The Van Buren press., 1895-09-21

Uliqe1 1ti& d6<kxf u <HEt11H MT WfoZ
4 hatfof n dift th6t fairly bff1fl6d
Mn nttie fakes n bfikht eold. he
an ef1pcl pos iiISa1 x4<in6
yel1bk netl tsnd M1fA f4hdw -mintfs
Wtfo 6xfef u buy iH WIN MN 4
No said Bill, ef've promised this
y6unH fellow I'd take him ii. Ihadn't
expected to strile u Inc th(s, thongl1s
and I'm most sffAM IN nave t6 ssk
more than he's got TO invest, but II he
cdfi raise couple N tf6u5xnrd dollars
besides his Ave hundred, half the
mines his'n. You needn't make no
ekftrs tifl lyets had his sxy shout IL
I was Wild with delight MY only
fesr was ttst ! could n6t get the
money, but | was pretty sure an older
brother would af1vnnee the amount out
III savings Tint ! khew ne hnd IN bank.
I was II write for IL by the next mail.
htdlufrer tIidt dagf chose d sent at
the little table in one corner that 1
usually occupied, 80 taken up with my
own thoughts that ! lnrdly noticed
~ strttb9 agent until he. Yn& 6ented
aposjtk ~. III efAs fb}ttl|i6 1nnee
me Rodd.hum6red enough to forget
what had passed. We chatted for
awhile, hut nothing was said about
the mine until mentioned It. l
wanted to crow over him little and
tohid not help IL. hN "
!, ''whst do yon thlsk ef 1lill's strikeg'
I haIthH We VI
He sat with his back 10 tho rest Of
the room. No one else could see his
actions or hear his words He did not
answer, but took up salt cellar, and
tippifir IL ovef his stthks hettan tap
ping the buttun. | waited fur his re-
ply, but be luclted ftie cttfidhsly In the
eye and kept on tipping, tnpplhF. tap
ping, until his plate was covered,
louaed delused with salt thought
~ nd Eunt tts@ss
FMsh ailft, Nhut ARE ycu dcihss' I
KSsteti.
dust what tsiii aid to thu inine,s
lie replied, quletly still tapping away.
HUWb't yUd FEVER hksf II q saltet
'HIsEa ItsaI'Ea adI.sus 4 ha1a M ua4s..
stand ills wurtls, | did comprehend his
lbbh aud tones | lost my appetite at
s.ssee, and felt as li.nn and weak ns a
man who suddenly arrests himself OH
the Bfifik 6f pfetiFieel | had too
much silly pfide to ask for an explnna-
tidh the npeht scrapad the salt to
pne side, ana went ealtily on With his
Aliieev asslstlyislss rrisHts thfvtelf4nine
Rklst Nv tdhAn .i,efufe leahAhdcwn
hpaln l Had made up iiiy mind TO put
lsiil oE until had investigated the
inihe Tor Mvself When ! went up 10
the slAEk he sves .helpsARs his sheh ,tiR
uf asuhetet ann Niukilnss .
'seht that letter yeti rasdhefs" he
tssNb, / hasenl,suAal L s'The fact
il, our follss back there don't know
sAurh About mines, and thought ia
ketter helh soN 10 work II toraAy, so |
tuhla tell theHi more About IL make II
rUaef about getting the money you
knew =. ~ aAzz9s "a
aAil sight!N assented Biil, little da-
ei6Nsiy. Ana the Three 81 rs went 10
work al the windlass.
/ Thought l3iA and his man rather
awkward for practical Miners, I be-
iiete eoMla Nave figEed up thai wind
lass Alene III half the time II Was
seariy night hefose we were ready 10
hnnl Zip dits. bit out of the few buck
etfNls that we did have tMe 10 wnsh
III pans at the creek IA the bottom of
the guich we got no less than an ounce
81 puse eoid. Mli was elated He
vowed we could take out hundred
Npiece every day When we got things
III proper shape, The sight Of that
pold that had helped 10 take out Of
the ground With my own hands was
very convincing was satisfied that
nill and the mine were all right, and
that the station agent was either a
medAlesor,e FOOL Or was trying to make
game OF me. wrote 10 my bAsbther
that night. explaining the good FOR
tunc | Mad met with, and asking FOR
WV foNH uf rvs tnUuxAXd doiiASA I
had httle dodbt that the soffer ,of one
half IL What ] made ont Of the mine
wonld intNce him to send me the
iMoneys tf4
iAstirsd early mat night, eNt ccuid
not steep Thinking 4 walk might
auiet my NERVES, 1 dressed and casne
,Sownstxsrs. | hooked into the smoky
mai and gasneling-f,oosn Things We're
hanming al Petes that night, and no
one s,otAced rre as slipped out At a
side ddor Naturally enoueh, my steps
tstsnca s,p the gnich toward the mine.
1t Vas a warq4s, ssalsN night but not
hight enough - distinguish ohjects ~
a distances, | had walked half & mile
and ms rearing the naSne when y acad
report followed enickly by another,
s,sandsd Straight aheaa.
yNrlous ana e>c1ted, a cr>ept near
ehsuch to see mo men stand ine ,sver
the SHAFT. yvne hefd 4 MAtefn. which
he Shielded earefcilv from view, while
the other seemed 10 be acading gun.
Yes That was ii, Tor a moment later
two more reports echoed across the
guich, and ] 'crouched behind a banch
sof savcbrnsh as the men came along
the tran toward me.
q'h@y seemed bursting with sup
pressed laughter and / hoard one say:
"g'hatll tix ii for another days run.
We've got him hooked. and he's our
fish If some one don't give him the
tip
1t was my partners srtsice, itt.lssi n sss
day, while that Of Silver Pete replied;
mo aanger"of 9thet. I've fixed h
with Che boys. But come. i must hur-
~ back or they'll have the hcuse so-n
lk4s4.x. -
Dumb with nstonishmert, J wsieel
till they swerc well awxy, th-n ran a.,
the sshnft. The fumes Of ass-reS Sow
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