The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-15

such that in order to escape being crush.
ed to death Mike was obliged to leap in
to the canyon.
Owing to a spring freshet, the canyon
was at the time roaring torrent. There
fore his leap was almost as that proven
bal one from the frying pan. He was
swept down the canyon about 200 yards
till almost at the verge of vertical fall
of some 30 feet, when he had the good
fortune to grasp the top of an overhang-
ing bush and drag himself ashore.
Mike escaped with few slight cuts
and bruises and the loss of his hat.
These, however, We're matters that did
not trouble him. All his thoughts were
Of the spot whence had just tumbled
down the steep the last fragment of the
big bowlder Thither his mind ran faster
than his legs were able to travel though
the latter soon landed him at the spot
where he had so long and faithfully
labored.
Looking down into the bed of that
last huge slab of granite which had
seemed to leap forth and chase him into
the canyon, Mike beheld q large disk of
pure and glittering gold. 1t was piece
of the precious metal about the size and
shape of dinner plate. He waited to
SEQ no more. Leaping down into the
hole, he grasped the golden prize, which
looked to him as big as the face of the
full moon, and then at once made a
break for Downieville to find his back
ers, show them the gold and tell them
thr great news of the final humiliation
o. e big rock.
Mike was wild as hawk. In his
hands he held a mass of gold that
weighed nearly 20 pounds, and as lie
dashed down Slug canyon with his prize
he shouted at every jump: THAT lasht
blasht fetched her That lasht blasht
fetched herl Thus shouting as he tore
down the canyon he passed several
claims where miners were at work, but
he halted at none of these for single
moment.
mike Maroney has gone crazy about
his big bowlderl" cried the miners OH
seeing him running bareheaded down
the canyon trail AT some of the claims
he passed men threw down their tools,
and scrambling up the bank of the
stream to the trail called out after him,
but the only answer they received was,
"That lasht basht fetched her!"
When Mike reached Downieville and
started up the middle of the town, hat
less, dripping wet shouting and carry
ing before him his golden prize, he soon
had a crowd at his heels. He paid no
attention to the crowd, but when he
saw on either side of the street miners
of his acquaintance he shouted to them
in passing: Dyes, that lasht blasht
fetched her There's a whole bushel Of
goold undther the bottom of herl"
Strangers in the town thought they
saw before them a crazy man, but every
resident of the place knew Mike, and
soon along the street was raised the
cry: mike Maroney has struck it at
last He's knocked the heart out of his
bowlder and got chunk of gold big
ger Il a fryin PAM"
Hearing this news, others shouted,
"Hurrah for Maroney and his 'lasht
blashtr"
"Yis, hurrah, byesr" cried Mike, who
felt himself in the seventh heaven of
glory. "Hurrah, for this mint L m the
pride of the wurruldP'
By the time Mike had found some of
the friends who had for so long backed
him with their coin and had displayed
his big nugget there was grand excite
ment in the camp. Some said he had
found an old channel paved with mug
gets as big as cobblestones, and others
that great slabs of gold covered the bed
rock.
Mike told his friends that, though he
had only stopped long enough to catch
up the first big nugget he saw. he was
sure there was whole bushel of gold
in the nest of the big bowldor. With
the sample brought in by Mike lying
before them all were ready to believe
that he had made the "strike" of the
age. Every man who heard of Mikes
find said he always felt sure that there
were mule loads of gold under the
big bowlder OF Slug canyon.
As Don us Mixes hackers had collect.
ed their wits, scattered by the sight of
the big nugget aud his wild story of
bushels Of gold in sight, they dropped
everything and prepared to go at once
to the scene Of the strike With the
elated Maroney in the lead they set out,
taking with them pack mule that hap
pened to be at hand. They were Joined
ly nuAber Of idlers as they passed
through the town, and in going up Slug
canyon the crowd was increased by the
miners at the several claims who de-
sired to feast their eyes upon what by
this had grown to be mike Maroney's
mound Of gold"
Seeing the miners thus focking after
him, Mike cried: Cheer for me, byes
The lasht blasht fetched herl'
During the absence of the party the
excitement in the town was at fever
heat. Some new wonder was constantly
being added to the story of the big find
Then occasionally there were false
alarms. One Of these that sent a crowd
rushing down toward the river was to
the effect that Mike and his friends
were on their way back to town and
were Just crossing the bridge at Jersey
Flat with a 111la loa1 of ,,oll