The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-11-30
DERRINGER'S CHUM.


and now 10 was the middle of Septem-
Der. He threw his mining tools aside
and Strengthened up, with o sigh of re-
lief. He was tall. elderly man, with
rugged. weather beaten face, in which
honesty and kindness Of heart wero not
lacking. He looked the typical western
miner in his faded red shirt and greasy
SLOUGH hat, with the iron gray beard
that reached almost to his waist
He glanced up at his dug out on the
hillside. at the sparkling stream ut his
feet. at the gigantic peaks, hundreds of
feet high. which shut in the narrow Da-
kota ravino on both sides Then his eyes
strayed down the gully, where a tiny
footpath followed the winding course of
the stream through scrub and timber.
and an exclamation Of wonder burst
from his lips.
A slender figure had suddenly appear
ed in the path about 90 feet distant, and
as IL came slowly nearer it proved to be
that Of n lad of 10 or H. He was empty
handed. and his clothes and shoes were
much tho worse for wear. He paused
within a couple of feet of the miner
and looked at him timidly out of pair
Of frank brown eyes.
"By the Great falls Of Missouri
Where did you como from. youngster?''
demanded Old Derringer "And how
ever did you find your way here? You re
tho first human creature I've seen in
months. Any moro comm behind?" he
added sharply and suspiciously.
I'm all alone. " replied the lad. 81
was cbucked off Northern Pacific
freight train back here this morning,
and | followed n sort of a road in this
direction, thinking 1t would lead me to
"a mining camp. | lost it after awhile
and wandered around in the mountains
till struck the path that brought me
here. II You can give me some supper
and n place to sleep. I'll go away in the
morning
What's your name?" demanded Old
Dorringer.
tom Mellish, was the hesitating
reply. "I'm from the east.
90 1t amt hard to see that, young ten
derfoot. Got in scrape and run off,
chip
1T was sort of that way" the lad
answered sadly 81 lived in Pennsyl.
vania, and when my parents died year
ago they didn't leave anything, and
couldn't get place TO work-you see,
the times were so hard. They were 60
ing TO send me to the poorhouse. and as
| couldn't stand that | ran away. had
little money, but it's all gone now.
got hero mostly ON freight trains. "
"And where are you bound?' asked
tho miner.
IL thought I'd like TO be sailor and
travel to foreign countries, the lad an
swered. but as wanted to SEQ the wes
first came this way, thinking might
get ON vessel at Portland. "
"Well, this here certainly beats me, y
declared Old Derringer, and his fac,
purpled with suppressed laughter
you've got pluck. anyhow. and tha
counts for heap Any relatives livinT
" | don't know, sir. | had an uncl,
somewheres. but he may be dead. "
Old Derringor contemplated the lac
for moment and pulled his beard re
flectively. I'm from the east myself >
ho said, but ain seen il for 20 years
IL breeds good stock. lad, and you r,
one of them. like your face. and il
you care about stayin here and chum
min 1t with me you re welcome
Its bargain. the lad gladly re
Piled "I'm tired OF freight trains an,
tramping and of being starved. "
A little later the two were eating sup
per ON the hillside, and Old Derringer
with trust and confidence that were re
markable for him, was telling his nov
chum how he had stumbled on this lone
ly. gold bearing stream and was slowl,
gathering a store of precious nugget
and dust Then he showed him the dug
out. which was room excavated in tn
soft part Of tho cliff and repaid the tot
expended upon it by its snugness ant
dryness.
Besides. tho miner explained, 81
won { attract attention If any stray pros
pectors happen TO peep into the valley
I'm a man what don't like TO be med
died with, and reckon that's why wa
called Old Derringor.
Thus Tom Mellish's new life began
aud from the first he liked IL and wa
happy and contented. After his wander
ings il was pleasant TO have regular an
square meals and a soft bed every night
and. as for the work. why, il was a neve
ending delight to dig and cradle Oh
yellow gold that the sides and bed {
the stream yielded.
Tom and Old Derringer were 500
fast friends. and their mutual likin
ripened as the days went by. The min,
no longer suffered from oppressive spell
Oh loneliness. aud no seemed 20 regar
the lad as a living representative of th
PARKWAY east. toward which his thought
had turned yearningly of late. Neith'
spoke much of the past. however. an
the subject was one that they tacitl
avoided. The bag Of gold under q
floor of tho dugout grew larger an
heavier as October dwindled away. an
at the end Of the month wonderfl
thing happened. A stroke Of Old De
ringers pick opened a pocket of b
nuggets, and also disclosed rich ve
Of gold that seemed TO run deeply in
the side OF the hill For three days the
worked in a sort Of trance. almost 70