The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-20

IL after them. But after much sign
talking and many vehement gestures
OF the part Of the natives lie returned
crestfallen, and the whole camp, over
n hundred digge7s, at once turned ous
to look for the ring Every inch OF
the ground was tranped over and over
and the search kept up for hours, but
ia vain.
We then concluded that the ring, at
ali times little loose, had been jer1ed
or the wealer's finger by the boomer
ang, and, as It could not be found, thot
The blacks had it, despite their en-
uhatic donials. Bat how to recover it?
An average white mans cunning is as
nothing compared to that of an aus
tr&lian blackfelow, aId the task
seemed hopeless.
O'Brion'5 distFess was pitfable to see.
The great, strong fellow appeared to-
tally overcome by grief. lie sat down
and cried like child. and to al at
telnpts at consolation only answered:
Its DO use. boys, ! can work no more,
My only comforts gone. I'll go down
to Melbourne and leave for home by
the first ship"
al the diggers IN our camp were
deeply touched by this little incident
Dick was general favoyite, altogether
apart from the pathos Of his loss, and
at last some OF US persuaded him to
stGy-at least until he should employ
some half civilized native from the
nearest sheep station to visit tho sus-
pected band and negotiate for the re-
turn OF the ring.
This step he took the next day, bat
it resulted in nothing. The messenger
told Us, in his broken English: Black
fellow no got him. Givee up quick but
DO got him" Further inquiry
was useless. O'Brien gave up all hope
OF recovering his ire asure, and its loss
so Preyed upon him shat he sank into
a state OF deep melancholy, and when
we learned, through a stray copy OF
the Melbourne Argus, SHAT no snip
would leave Port Phillip, direct for
Kew York, within a month, he became
half crazed
At this time he was washing out =
surface claim which, SO far, had
pauned ont we'll After day or two
We ooaxed him to go on with the work.
But his heart was not IN IL. Even
while the check-slatS of his cradle
showed heavy streaks of gold, no
would suddenly cease rocking and sit
listessly down to brood over his mis-
fortune.
Meantime, the sight Of the once
priced boomerang had become hateful
to him and he would have burned it
had not one Of US begged it as gift
''Confound the thing" he nuttered;
III has brought trouble enough. Don't
let me see 1t gain, or I'll smash it
So utterly disheartened, 50 desperate
" bomosick did the poor fellow become
that ne began to waste away N muscle
and soon he was physically unfit for
hard work. O1e day, IN the week fol
lowing that OF his loss, saw him sit
ting. ia q TT q detected distraction, on
the edge OF his pudding tub, Himself
quite unconscious Of the fact, the tears
were t-ickling down his cheeks and he
looked the very picture Of woe beGoae
wretckcdness.
why, Dick, old man, cheer upr'
exclaimed. You can replace the ring.
All you've set to do IS 10 send half
e1uce nugget home in : letter and ask
yoor wife 20 got a fac-simile made for
you. Sae can have the same inscrip-
ton engraved On the inside. and in less
than six months youth have l. Twill
De q new reminder OF home and still
better than the old one. It's 81 non
sense to Quit the diggings now, when
you're doing so well.
Dick sighed YEARLY as he replied:
oh. no that plan won't work Il
wouldn't be the same ring. Ny wife
had the last one made for me out Of
ten-doilar gold piece that she earned
herself by doing some embroidery, all
on the slv, while / was away at NY Of
ice. She placed it on my finger when
saving good-ov on board the ship.
Twas the product Of her own loving
labor and Ia give tse last ounce Of dust
I've got in The world to have +, hack
again
Three weeks had passed away since
C'GTIea's nisazp. SUNDAY haS come