The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-09-05

l
| Silver Pete's patrons that l could not
reconcile, even with my book-formed
ideas of the west They all claimed to
be miners or stockmen, and had plenty
of money, yet not one of them did a
days work himself. This puzzled me
good deal, but l went to sleep at
last, comforted by the prospect of a
business that would enable me to live
like gentleman, and hire all the work
done.
There was great excitement in Pay
Dirt next day. Bills hired miner had
hardly begun work when he came
whooping down the mountain side with
hatful of dirt that fairly bristled
with little flakes of bright gold. He
had struck the pocket Bill was hoping
for The ground seemed full of the
yellow metal, and Bills fellow-miners
were eager to buy in with him.
No" said Bill, I've promised this
young fellow I'd take him in. | hadn't
expected to strike it like this, though,
and I'm most afraid I'll have to ask
more than he's got to invest, but if he
can raise couple of thousand dollars
besides his five hundred, half the
mines hisn. You needn't make no
offers till he's had his say about it,
| was wild with delight. My only
| fear was that | could not get the
money, but was pretty sure an older
brother would advance the amount out
of savings that l knew he had in bank.
l was to write for it by the next mail.
AT dinner that day / chose a seat at
the little table in one corner that l
usually occupied, so taken up with my
own thoughts that l hardly noticed
the station agent until he was seated
opposite me. My great fortune made
me good-humored enough to forget
what had passed. We chatted for
awhile, but nothing was said about
the mine until l mentioned it. l
wanted to crow over him a little, and
could not help it.
What do you think of Bills striker
l asked.
He sat with his back to the rest of
the room No one else could see his
actions or hear his words. He did not
answer, but took up a salt cellar, and
bAPPIhS ~ ONCI lllS SUtdh. pcRdn I'd
ping the bottom. | waited for his re-
ply but he looked me curiously in the
eye and kept on tapping, tapping, tap
ping, until his plate was covered
loaded, deluged with salt. l thought
he had gone crazy
Man alive, what are you doing?" l
gasped.
Just what Bill did to the mine, -
he replied, quietly, still tapping away.
Didn't you ever hear of a sailed
mine?"
had not but if l did not under
stand his words, l did comprehend his
look and tone. l lost my appetite at
once, and felt as limp and weak as a
man who suddenly arrests himself on
the brink of precipice. l had too
much silly pride to ask for an explana
ton. The agent scraped the salt to
one SIDE and went calmly on with his
dinner, while l hurried through mine
and to my room. Before l came down
again had made up my mind to put
Bill off until l had investigated the
mine tor myself. When l went up to
the shaft he was helping his man rig
up bucket and windlass.
thought Bill and his man rather
awkward for practical miners l be-
lieve l could have rugged up that wind
lass alone in half the time. 1t was
nearly night before we were ready to
haul up dirt, but out of the few buck
etfuls that we did have time to wash
in pans at the creek in the bottom of
the gulch we got no less than an ounce
of pure gold. Bill was elated. He
vowed we could take out a hundred
apiece every day when we got things
in proper shape. The sight of that
gold that | had helped to take out of
the ground with my own hands was
very convincing. l was satisfied that
Bill and the mine were all right, and
that the station agent was either
meddlesome fool or was trying to make
game of me. l wrote to my brother
that night, explaining the good for
tune | had met with, and asking for
the loan of two thousand dollars. |
had little doubt that the offer of one
half of what | made out of the mine
would induce him to send me the
money.
retired early that night, but could
not sleep Thinking a walk might
| quiet my nerves, l dressed and came
downstairs looked into the smoky
bar and gambling-room. Things were
| humming at Pete's that night, and no
one noticed me as l slipped out at a
side door Naturally enough, my steps
turned up the gulch toward the mine.
1t was warm, starlit night, but not
light enough to distinguish objects at
distance. l had walked half a mile
and was nearing the mine when a loud
report, followed quickly by another,
sounded straight ahead.
Curious and excited, l crept near
enough to see two men standing over
the shaft. One held lantern, which
he shielded carefully from view, while
the other seemed to be loading a gun.
Yes, that was it, for moment later
two more reports echoed across the
gulch, and | crouched behind bunch
of sagebrush as the men came along
the trail toward me.
They seemed bursting with sup
pressed laughter, and heard one say:
"That'll fix it for another days run.
We've got him hooked, and he's our