The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-29

teen-going at fifteen to the Lost Trail
Gone"
If it hadn't started at ten" thought
Jack, cit never would have brought
it,"
The pick came next, and with much
chatting and joking brought six dollars.
Some drills aud other implements some
thing more.
Then Burney Scott's voice was heard
outside the door, with Hullol Let us
in"
The men parted little, and he
stepped forward. He had the end of a
rope in his hand. Then he stopped
because the rope tightened and stopped
him. Those who could see through
the door began to laugh.
"Well, why don't us come in?"
Where's the rest of us?"
ooh, yes. Come income right
along"
Don't wait"
Burney leaned his weight back on
the rope and laughed. Burney's laugh
was always one of the infectious kind.
"Say, boys, you'll have to help me-"
said Burney, when he got his breath.
The boys were in an uproar of hilar-
ity. Four of them seized the reluctant
little burro, and, lifting her bodily, car
ried her in, and set her up on the set
tee beside Jack.
"Now," cried the auctioneer, as soon
as he could be heard, "some of you
that want your packs carried TO Lone
Pine, here's your chance"
But the boys were in no hurry to pro-
coed to business. They made fun of
the burro, which was indeed an en-
tirely comical figure--a shaggy little
beast, with an immense head, tiny feet,
and an expression of irreconcilable as
tonishment. They bantered Jack.
They skylarked with each other.
Jack began to be afraid of this inter-
ruption. He could do nothing, how
ever, but stood waiting, with his hand
on the burro beside him.
Its tableau worth having" called
somebody. Yes--Mary and her little
lam D." responded another.
There was general laugh; then
Burney caught the cue of the situation,
and with his fine voice began to sing:-
"Mary had little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!'
They made a splendid chorus of it,,
and it sent the affair back into Jacks
hands again, as Burney intended.
What am l bid for the lamb?' he
said, as the singing stopped.
"Twentv dollars"
Now Roker's Gulch, being a long
and narrow settlement, arranged its
matters of course, rivalries accordingly.
Upper Town and Lower Town were
always wrangling over something.
Jack glanced round the room as he
repeated the bid. Then turning toward
corner where several Upper Town
men happened to be, he said:
"Twenty dollars for the Lower
Town. Who bids for the Upper"
Twenty-Five" Immediately re-
sponded an Upper Town man.
So the rivalry began over the burro
and bids and banter and general hi
larity were mixed together for Jack
to handle as best he could. Step by
step the offers grew, till the burro was
quoted at forty dollars.
Jack looked for no more when the
Sweepstake Mine, represented by four
men who were to start for Lone Pine
in a few days-one of whom was Big
Tom himself-bid once more " Fifty
dollars"
That took the burro and finished the
auction. But before the words "Going
-going-gone!" were fairly out of
Jacks mouth, Big Tom was heard
from again.
"Now, b'ys, Wen have a collecshin
from them as hasn't bought anything;
Il nj unUa IN 10
little CURL herself; then if we have any
money left we can drink to her good
health with a clare conscience. What's
the use of LAWN him adrift in Frisco?
Here's me hat. Pass it about, and
don't be afraid av spoilin' by loadin' it
too heavy"
And when the hat reached Jack it
was heavy.
"Now hand over me burro," said
Tom.
There was an instant's pause. Jack
heard gasping sound and felt a
tremor run through the little animal at
his side. Then with head outstretched,
it began to bray "Ee.hawl Ee haw!
Ee-haw!"
The effect was explosive. The crowd
roared and laughed, and stamped and
cheered, till it could bear it no more;
then shook itself free into the street
and broke up.
A week later Old Howe, IA special
charge of the stage driver, started for
Frisco; and by him was ticketed
through, second-class, to st. Louis,
with money enough, besides, to take
him the rest of the way.
Over the foothills, through the noun
tains, across sage-covered mesas, out
on to the great plains, and on, he came
at length to the place where he had
left his little girl 80 long ago. And did
he find her? Not exactly. But he
found young woman, who put her
arms around his neck and kissed him,
just as his "little gal" would have
done; and who had home of her own,
with place for him in it.-New York
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