The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-10-24
P I.

TOM SCOTT TO THE RESCUE.
Here's Dyea, n this is Skaguay.
n White pass starts off here and goes
right plumb over the mountains like
this"
And the speaker made a bold stroke
with a huge piece of chalk with which
he was ornamenting h floor Of the
village store in Merrivale, where every
thing was dispensed from postage
stamps to lace curtains.
Clustered about his kneeling figure
were q dozen men of all ages whose
EYE were eagerly following the rude
map Of Alaska which Hank Merritt
drawing for their benefit.
For stories Of the wonderful wealth
of this far-off Eldorado had penetrated
even this remote place among the hills
Of New Hampshire, and the Globe re-
ports. Of the lucky strikes made by
venturesome ~argonauts had stirred the
blood Of every man in the village UNI
til the riches Of the Yukon valley had
become the all-engrossing topic among
those who met every evening at this
public rendezvous to pass an hour or
two after their days toll was finished.
This is where you strike the lake"
he continued, IAN then it's bout all
water the rest O. the way, near as 1
can make out. Gold is so plenty they
dig it out jest as easy as we spade up
I'd like to try it If it warn't so darned
far off an didn't cost so much to git
there
The arrival of the mail interrupted
his artistic efforts, and when the hand
full Of letters had been put away the
postmaster was called upon to read
aloud from the papers anything new
regarding the favorite topic.
THE steamer P. w. Weare had eight
miners on board who brought out a
total Of $3.50, 900. Others had $780, 600 to
$50. 900 apiece, and some refused to
give their figures. The steamer Port
land brought down ST. 900, 900. One man
got $216 from a pan Of dirt, and two
miners cleaned up 5000 in a single
days work"
AS the reader paused one might have
heard a pin drop, so intense was the
silence for fully a minute. Then a
of amazement and disbelief n in the
turmoil nothing Ineligible could be
distinguished.
There was one listener, however,
who said nothing, but after the rest
had Gained down a bit he secured a
copy of the PAPER and fastened to the
farm where he was employed with a
wild impulse surging through his brain.
In his little room under the caves he
eagerly devoured the article he nae
heard at the store, and in another col
umn he found an interview with n
of the pioneers of Dawson City, giving
full details as to the proper outfit and
Its cost.
1t was midnight when the stalwart
young farmer sought his couch, and
for the first time in his healthy life
sleep refused to come to- him, for he had
made up his mind to leave the village
where the greater part Of his youth
had been spent and seek his fortune in
this distant land, where a stout heart
and strong hands seemed able to force
nature to relax her icy grip on her gol-
den stores.
Tom SCOTS life had been an I'M
eventful one. He was the only son Of
a sea captain and unit. the death Of his
mother they lived on Cape Cod. Then
IN uncle took him IN his farm at Mer-
rivale and his father continued his row.
ing life. A few years ago, however,
Obed Rider, a native Of Merrivale, who
had sailed with Toms father as mate,
returned to the village with a story
which made a great sensation at the
time. 1t vas to the effect that Cap
tain Scott had deserted his ship at San
Francisco and a~bsconded with a large
sum Of money belonging to the own
ers.
few eye-witnesses would ever forget
the scene when he hurled the lie at the
brawny sailor and fought like a young
tiger until overpowered by the brute
strength Of his fathers defamer, whose
nose was disfigured for life in the en-
counter and who vowed vengeance for
his injury.
This was four years ago, but Tom
Scott still felt the disgrace cast upon
his name. His uncle had now been
dead over three years, and Tom had
saved the wages paid him by the farm
err for whom he had worked since that
time, until he possessed about $400,
which was deposited in the village saw
1ngs bank. This would buy him a
miners outfit, but how to reach the
far northwest was the problem.
Ills sleep was troubled hat night,
but with the morning came the de-
termination to start at once for Bos-
His announcement was received with
anazement, but Tom Scott was a man
of prompt action, and hat afternoon
saw him in Boston. He had been in
the city several times before, and had
no difficulty in finding a respectable
hotel where the rate vas within his
means, but by the time he had eaten
MS supper IL was STOWln dark ana a
thick snowstorm set in. He de-
termined, however, to lose no time in
his search, and made his way to the
water front, where he had no doubt he
could obtain all the needed informa-
ton.
Atlantic venue was practically de-
serted when he reached it, and the big
flakes had covered h ground with a
White mantle which made his foot
steps inaudible as he walked along, not
without a slight feeling of un~easiness
as he thought Of his little capital
strapped about his waist under his
clothes IN a waterproof belt which had
been his first purchase.
AS he approached a saloon from
which came a confused murmur Of
voices and a sharp blinking of glasses,
two men came out directly in front of
him and turned in the direction in
which he was walking, being only a
few feet in advance. Coming from the
well-lighted saloon as they did into the
thick storm, they failed to notice Tom,
and Upon this fact his whole future de-
pended, although he was far from sus-
pecting such an improbable thing at
the time.
II tell you he's going On that bark
a. Nv Eyv.oo q ~ eo;l Tho o11o~ oF +1n