The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-07-27
A MINERS LUCK-PENNY.
The Romance of a 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
lccts.
On this particular Saturday he has
set himself to try conclusions with
Kangaroo Jack of the Midas claim
1t Is gorgeous struggle-even old
"Nall-Eyed Bill" who is eXactinp 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-
tion in language full of picturesque
detail.
Kangaroo Jack" tires after the
twenty-sixth round, and his friends
carry him to his tent minus one eve
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 int the darkness.
not to reappear until the sound of the
The arrival of the weekly coach.
bearing her majcsty'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
crcaks and groans up the street, to
pull up before the flaming lights of
the Jolly Diggers." 1t is a curious,
bnr m nj 81
leather springs and drawn by five
strong hOrSeS-a sort of badly brought
up cross between an antique mourn
ing coach and dilapidated Indian
ghari
The driver, to whom is intrusted
the lives and hereafters of the half
dozen passengers. travels the two hun
dred and forty miles between the gold
fields and civilization twice weekly,
and is alwa preternaturally thirsty.
Custom, however, forbidS his leaving
the box before he has seen his horses
embarrassed and led away and eN-
changed the usual pleasantrieS with
hIS own particular admirers. When in
due time he does descend. passengers
dlggerS, 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
refreshment
After complying with the request,
that individual gets out to the vehicle.
to return with a bundle. Then. unvvrap-
ping the shawls, he places on the table
a 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 Kellarcv.
who has no curiosity in the matter of
babies. Then questions pour in thick
and fast: Whose is it?'' ''Where'd
ye get the lliddy, matey3" 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 Il lie, you Bill! Who says the
kids for me?"
Il do,' replies the driver. Poll
Waites of Wild Dog showed 1t aboard,
aloud with its dudS, for yer. The little
'un's father pegged out on Saturday
Flash Dick of Wild Dog creek. is
last words was: Sen the kid to my
old mate Dog" KelIarey;' an so
fetched it along, and the passengers
made up the fare among EN-, 50 there's
nothin' to pay-there"
''Old Dick pegged out!' the Dog"
mumbles SIowly-''old Dick pegged out
an sent is kid to me-"
The crowd is so ticlIled with the idea
that it ventures upon n laugh.
The laugh decides him. and. stepping
up alongside the sleeping child. he
sings ont: The kids mine. an the
man as laughs agin' 'er laughs agin'
me. Now let's see i'm as is game to
grim
lie 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 wildfire
through the Field, which flies from
tent To tent-from the police cell on
the hill to Dutch Joe's across the fiat,
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 up trumps with a vengeance"
1t is full of gold-specks, specimens
and nuggets. Not nuggets as small as
peas, but la:Ee as teacups. Not here
and there, but in a big deep lead, a for
tune at every drive of tae pick
The Luck-penny, who has been sleep
ing in the shadow of the tent, watches
and chuclsles at a piece of glittering
mica. In his excitement the Dog"
sings out:
Boys! It's 'er as done it; there's the
lass that brought me lucll!''
Three p. IN. More excitement!
\ nugget weighing fifty pounds.
The monster of the Field, a wonder OF
the country, and a fortune to its finder.
Picks and shovels are thrown down,
the roar of cradles and sluice-boNes
stops as If by magic. and the excited
crowd starts at a run for the claim
On their arrival Dog" Kellarey says
nothing. but for the second time he
carefully points ont his boundary. He
places his revolver on the cradle, ready
| to his hand. and, bless youi the crowd
understands what he means by that.
The Luck-pcnny sucks her thumb
\ and crows cnDtantallV. Nypmanlil<,a