River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-07-18

| succeeded in convincing her that her
tent was being Yanked out of place
by Providence instead of Lucky Jack.
and after they had securely pegged
the canvas down for her. quiet settled
for the night over the feudal district.
But morning saw the beginning of
hostiities, that, with brief intermis-
sous. lasted for long. weary months.
Fruit cans were hurled against the
base of one tent at night and fired
against the other each morning The
man purposely roared out songs.
hymns. lullabyes. anything that would
| keep up dcafening noise at an hour
! when the woman feign would have
laid her armor Off and slept He
passed unnecessarily near the door
wien he crossed the claim. And
though the woman was not positively
known to hiss the blue-eved dog on
She certainly laughed heartily every
time he got a bite at the foes heels
and openly petted bigger after such
reprisals Every day the man went
to the beach with his rocker to seek
for gold. and thu woman went to a
restaurant. where she washed dishes
and in return received flour and salt;
anG the white haired boy. wrapped in
Il mans old fur oyercoat. often sat
alone for hours. with no one to speak
TO but the yellow dog.
One day when Lucky Jack returned
to his tent he found bigger already
there. husily engaged in foraging the
/ cncmy's stores Now. Jacks heels
We're sore from the morning onslaught
OF his opponents henchman, and
when he found him thus at his mercy,
| for the first time he felt that the
/ boys had not misnamed him when
| they prctiXed Lucky TO his name.
! Fastening the tent behind him. he
! took up an aX handle and with the in
| quisitory, Bite my heels again. will
| YEP" he laid the blows on the intruder
/ thick and fast, resolved to leave not
| e breath in him, but to fling his car
| cass over to the other tent. The dog,
/ n his turn, tore wildly from side to
| side of the tent, now trying to dodge
under u box that served as table,
/
ms teeth into his tormentor, and at
! last. thoroughly beaten. he crouched
at his conqueror's feet with such
| pi.eouS bowls that, like Hubert be-
| tore Prince Arthur in the tower of
| London, Lucky's pity made him un-
! anie to do the murderous deed he had
! intended, and after some more stern
oovice to his now humble foe, the big
nan sat down and fed him bread
dipped in cold gravy He even patted
| tie animals head in his restored good
humor. remarking as he did so; 81
can't strike a woman no matter how
| a-grawatin' she is, but, thank Gawd
| lin take it out o. the dog"
WAS you lickin' my MANS
Gawg?" Jack jumped to his feet as
this question was pronounced to him
through a hole in the tent He
opened the door and the small boy
entered. trailing an old blanket be-
hind him, and repeated his question.
| lucl<y's big heart melted at the for
'orn apparition, and he said deceit
fully:
Don't you see I'm feedin' him >"
Fought | heerd i'm cryin'," sus-
piciously,
sonny, hc-he was laughin' at
what ! was givin' i'm
BE yo a trvin' TO burn Yves tent >"
Well. no. kid, not unless swearin'
at il till the air is full o birthstone
might set il blazin'; but if that nd
do it it nd burned before this" Then
there was a pause in which the child
watched the dog hungrily; then, with
q hopeless little sigh; 'Wish | cud a
lad part o. Rilgers bra-a-id."
Great Hammer, baby. are you hun
Y nuf to eat with n dawg? Here,
aait till | get you some cookies an
coffee"
The child munched the cookies in
silence then he said: mann says
Your a hardened sinner, a claim
! Jumper, m a mighty tough ole
rooster Am you?"
NO" growled the host. adding,
with rising anger, AN your MANS
worse than anvthing-she can call me"
hen, rs the boy was leaning con-
fdngly against his knee, he said
Eut you're a nice boy"
Another long pause. and then, as
/ though he were rcciting a lesson, the
httle fellow drawlcd out: wait till
Eill Brier. my pap, comes; he'll show
you."
AN right, Kid; but if it's anything
/ about your mother he's goin' 10 show
ne he needn't take the trouble. I've
seen enough of her already But, say,
here's only four or five months that
your dad can come safe on the steam-
ors; why lon't he Gomez"
Cant; he's got too much dirt to
dig"
'Th-huh, thought so; got a claim
somewhere else an workin' it, while
his wife holds this one" The boy had
wormed a purple little fist into the
miners hand, and he now observed:
Your hands warm. amt it? Nights
v.hen I'm awful cold mann holds my
hands gainst her buzom to git EN-
Natm, an cries cause she's so cold she
cam't git me warm"
oh. the Devil" Jack uttered the