The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-06-28
A MINERS LUCK-PENNY.
The Romance Of Daughter of
the Australian Mines.
1872.

1872.
1t is Saturday night on an Austria
liam gold field. The bar of the Jolly
Diggers'' is crowded.
News has gone abroad that Dog"
Kellarey has broken out again, and as
he always takes care to have his little
bouts remembered crowd soon col
lects.
On this particular Saturday he has
set himself to try conclusions with
Kangaroo Jack" of the Midas claim
1t is a gorgeous struggle-even old
''Wall-Eyed Bill" who is exacting in
such matters, is compelled to admit
that They fight anyhow and every
where, under tables and under chairs
while the lamps flare, the dogs bark
and the crowd expresses its admira-
ton in language full of picturesque
detail.
kangaroo Jack" tires after the
twenty-siXth round, and his friends
carry him to his tent minus one eye
and plus conclusion of the brain.
Then, when Dog" Kellarey counts
his BROKEN fingers, every one suddenly
remembers the unguarded state of his
tent and vanishes into the darkness,
not to reappear until the sound of the
coach horn is heard on Portugee hill.
The arrival of the weekly coach,
bearing her majesty's mails is an oc-
casion of great Importance, and ranks
even before new finds or Warden's de-
cisions.
About eleven o'clock the coach
creaks and groans up the street, to
pull up before the flaming lights of
the Jolly Diggers." 1t is a curious,
numbering Old construction, riding on
leather springs and drawn by five
strong horses-a sort of badly brought
up cross between an antique mourn
ing coach and a dilapidated Indian
ghari.
The driver, to whom is intrusted
the lives and hereafters of the half
dozen passengers, travels the two hun
bred and forty miles between the gold
fields and civilization twice weekly,
and is always preternaturally thirsty.
custom, however, forbids his leaving
the box before he has seen his horses
embarrassed and led away and ex-
changed the usual pleasantries with
his own particular admirers. When in
due time he does descend, passengers,
diggers, loafers and dogs escort him
into the hotel and in half an hour the
excitement is over.
On this occasion. however it is des-
tined to last longer: Dog" Kellarey,
advancing, invites the driver to take
rcfreshment.
After complying with the request,
i,,1: 4
toreturn with a bundle. Then, unwrap-
ping the shawls, he places on the table
baby girl She cannot be more than
two years old, and is fast asleep, her
little head and its pretty curls pillowed
on one tiny arm.
Every one presses round to look,
with the exception of Dog" Kellarey,
who has no curiosity in the matter of
babies Then questions pour in thick
and fast: Whose is it?" ''Where'd
ye get the kiddy, mateyT" Whose
youngster is it, Bill?" etc
Any other man would be bewildered
not SO Bill Burns. He says slowly
and solemnly, as if aware of his unique
Importance: For Dog Kellarey!"
What" shouts that gentleman,
that's lie, you Bill! Who says the
kids for me?"
Il dol" replies the driver. poll
Waites of Wild Dog showed it aboard,
aloud with its buds, for yer. The little
'un's father pcgged out on Saturday.
Flash Dick of Wild Dog creek. Is
last words was: Sen the kid to nv
old mate Dog" Kellarcy;' an so |
fetched it along, and the passengers
made up the fare among EN-, so there's
nothin' to pay-thcre!"
odd Dick peggcd out" the Dog"
mulnblcs slowly-"old Dick pegged out
an sent is kid to Eer
The crowd is so ticllled with the idea
that it ventures upon laugh
The laugh decides him, and. stepping
up alongside the sleeping child, he
sings out THE kids mine. an the
man as laughs agin' 'er laughs agin'
me. Now let's see i'm as is game to
grin
He has evidently gone home, for no
one answers.
Sunday morning. and Dog" Kell- !
arey's claim is the center of attraction.
The little arrival of the previous
night plays about his tent door. The
Dog" fearing harm to her from his !
crowd of visitors, carefully defines his
boundary, and threatens dire penal |
ties on the head of any man who |
crosses it.
News, news! - great and glorious
news!
News which runs like wildfre
through the Field, which flies from
tent to tent-from the police cell on
the hill to Dutch Joe's across the fat,
past the Eureka, down to the Day
dawn-never stopping until everyone
has heard it.
Dog Kellarey's proverbial bad .
luck has turned at last-he has bot /
toned on the Lead, the new claim has
turned mp trumps with vengeance" /
1t is full of gold-specks, specimens
and nuggets. Not nuggets as small as
peas, but large as teacups Not here
and there, but in a big deep lead, for
tune at every drive of the pick.
The Lucll-pcnny, who has been sleep
ing in the shadow of the tent watches