The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-07-10
Jerry Hail's Lucky Draw.


See that big, rcd-necAed fellow slt-
ing on the baggage truck? salo inc
marshal to his deputy. "Ju5t keep an
eye on him. He got in this morning
with a faro layout, and | suspect ne S
up to as much devilment as any
body"
It was the railway station at FL
Reno in June. The open space about
the depot was swarming with sweat
{ ing humanity. Carriages, trucks,
.prairie schocners, vehicles OF every
class and condition were massed IN
\ the vacant lots or threading their
ways through the streets. The dust
rose like yellow vapor from the
trampled earth, covering everything,
binding and sitting the people and
. their beasts.
The big, red-Iecked fellow sitting
on the baggage truck was watching
new swarm of boomers just then
spraying pell-mell OF q dus1-coverea
freight train. Men. women and chli-
dren, pushing, painting and tramphns
each other were struggling from the
reeking box cars into the scarcely less
suffocating outer air
What dye think O them 1ur
bunch O. stampeded mavericks, Jer-
ry?" asked a bow-leggel, weazen lit
s tie cowboy, edging up to the man On
the truck. But the big fellow only
shifted his quid, smiled absently and
Z said nothing Presently through the
Jam tall young woman in mourning
edged her way to the truck, ana see
ing Jerry idling, there said:
Gould you please tell me what
hotel TO go to. sir?"
The swarthy chap with the handy
5 legs guffawed in the woman's face.
'Shut up, Hatton." growled Jerry,
furtively absracting his chew, and,
! turning an unchasened but dignlfed
countenance upon he woman. he
touched his slouched hat and said:
tsHotels are full, madam. There isn't
lodging in town fit for
He paused as scared look came
into her eyes, and the boy behind her
thrust his arm round her slim waist.
"But surely there must be place
where my boy and I can 60, she said,
3 her eyes appealing to the awed rul-
fan. He was about to explain when
5 the deputy marshal approached and
led the woman away.
Don't have nothin' to do with such
chaps as him. missus,' explained the
: deputy when they were clear OF the
spot; he's a bad 'un.'
But the officer couldn't give the lit
tie woman any more encouragement
than Jerry, and, with her boy Juggling
her telescope" she trudged through
the dust in vain search for room,
decent shelter, even a cot in some
hallway. But the wild-eyed hotel
clerks only laughed and turned away.
Men pushed her aside and more for
tunate women nudged one another and
smiled as they heard her outlandish
questions.
At 8 o'clock that night the streets
of Ell Reno were yet choked with the
houseless crowds The smell of wood
fires and cooking victuals mingled
with the stencil of cattle and the
reek of sweltering humanity. the
2 darkness seemed to rise from the
earth with the aow cmmbrous dust. A
+ few blocks from the station grouped
about torch-lighted tent there was a
jostling, shouting, scuffling mob of
S hungry people. They were contend
ing for chance to buy villainous
: disks of dough and canned fruit that
were being sold under the misnomer
.spies." The widow and her boy at the
outer rim of the swaying, fighting
crowd were making feeble efforts to
approach the vender. Jerry, saunter-
ing along, saw them, and for a mo-
: ment paused with grim smile at their
puny efforts. Then he showed his way
into the bedlam like football play
er bucking the line. In two minutes
5 he was face to face with the pieman
roaring:
"Give me six of those life-preserv-
ers, Simpkins, or III wreck your whole
outfit"
'Price is gone up. Jerry" grinned
Simpkins.
!"Confound the price. Six! Quick"
But when the giant walked off with
his six pies and beloved Charge
'em!' everybody laughed at the baker
and the scramble for his wares was
resumed.
Here's some samples, madam ~
said Jerry, touching the woman's arm
and handing the pies to her son !;
"hope you'll like 'em. This is my
bakery, you see, and we're trying to
build up trade"
There was fresh laugh at this, but
the widow was too delighted to puz-
zle about the joke. Jerry followed her
out of the crowd, and when they were
clear said: Find lodging, madam"
She said no, and he asked her if she
had tried the Creek House.
"I've lried them ALL SIR she said.
her eye Frightening as she watched
her boy attack one of the pies; but
: couldn't get even shelter. suppose
we'll have to sit up under some porch,
or-oh, don't know what we'll do
& IF you don't mind trying the Creek
House again. ne murmured, standing
apart, Il think, in fact I'm sure there's
a small room. There was about an
hour ago."
And so the woman and the boy,
munching pies as they almost ran af.
ter the big fellow, hurried to the
Creek House, and after some whisper
ing between Jerry and the mysterious
clerk, were led up into stufy, dusty
room about as commodious as a dry
goods box. They finished their pies
exchanged the praises Of the rough
deliverer and all night dreamed o!
the home that they would make when
the drawings were over and they had
settled upon the first land they had
ever owned.
,]i6o,r Jprry aOy moro af