The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-07-28
WARNED AWAY.

whole mining camp. The executive board
Of the vigilance committee held a meeting
lasting about an hour, and when it was
over the chairman went down to Joe
Browns shanty and said:
Joe, I've come to give ye notice"
What the natter" asked Joe.
THE boys can't git on with you. You've
purity nigh killed three or four men in the
last three months, and we think you'd
better go before it's a case of hangin."
Then I'm warned away"
"That's it. You are to go before dark,
and you'd better keep goin fur two or
three daysl''
But if I won't got"
"Waal, you know the programme. II
the boys got too excited, they'd pull you up
to a limb. Better go right along. Cat
find no one yere to say a good word fur
you"
IN think about it, said Joe as the
chairman turned away
An hOur later a miner who was known
to us simply as the captain" and who
had been i'll for several days, sent for
Judge Watkins, who had been chosen
president of the camp, and began:
Look yere, judge. Ive bin thinkin!"
That's all right when a mans SICK"
replied the judge.
Il dunno about that. I dunno much
about sickness, but 1 think I've diskiver-
ed what's the matter with me-"
Fever, l reckon"
"Yas, fever, and sunthin wuss. DON
let it jump you outer your butes, judge,
but if I hain't got smallpox I'll eat my
haiti
"AlmOs sure about it?''
Dead sure! 1 knowed you'd had it and
was safe or l shouldn't he let you in. Vas,
sir, it's smallpox, and no doctor within a
hundred miles,
Looks like it some, and I'm powerful
sorry. The boys will be dreffully excited"
No need Of that. Say, judge, l want
to be moved up to the Chinaman's vacant
shanty, and I want to git one of the boys
to nurse me through. Mebbe you kin find
one who's had smallpox and won't hev to
risk anything"
The judge himself was the only man in
camp who had had the disease, but he was
just able to limp about after an accident
and not in good health otherwise. He
spread the news of the captains ailment
and did his best to secure a volunteer, but
not q man would go. They would have
shared almost any other danger, but the
very name of the dreadful disease made
them cowardly and selfish. With neither
medicines nor comforts the captain must
die, and there wasn't one chance in a hun
dred that his nurse would escape.
AS the day wore on many men got ready
to leave camp, and everybody gave the
captains shanty a wide berth. He ought
to be moved at once, but who would help
him away? The men who carried a litter
or gave him n shoulder TO lean on would
most certainly be exposed to the disease.
The sun was fast going down and the eX-
element increasing when Joe Brown came
marching up to the public square with
his tools and blankets and spare clothing
bundled up.
men, he said as he looked around
him, I've had warmth! I've been warned
away because I've tried to hold my own
agin some of the roughS. I'm told that
l haven't n friend in camp. That being
SO, l want to ask n favor Of an enemy. l
want some of you to carry these things up
to the C~hinaman's shanty. | shall hev
load enough without EN-.
What ar ye goin TO do up thar, Joef"
asked a voice.
See the captain through. I've heard
all about his case and bin in to see him. /
kin carry him up on my back
But ye never had smallpox
Never and don't want it, but I'm goin
to nurse the captain jest the same. Better
take us up a store Of food, and when l git
sick TO come out it won't be much risk
poo push a pail Of water inside. I've been |
away and hev concluded to go"
He made his way through the crowd
land down TO the captains shanty. Not a |
man followed-not a hand was extended |
to assist him. He wrapped the captain up, |
got him on his back, and in the gloom OF |
evening started off for the Chinaman's
shanty on the bleak hilltop. BY and by he
ratnrned for the cantain,s things. and as he |