The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-02-10

Tue -''lf HtI
| l sighted the whole business H. : bi,u
cannon. to see that it pointed right, ai't4
touched her off. The explosion blew
the nugget precisely on to the middle
of the raft. Then / fioated the raft
down stream to my cabin, where my
partner and broke the thing up into
| pieces convenient for handling. 1t was
good days work. By the way, have
| you been to lunch?"
"Lunch?" said [. "Of course not.
It's only II o'clock"
1--WE used to eat about this time up
on the Yukon" said he, land the habit
sticks to me. However, can wait"
81 suppose you're in New York sell
ing some of your claims?" said l.
"No. Hardly that" he replied. I'm
looking around for an investment or
two, and a house perhaps. Would you
| think Fifth avenue as desirable as it
used to be?'
"Carnegie's just bought a piece of
land there" replied. "Isuppose you'll
marry Stella Carr and make princess
of her. Well, she deserves it."
Poor Stella" he murmured.
"Why, what's the matter with her?"
Nothing, nothing" he replied.
"Only she's waited for me long time.
Stella is one woman in million"
"She is indeed" | responded, hearth
ly. And speaking of our townspeople,
do you know any of the fellows who are
in hard luck? Because if you do, I've
got a job that l can throw in some
body's way. Any intelligent man can
fill it. Fifteen dollars week only at
the start, but good chance for ad-
vancement. If you know-why. Gift,
what's the matter?"
He had keeled over on my couch and
his face was pale as paper.
"Fainted!" cried, as bent over him.
''This is how men sell their vital organs
for gold. 1 suppose his liver or some
thing of that kind may have been
frozen up there and never properly
thawed out"
While these words were on my lips, l
was endeavoring to lend helping hand
to my friend.
I unbuttoned his coat and waistcoat,
and as l did so, from pocket of the
latter garment there fell a littla slip of
green paper. 1 picked it up; it was
IA pawn-ticket for an overcoat. When
1leplaced it in the pocket, l discovered
that several others were there.
Well, he hadn't lied to me about that;
lie had contracted habit of going cold,
in the Klondille.
l sent Eddie for some simple restora-
tivcs. which he found in bottle in the
top drawer of my desk, on the right
hand side. l use the stuff sometimes
to polish my furniture and interior
decorations.
to completely revive him, though had
hold of the bottle with one hand while
he drank.
"Now, old man." said 1, "tell me the
truth. l am aware that that is not one
of the Klondike habits, which seem to
control your conduct almost entirely,
but do it once, for my sake. Did you
bring any gold away from Alaska?"
"As heaven is my Witness" said he,
81 didn't even bring away the gold
filings in my teeth. They were the
only gold I had at any time after pass
ing the Chlkoot, and l shivered them
out of my head in the middle of Febru-
ary. They fell in a snow bank, too,
and though 1 panned it out very thor
oughly, 1 never found them"
GLOW about those stories?" I de-
nanded.
He groaned heavily.
lo HT In ~
do it. And there are thousands of
young men scattered over this broad
land who are exactly in the same pre-
dicament-ruined and driven from their
homes. You don't realize the tempta-
ton, but let me set the case before you
fairly"
He took little more of the furniture
polish and then resumed:
"When l finally got cut of thai land
of desolation, l was with a consider
able party. Two men in that party
really had some gold with them. One
had about $11 900 and the other little
more. Besides them, there was man
who has share in a claim that may
really be worth something.
"Now, then, we all got back gether
to the borders of civilization, and of
course we were tackled by the news
paper men. Do you think could tell
the facts? Could | admit to that fell
low with the notebook and pencil that
| was dead, fiat failure, and had come
out of Alaska with nothing that I Gidn't
take in, except a small piece of lead
that a fellow shot into me by mistake
in Dawson City one night? No. sir.
81 heard the fellow who had $11 GOO
say it was a million. and the reporter
put it right down in his book. Then
every mothers son Of us got up and lied
in his turn, and-well. Howdy you
know me. I made them all seem OBJ.
jects of charity when I got fairly
started.
"Of course I never thought the stuff
would get telegraphed east; and did
not care what they printed way out
there. But east ii came. and when
got home the town was full of it. They
met me with a brass band; and with
less than twenty dollars in the world
the remains of money that I made out
of a little bit of an advertising scheme
that I worked in ST. Paul on my way
back. What could do? Was going
to spoil their whole celebration? No,
sir: | couldn't do it, let 'em think II
was all true-even Stella. poor girl;
and may the Lord forgive me for that
She's waiting for me TO send fer her
Z 7 4.