy7tA.kt,k dispensed over the
Ak&$R ~ counter, and in the
Sza<SSS@kA rear faro, roulette and
49, n draw poker were
1T flourishing.
pete" was in his high hum0r. he
had "bucled the tiger" successfully to
night, and had quite enough ahead t.
work his claim in Corkscrew Guleh.
! True, he had not done his assessment
work this year, and by law anybody
could Jump" the Lone Star" thai
very day at midnight. But Pete wal
not the man to be fooled with, as he
already had two graves to his credit il
Doc. Turner's ranch (the name applied
to the cemetery in honor of a local doc
tor, which contained the bodies of TIVE
''teDderfeet'' who had differed" with
him and were accidentally shot. Sc
the inhabitants of Gainesville con
cluded that he was a safe man to lei
alone, and he laughed at the idea that
anybody would be so foolish as to ''com.
nit suicide" as he termed it, by at
tempting to jump his claim.
The old year had but few minutes
to live when Hank tied up his horse
among the tall, snow-laden pine treei
near the Lone Star" and, loosening
the thongs which fastened pick to
his horses saddle, and transferring q
couple of sticks of dynamite and
some candles from his saddle-bag tc
his pockets, shouldered the pick and
slowly mounted the tortuous trail
BE had long awaited this moment
Four years ago he had owned thi
Lone Star" himself, but sickness came
and he could not work his assessment
and when he had returned to the pros,
pect and found Pete, armed tc
the teeth, in possession, he had
accepted his hard luck with q
good grace, but had 'laid" for Pete
yer since But now at last his oppor
tunity had come, and he determined tc
regain his property and defend it at the
risk of his life if necessary.
The tunnel was soon reached, and the
moonlight, streaming agains- its black
mouth, easily disclosed to his eye;
Pete's location stake.
He looked at his watch. 1t marked
exactly midnight.
Reaching down, he fiercely wrenched
A., - 10 f,or,, Al, r-r.o,,,,d -1J H,,r,.- -
far from him down the mountain.
He then lit candle and, finding
board, quickly sharpened one end of it,
and, smoothing off the broad end, wrote
his location notice on it-rechristening
the claim the Bright Hopes"-and
planted the stake firmly in the ground.
Thinking he would go into the tun.
mel and see how she looked" he took
up his candle and pick and started in.
Just as he did so he thought he
heard a whistle. He stopped and lis.
tened; some one was coming up the
trail whistling softly. Quickly dousins
the light, he crouched behind a big
boulder just at the mouth of the tun.
mel and drew his revolver.
A few minutes later Pete stepped in
view, with weeks supplies in sack
slung over his shoulder.
Before he could put his burden down
Hank suddenly rose up before him with
the muzzle of his pistol almost touch
ing the others face.
Hands up!' he cried, 'Ive got the
drop on yer now"
Pete, seeing the other fellow had
full hand, promptly threw up his,
while Hank deity relieved him of hi,
firearms
"'Taint worth fighting about, any
how" said Pete, carelessly. "There
amt a pound of ore in the hull claim. -
"Oh, come off, said Hank How
about all that ore you shipped last
THAT was out of a pocket struck
which petered out mighty quick; but if
you don't believe me I'll go in the hole
and show you" and, taking Il candle,
Pete started in the tunnel, Hank fol-
lowing, but keeping his hand within
easy reach of his gun
The breast of the tunnel was soon
reached and Pete, holding his candle
up before it, said: There now, what
did I tell yer? It's nuthin' but dead
rock"
Hank took his candle and carefully
examined the breast, roof and sides
but not trace of mineral could be
seen.
you're welcome to her." said Pete
I've blown in all the money l want
%; you can have blast at her now, il
you want to-"
Hank did not reply, bat appeared to
De lost in thought. Finally he said:
Hold my candle a minute, Pete" and,
taking up his pick in both hands, he
struck the breast a heavy blow, and
he rock and mud with which Pete had
olastered it to fool curious and unwel-
come visitors fell away, exposing a
-ein of glittering white metal.
Almost at the same instant there
vas deafening report, and Hank fell
o the ground with a bullet through
lis heart
Pete, with a smoking revolver in his
land, which he had snatched from
Hanks belt as he struck the blow,
TODD over him with a grim smile as
lie muttered Another accident"
But retribution was close at hand.
The reverberations of the shot had
hardly died away among the neighbor-
NJ peaks when rock, which lad long
,een loose, started by the sudden
hook, fell from the roof bringing
ons of earth with it, and Pete and his
bird victim were crushed into shape
ess mass.
81 hope it SHOWS Christmas eve,"
aid Harry, because if it don't Santa
ilaus may have TO come in balloon,
nd II IL busted. all the s-ovs would get