The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-08-18
BILLS NUGGET.

There were only three Ia our party.
Tom and me had come 10 Coolgurdic
together. being old mates. and then
We came across Iill on the Held lie
were queer chap. always, were Blll,
Work. Well. won't say as ever
knew Land ON any diggin's as could
beat Bill for work take him an round.
Early aud late 1911 were there whoev-
or wern't lie would work eating; he
would work talking though Il weren't
much talking you would get out Of
Bill, not AS regular thing. anyhow.
Why, he seemed as II he worked Of
nights, after he'd turned In. did Bill,
aud Il was all gold. every word of H.
Yes, for the matter of that. lac WAS %
regular whale ut work, and NO mis-.
take.
When Tom and me first came across
linn Bl'l was down on his luck His
tucker had Just about panned out, AMI
Lc hadn't shilling lett to buy water,
which. seeing how water were a pound
n bucket at Coolgarde just then. aud
scarce at that. wcci awkward. Yes,
reckon We were godscnd 90 Bill.
that's about what We We're, Tom AMI
me, when we offered 10 take him n
mates Not but what II was right
enough for u.s. too. Tom and mo had
matter Of maybe. thirty pounds be-
tween Us. aud We were old hands 90
the job; bu' the place were new 10 us.
aud Coolgnrdic. like most fields had
ways Of it, own. We knew kallaiui.
IN the deep leads and we'd been mates
az Palmer River: but this weren't IKE
them not a little bit Now. 1911, he'd
been here two months, and d. know
most all there was 10 know about The
place. and ~ Il come about as We went
mates with Bill. and just then 1911
was mighty glad To be- took boy any
body NJ could get q biz ~ tucker aud a
bucket Of watcr-you bet.
After all said. let's be- fair 90 Bill
lie could work. aud be- did never q
man better AMI n he didn't turn out
straight. ns mates had ought 10 lr.
well. after an. 1911 had temptations. !
nTkon 1871 wasn't a. SAY hig hut hr
was strong. aud as Wiry ~ they make
'em Tom and me used tO work. but,
bless me-. We weren't In u. not along
side of him az his best lie WIS 70
good hooking chap enough, too, was
1911. leastwlsc. all you could see ~
him. whicl. wasn't 90 say much. heinz
be- was that hairy. and. water being
scapc. Won couldn't say. not exactly,
ns e. color. hut Lis eyes you could ss".
q H..
mon. Look out they did from under
his eyebrows, eager AID anxious. as n
De- could see something rich just ahead
OF him.
1911 never talked n uch-nnt while h.
was awake. anyhow when hc
was asleep his talk didn't amount o.
nothing about himself lie might have
been a dock 10 his time. might bill. for
anything ever ho said 10 the contrary,
aud he might a'most have been ahv-
trlng by his tongue only one thing he
was. SURE. 1911 hadn't always been a
digger no. Llr yet for so very long
either No: b, wcrc queer chap,
were Blll. tut take him oil round I've
met sight OF verse mates In my
time.
We stopped az Cooigarlle for n
month. aud lt was long enough ton
Gold there was. admit. but Il hadn't
no sort 81 conslrirucy. You might
work ull yc struck gold. aud mayhaI
get a nugget or ,wo and thought 3,
had come on a good thing. aud then
after you had broke your heart follow
Ing OF u up Tor days you'd as Ike us
Not Kick up n nugget with the toe OF
your hoot as you were going 30 work
right atop % the rrmd. That WA
the worst ~ Ccolrardie. Gold Their,
WIS. aud plenty at that. but duncl
was Just about as likely a. com,
across Il as a digger and q lazy char
that loafod about like ChinaWan. al
eyes and no hands had every biz az
good a chance a. us that worked early
and late 10 get u.
We werc getting pretty near fun M
~ this. though we were making mcke
M u. mind YOU, all the tine. and Ril
b. was the fullest up of the lot Oul
day there came news that gold ha,
been struck heavy up the northwest
matter Of twenty miles or So, 1911
was Wild ~ be- on ana though ",
heard that there was no water fnuu,
yet. u stood Ia reason that somehod!
would hnd Il. and. anyhow water cart
were SURF 90 20 whew there was gold
The new held was out beyond the rcu
sunset range. aud we concluded 90 sc
what II was like. Twenty miles don
sound much hut twcrty miles owe
half.Andy ridges. earn ing n five gal
Ion Jug II water 10 well M tucker ma
tools. tots W. guud hlt 90 a job hy o.
time ye gct there. ] won't say hu
what 1911 was al u crc M the ioh-h
was mostly alv; ~ krcn-was lhll.
We campcd at last Ia n likely.luol
ing spot all by ourselves Tom callv
Il dry gmsS gully. 10y reason b va
one Shrct of short grass. as yellow q
gold and rs brittle MS straw Thor
was no time TO luse. Tor Do your hrs
you had a. drink n uC or less. az
there wasn't a slgn Either Of water 81
of another party 10 De- seen from "a
ridge ~ oar gully. II looked like
iLcc between luck and thirst and III
Thirst was sure. while the luck wa
doubtful ! can't Ny | liked the loo
of things. mn morc didn't Tom, Nv
mn. he was lust wlld. Anyhow, We
come. nud We vcrr hound to give II
trial. For thrive days W. worked
that gully. early aid late. aud ever
hour the water got lower ANA we gre
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