Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-02-06
DERRINGER'S CHUM.


Promptly as the red sun touched the
sky line Old Derringer knocked off work
He had done this as regularly as clock
work every day since the last of March,
and now it was the middle of Septem-
ber. He threw his mining tools aside
and Strengthened up, with sigh of re-
lief He was tall, elderly man, with
rugged, weather beaten face, in which
honesty and kindness of heart were not
lacking. He looked the typical western
miner in his faded red shirt and greasy
slouch 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 at his
feet, at the gigantic peaks, hundreds of
feet high, which shut in the narrow Da-
kota ravine on both Sides Then his eyes
strayed down the gully, where 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 50feet distant, and
as it came slowly nearer it proved to be
that of lad Of 16 or II. Hewas empty
handed, and his clothes and shoes were
much the worse for wear. He paused
within 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 come from, youngster?"
demanded Old Derringer. And how
ever did you find your way here? You're
the first human creature I've seen in
months. ANY moro comm behind?'' he
added sharply and suspiciously.
"I'm all. alone," replied the lad. II
was chucked off Northern Pacific
freight train back here this morning.
and followed sort of road in this
direction. thinking it 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. If you can give me some supper
and place to sleep, I'll go away in the
morning"
whats your manner" demanded Old
Derringer.
Tom Mellish, was the hesitating
reply. "I'm from the east.
"It amt hard to see that, young ten
derfoot Got in a scrape and run of,
eh?''
1T was sort Of that way" the lad
answered sadly II 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. I had
little money, but it's all gone now. l
got here mostly on freight trains.
"And where are you bound?" asked
the miner.
81 thought I'd like to be sailor and
travel to foreign countries, the lad an
swered, "but as wanted to see the west
first came this way, thinking / might
get on a vessel at Portland -
"Well, this here certainly beats me-,
declared Old Derringer, and his face
purpled with suppressed laughter
you've got pluck, anyhow, and that
counts for heap. Any relatives livin?"
II don't know, sir. l had an uncle
somewheres but he may be dead"
Old Derringer contemplated the lad
for moment and pulled his beard re-
fectiyely Pm from the east myself.
he said, but ain tseen itfor,2O years.
It breeds good stock, lad, and you'r
one of them. | like your face, and if
you care about stayin here and chum-
min it with me you re welcome
"It's bargain, the lad gladly re-
piled. ''I'm tired of freight trains and
tramping and of being starved. F"
A little later the two were eating sup
per on the hillside, and Old Derringer,
with a trust and confidence that were re-
markable for him, was telling his new
chum how he had stumb bled on this lone
", gold bearing stream and was slowly
gathering store of precious nuggets
and dust Then he showed him the dug
out, which was room excavated in the
soft part of the cliff and repaid the toll
expended upon it by its snugness and
dryness.
besides, !" the miner explained, "it
won't attract attention if any stray pros
pectors happen to peep into the valley
I'm man what don't like to be med
died with, and reckon that's why I was
called Old Derringer.
Thus Tom Mellish's new life began,
and from the first he liked it and was
happy and contented After his wander
ings it was pleasant to have regular and
square meals and a soft bed every night,
and, as for the work, why, it was never
ending delight to dig and cradle the
yellow gold that the sides and bed of
the stream yielded.
Tom and Old Derringer were soon
fast friends. and their mutual liking
ripened as the days went by. The miner
no longer suffered from oppressive spells
of loneliness, and he seemed to regard
the lad as a living representative of the
faraway east. toward which his thoughts
had turned yearningly of late Neither
spoke much of the past, however, and
the subject was one that they tacitly
avoided. The bag of gold under the
floor of the dugout grew larger and
heavier as October dwindled away, and
at the end of the month a wonderful
thing happened. A stroke of Old Der
ringers pick opened pocket of big
nuggets, and also disclosed a rich vein
Of gold that seemed to run deeply into
the side of the hill For three days they
worked in sort of trance. almost for
getting to eat and sleep, and more than
one canvas shot bag was filed with the
precious metal in pure bulk. On the
fourth morning the spell was broken by
the discovery that the supply of provl-
sions was completely exhausted.
"There's only one thing to be done. "
Rrowled Old Derringer, "and that's a
trip to the nearest settlement. which is
a days journey off. l hate to leave at
such a time, but games scarce here
abouts, and we can't live OH that any
way. l reckon I'll start right now, seein
it's purity early yet. You amt afraid
to stay until / come back, youngster?'
"Not bit of it. y. replied Tom.
''There's nothing to te afraid OF. III
Just keep on working. y
'sThat's the way to talk, y Old Derrln-
ger exclaimed approvingly. "I'd stake
all I've got on your honesty. lad, anf
that's WHY I'm goin to leave the pile O