Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-03-27
LITTLE

Diggings. Over in the barroom of the Red
Racer a piece of brown meat paper, pasted
untidily on the big gilded mirror at the
back of the bar, bore the following notice
Lost, Straid or Stole-The baby of this
camp, Little Billie. Seen last by Crippul
Jake, toolin with Duffy's pup, g. amt
seen since. 100 OF. dust rewad for his re-
turn. Sined by Oleander Slump, Prop.
Red Racer hotel-for the cityzuns Of Placer
Diggings."
This placard had been posted the day
before, and every one who had visited the
bar since-it is safe to add this would
include about the whole population of the
community-knew the purport of the sign.
Different searching parties had organized
Immediately and had hunted with lanterns
all that night, but up to this time Little
Billie had not been found.
Out ON the splintered porch of the Red
Racer a motley lot Of unkempt men were
discussing the situation. They were now
trying to explain satisfactorily the differ.
ence between lost and strayed. This evok-
ed heated discussion. 1t was finally con
coded that If the little fellow had simply
strayed he must surely have found his
homeward way before this; therefore he
must be lost.
Little Billie Vas as good as an orphan.
His mother had died soon after he was
born, and his father had gone off with a
Scandinavian prospecting in Rickety
gulch, never after returning. The help
less baby was taken by kind, homely I'm
Gle Billie Sykes to his shanty. There he
grew and became a rugged, solid little fell
low. He was not particularly handsome,
if one judged the eyes, nose and mouth as
factors of beauty, and his ears were large
for a baby Of his size; besides, he was often
obstinate, having a stout infant will of
his own. But withal he was so chubby,
contented and generally good natured-no
one in Placer Diggings had ever heard him
cry-that the whole camp had come to love
and to look upon him as community prop
erty.
1t happened that when Uncle Billie be-
came his self appointed guardian pay dirt
had been running low at the diggings.
No one had struck a nugget for days and
the miners as a whole were in slow luck.
The next day after the adoption, however,
Uncle Billie had struck a rich opening.
Others followed.
Now there is no especial reason, other
than a miners tendency for %attributing
lucky turns to most trivial things, why
this fortunate turn of affairs should have
been charged to the %foundling's account,
but such IT was, and henaesnrth he had
been thu MASCOT of Placer Diggings.
Months went on apace. Little Billie
grew wonderfully robust and healthy in
the crisp mountain air, and up to this time
good luck had continued at Placer Dig
gings.
Tonight the grizzled men who had gath
cred in front of the Red Racer were sober.
Mindful of his loss, each grew reminiscent,
all seemingly trying to Guido one another
in telling Of acts done that would demon
strate each his own devotion to Little Bill
lie.
Lank Sam Boswick, a shrewd New Eng
lander who had first come west to teach a
school at Redwood Flat, but who later be-
gan mining, having been discharged as
schoolmaster for persisting to deceive
young minds by asserting that the world
was round, when every one Of the school
trustees knew that it was flat, commenced
in his Yankee drawl:
"Waal, Of it hadn't ben fur me Billie
would "a ben done fur long ago. I'm
guessin yew boys'll rekerleok the time
he fell down shaft 8 an cut his head
open-nigh four inch on his forrud-
course yew will. Waal, ez / wuz sayin, Bill
lie wouldn't. "a ben here to git lost eff
hadn't "a found Hmm boosted him out OF
that pit in my arms, when he'd bout bled
to DEATH"
The half witted Chinese cook of the Red
Racer stood leaning against a tree stump
the while. Finally he, too, voiced his pi-
geon English, and no II sought to check
him:
me heep solly, Lii Billie he go way,
no come back. He come see me some time
alice day. I give him heap lot eat. Yer
solly no know where he go. Alice same no
come back hep long time. Luck, he say
goo'by, no come back some more too. "
And the felt soled heathen shuf1led toward
the doorway, pulling dejectedly at the
silken end Of his cue.
At length the turn came for Uncle Bill
lie. The old miner was visibly affected
while speaking, for he was growing feebler
db cdCu codbOu phSncu' IAonlUhu1u6ly lo
spoke and ended by saying:
"Nuthin hez bucked me ekal ez heerd
my oil pard kicked the bucket over
on Gopher mountain. I'd l'arned t. luv
the little critter lik' my own flesh an blood,
an it wuz all fred heerd t. lose him, an
long O. him our batch Nv luck"
As he finished the freckled parson, q
fellow with a bleached, ropy beard, bel
lowed a noisy "Ay-menl"
Late that afternoon Linn Kee was slicing
a fitch Of bacon in that part of the Red
Racer hotel which served as kitchen and
Mushroom when he heard a noise at the
door. He opened it, and there was Little
Billie.
The next moment the Chinaman seized
a big tin horn that hung over a rifle on
the board wall, and leaning far out of the
one window blew blast after blast in quick
succession. The sounds went echoing and
r~e-echoing among the gulches and ravines.
This was the signal agreed upon in case a
fire should break out when most of the
miners were away at work.
Immediately breathless men came
swarming to the hoael from all quarters.
Az O0uoo VI oAO OO1AAAiouAOh was cCoh up
parent. The sleek heather was jumping
up and down on the soap box that was
used as doorstep, his teeth chattering
~nervously as he jabbered:
"Lil' Billee he come back. I blow
holm. He now con Q. / heep blow blow"
Linn Kee was happy with the happiest.
The men, beamed, shook one another's
hands, slapped each others backs, and
then stepped into the bar of the Red Racer
for a drop Of good fellowship In celebration
of their mascot's return.
And Little BillieS Not one whit dis
turbed, he quietly turned and bent toward
a bunch Of sage stubble growing near the
door. For Little Billie was a burro.-San
Francisco Argonaut.
Mental Phenomena.
II suppose" said the visitce at the In