Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-11-03
A RACE FOR A. GOLD MINE.

BY WILTON RIx AND W. t. KERR1DeE.

long-that this was the spot of spots,
the only claim worth calling a claim,
an Eldorado, a miners ideal, para
disc, in short, Pats claim. Who but
Pat, clever Pat, would ever nave
thought for moment of looking for
gold in this wild wilderness, where
man had surely never trod before?
Surely no one
No one. So far as Pat knew, no
one. Half the distance had been
paced, and Pat grew more elated as
he walked. He saw himself and his
chums each twice millionaire. 1t
was so easy.
They would be all alone. Among
them they might take up the greater
part of the reef, and then they had
only to work for it-for they had none
to disturb them.
Suddenly Pats auriferous specula-
tions came to full stop with his feet.
His keen bushman's ear had detected a
sound. A rattling pebble, crack of
a dead, dry twig. Pat knew he was
not alone. Then, peeping out from
the scrub, he saw face. He was
being watched. A few strides brought
him to the intruder, who sprang to his
feet at Pats approach. For fully
minute they stood and stared, each
just as much astonished as the other.
Simultaneously they found speech,
and each inquired of the other what
he was doing on his claim.
The dialogue then became involved.
The stranger threw down the two
pegs which he also was carrying and
offered pugilistically to "fre' Pat
out if ne didn't shift. Pat, without
shifting, summed up in few we'll
chosen words his opinion of the
stranger. The stranger responded by
comparing Pat to several unpleasant
animals. This was merely preliminary
and to show independence. Having
done SO, Pat felt able to propose with
ont prejudice that, as each seemed to
have found the claim simultaneously,
a partnership and division of profits
would be the fairest and most amicable
way out of the difficulty.
Your claim, indeed! Geordie
Maxwell, we are. Ye think 1 don't
know ye! Well, we've got to know
all sorts in this uncivilized land! Sure,
what do yer mean?" he said. Wasn't
l here at the same instant as yourself
and before? Haven't l two pegs
down and two with me, like yourself?
Half it I've got, and half it I'll have,
friendly or otherwise. So think of
that, Maxwellv
Maxwell pushed Pat roughly aside,
consigning him and his half 70 unde-
sirable localities. Said he:
"It's the whole hog with me, OF
nothing"
''Let it be nothing, then~ said Pat,
and. striding on with his pegs, he
placed them at the corners of his
claim. Maxwell did the same. Both
then placed the necessary notice, and
Pat made the best of his way back to
camp, as he came, on foot. He had
five miles to go and could get there as
soon as the interloper, of that he felt
sure.
But Pat had not gone far before he
heard muffied, scrambling noise be-
hind and turning saw his rival,
mounted on native pony-a brumby
CLOSE on him. It was matter of
time. The brumby could go. Pat
knew that. And he was on foot, with
his rival on horseback and the first at
the warden's Office to get the claim
Pat bemoaned his luck. Then drop
ping on his knee and pulling his re-
volver from his belt, bethought him
evilly of the advantages to be gained,
of the bad luck he had met hitherto.
| Was he to starve because men, with
brumbies hidden in the bush, spied on
him and wrested from him, by quib-
BILE of law, what was rightly his own?
Was he to lose his hard-found fortune
| Or?
Mo- He slipped the revolver back.
Pat would none of it-not in that
way. Inc first at the warden's Office
] should win. A pony could gallop;
but there was camel-pad right down
to the township, and-well. Pat had
an idea. Scarcely more than three
quarters of an hour had elasped when
Pat dashed into camp, covered with
sweat and dust.
"Pat! What's up?"
IA dhrink, boys! A dhrink! Then
perhaps Ill speak.
They gave him pannikin of water,
at which he took great gulps, while
they gazed astonished at lump of
quartz he handed them in exchange.
/ "Pat! Where did yer get it?"
''Never yer mind! Tell me"-Pat
was still gasping have yer set eyes
on Geordie Maxwell this hour?"
The old Australian looked serious,
turned over the plug of tobacco he
was chewing, spat and said:
| "George is gone. Passed on his
gray brumby this hour ago." Then,
after pause: "He meant getting
there"
"Gittin' there, is it?" said Pat,
jumping to his feet. "Gittin' there!
Yer don't gather my meaning"
''I dor said the Australian.
/ 'Then yer mean he's getting there