The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-27

neXG uay tndJ NC uau SOlu INO-tulFus
interest in the Twilight for 81 800 to
altoge thor Il surprise. And then, with
u cal III and satisfied air, Bill dccreas-
ed tho number Of his meals one-half |
and doubled the number Of his drinks,
which WAS equivalent to notice that
ho was beginning to celebrate.
The next two days it rained, but
tho green young man from tho East |
seemed to thrive out In tho damp, for |
he worked away developing his salted |
Twilight mine, while the patrons of
the Golden Oriole spcculated on what
discovered tho jOb-if he ever did. |
When tho wind got around in the north
tho mountains b,g gan to shed water |
| lively, and the liltlo creek that tumbled
| rouS h the camp grew into u torrent
and began 20 spread itself promiscuous-
| ly over tho claims along its bed. The
clouds went to work in dead earnest,
and when you got out from unGer
| shelter, IL wasn't difficult job to
| imagine that some fire department was
| taking you for q cOnflagratiOn, and you
were shortly much put out.
And so when Eddie Freeman, drip.
plug wet, slid in with gust OF wind
through the door Of the OriOle that
night, tho racket inside didn't begin
| to compare with that which the creek
now taking on the airs Of river, was
making outside. | felt uneasy about
that creek, and wondered if the fell
lows who had tackled their cabins up
against the hillside hadn't shown CON
siderable horse sense after all. But
there was sparkle in Eddie's eye and
such Joy in his voice that forgot all
about tho creek for tho time being,
whom he slammed the door and hove
up to the bar. Then hc skipped over
to where P.zen Bill Mas absorbed In
rt neCtion and gin, and held out to him
a. sack Of ore. Bill smiled after the
fashion of the evil ono but when he
went to diving into the rock Us big a
change came over his face as u Land
slide makes in tho sido Of u mountain.
In another minute we were all exa,n1n- :
irg some of the finest specimens Of
gold bearing ore that was ever found
IN California. There WASN'T any duu ot
about it. Blil j )hns0n's salt was merely
spice for u mighty fine pudding.
Then the venom in William J.'s ma
turc showed itself in his face, hut his
words were uucumrlonly pleasant.
, "That's u mighty fine mine yer
have" he said, and am mighty proud
that | am the man that s put yer In the
way Of sich extraordinary luck. |
, kuowcd | wuz givin' yer Il great thing,
, but biznl ss In other places wouldn't
, allow me to put IN my time on that,
, and besides | TUX big fancy to yer,
CZ | a. luS did to smart young mon, and
, wanted yer TO come out on top ov the
heap. Bciu' az I'm partner in this
, ycrc great luck, suppGsln' we do q lit
4 tie ceicbratln? l. Us likker up and
) then hev q little eUshul game to com
, memUrato this grcao event."
Freeman evidently thought a little
{ vhiskry would be u welcome change
= from tho rain water he had been dab
{ UlIng in and pretty soon there was u
; lively fourhaudcd game in progress,
. puncLuatcd with orders for various
+ kinGs OF refreshments. Bat about that
: time my attention was divided, not t.,
0 say scattered. | knew tnal William
0 OF the trlbu Of johnson was up to some
= evil job, iOr he WAS getting tue young"
. StCr, whose beverage before he crLsseL 1.
/ the tnouutAins had evidently been cuf.
fec, to do most OF the drinking, aUly
? | assisted 10y tho other two payers buL
4 the storm outside seemed TO be putting
+, up some kind OF 1. bad job on us all,
ana pretty soon the crowd com mmenGt u
: TO thin out, aud | could hear the min
glcd sound Of profanity and splashiCg
Of water as the miners stepped out, by
t token Of which judged that the back
water Of the creek WAS visiting Us, ana
/ so | sauntered over to my bar window
, and Stcned tue catch.
About the time the fun over in the
l card party's corner began to get hilarl-
Gus, the water began to creep acros,
' the floor in black rivulets, looking like
: mocussins seeking holes, aud tho last
: Of the uneasy guests sidltd out, except.
ing my Interested company in the cor
D ner. 1t struck me that 1t wa, IL gOou
!, time Of year for them 10 leave, but i.
= glance al PiZen Bili's countcnancc gave
f me to understand that 1t wouldn't be
o altogether to my interest to make sucD
:. IL suggestion, and besides the propric-
, tor, who was peaceful ly SnOOZing up in
' his cabin on the hill side, would Civ,
=. me an everlasting farewell if | turned
t out paying patrons. SO | stayed, with
, one eye Ua the window, one on tn,
q party, and both ears out for the storm.
D The rivulcts on the floor had spre az
, OUT. and. pretty soon we had q good
T. foundation for natatorium.
. Talk was getting pretty loud around
: tho card table, and young Freeman's
5 face held a bettor lush than his hanu
o could raise. But eve n he noticed thai
Il it seemed to be rising tide time, and II,
d | remarked
/. "Dunt want (hic) to get my fec t wet
o LeSh go up in the 6alc'ny.' And Bul'.
: mouth curlcu up at the corners wnil,
c they tossed toe small table on tn,
Q larger one, and followed after with the
G chairs. Butz3 had made them a. reCk.
) less, and Bll had an object worth tax
= ing risks for
!. The canules llickcred along the walls
i and tho black water eduied bcnoatt
4 them. They had the table decorated
. with some largo bottles, to save or.
| drring and, while | sat on tho cdg,
T. of the bar and longcd for home, swe,
y home, the game went on. B.ls yel-
= low lace lOOKeu more GemOn-like thar
e ever, and the shadows Of the players
h made fantastic figures in the dim ligh,
n on tho water. But it was u triumph
/. ant devil that was looking out Of his
t eyes, apd | knew tnat the Twilight
Il nine was mighty near within his
c clutches again.