The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-29
SELECTED STORY.
Auction at ROker's Gulch,

Cltll6S VI CndIllhDl6 ORGANIZATIONS.
Every man hustled for himself; and as
they were mostly young men, in the
prime of their strength, they were able
to do it satisfactorily; if not, there was
the almost invariable partnership of
two together, so that if illluck befell
one, the other looked out for him.
This simple arrangement of society
answered very well indeed for most
purposes; while the camp, as a whole,
felt equal 10 special occasions of any
sort that might arise.
cold Howe" was an exception at
Roker's. He was at least fifty years
old. He lived and worked alone. He
was quiet man whom nobody knew
much about. Not that there was any
mystery connected with him; there
was not much to know.
He had failed in business dozen
years or so, before, back in the
states" Then his wife had died. In
California anybody might find gold,
and so he came there to look for some.
His one child, girl of ten, had put
her arms around his neck, and kissed
him good-by as he left her, promising
to write to her and to send her some of
the gold. He had written once or
twice at first; then he waited till he
should find the gold to send her; so he
had never written any more. Perhaps
because his purpose waited for fulfil
ment, he thought of her too, as waiting,
child as he had left her, not grown
up young woman at all. When he
spoke of her it was always as his /" lit
tie gall"
After he had come to the mountains,
he had drifted from place to place. If
he had never found anything of any &C
count, he had the chronic expectation
that possesses miner, which is neither
hope nor enthusiasm, but habit that
he cannot break away from.
At last he had come to Roker's Gulch.
His dug-out cabin, mile above the
camp, was so much made of stones and
earth that it seemed part of the noun
tain side itself. 1t was mile above
the camp, and the last cabin at the
Gulch, except one; and that one be-
longed to Jack Harling and Burney
Scott. These two were coming down
to camp one afternoon swinging along
the easy grade, with the up-gulch wind
in their faces, and the sharp click of
their boot-heels now and then on the
stones.
Opposite Howe's cabin they glanced
at the opened door. They had not
seen him lately. They noticed him
sitting on stool before the fireplace,
which was just opposite the doorway.
They turned up to the place. Howe
did not move. "Hullo!" said Jack.
What's the matter?'
Then the figure before them turned
slowly. Such gray, hollow facet
Mountain-fever," he said, with
effort.
He had been sick for a week, and
had just managed to get up and get a
little fire started, in an attempt to get
something to eat. They brought water,
made coffee for him, and promised to
bring him supplies when they came
back
The camp at Roker's Gulch had one
long street, across which the saloons
and stores stared at each other and
Wanted their rival attractions. There
were plank sidewalks and irrigation
bitches. The end of the sidewalk in
either direction was regarded as the
city limit.
"What's your hurry b'ys?"
The voice came from just within the
door of Shag's Club House.
ooh, hullo, Toni" said Burney, as
they wheeled about to face the speaker.
"Hullo yourselves! And where
would ye have got to if 1 hadn't stopped
YEP"
The speaker was "Big Tom :"
0'Harra.
About down 10 the corner, l
reckon" answered Jack, good natua-
eddy.
dwell, this is better than any COR
ner. Come in. The b'ys'll begin to
collect soon; it's a good place to spend
the evening""
Maybe it's as good as any for what
we want" responded Jack, as they
stepped in.
The room was large. The bar was
extensive, and snowy along one side of
it. just now, except the bartender,
Big Tom was the only occupant.
He evidently felt the need of society.
An what do you want?" he con-
tinued.
The last news from Lone Pine"
Lone Pine was the latest mining ex-
element. All over the state, indeed,
men talked of it. The newspapers
quoted and reported it. Little rills of
men and burros were flowing along the
trails toward it; Lone Pine blankets
and shovels and frying pans were in
the market. Roker's, like all the rest,
was stirred up about it.
"You'll get the latest bulletin here
before the evenings out. It'll be yis-
terday's an day before's over ag'in.
Gold for the pickin'up.' When we've
heard it times enough, we'll behave it,
an We'll all go. The foot of the rain
bows right there now"
"Well, want something else," said
Jack; land as you know go much,
maybe you will tell me what to do about
it."
81 will" said Tom, positively. SEQ
ahead.'
"Old Howe's sick, with mountain
fever. It's been on him for week or
more now. We found him on the way
down. Somebody's got to help him, or
he'll just naturally perish there all
alone"