The San Francisco call., 1904-09-11

r was hot il Grizzly Gulch. swel-
teII-g.-- r..- 80 heat seemed to be
a r1atelia ta-ns. 81 cppressiveiy it
weighed Gown on ore. For several
hours laf heea trying with small
success To- Go business in the blisterinC
little mountain tcwn. but the heat was
discoUraeirg --d at last I save il up
and sought shelter in the shade Of the
porch sur 11rdlng Charles Hotel"
There found The Ancient Miner. He
was sitti-- nf,h his feet on the rail-
irg. gains cus thoughtfully at the dis
tant mountains. seen hazily through
the QuiverirE. heat-iaden atmosphere.
Occasionally lie raised his hard 10
brush away troublesome fly. other
wise his r,se indicated absolute rest
fulness-
By way CT making conversation. 1
remarked ID the Ancient Miner:
There's going 70 be a big wedding in
town tonight, I see"
"Bir weddin? No. stranger, right
there where you're mistaken. There
ain'r been a big weddin' here for years;
not since Swart Pete was married.
Course there's been lots o. folks got
spliced, but as fr big Weddin's, well. !"
and the Ancient Miner paused medita-
lively and shifted his quid TO the other
cheek. well. Swart Pete's weddin'
jest nachurly laid over anythin' that's
happened round these diggin's since
Hec was a pup"
yarn.
What, you don't mean L say, stran-
ger, thet you amt never heard bout
Swart Pete's weddin'? Must be I you
amt been long in these parts
/ reluctantly confessed that this was
ny first visit
We Il then, stranger, III jest per-
ceed Z tell you bout H." and the An
Client Miner tilted his chair back
against the wall and spat meditatively
into the distance. But chin work is
exhaustin' exercise" he said suggest
lively. saw the point
Amt nothin' like a little nose paint
% lie I'd a mans recollector," he re-
marked as he set down his empty glass.
so you amt never heard Of Swart
Pete's weddin'? Well, it's bout time
that defect in your eddication was
remedied and III perceed TO enlighten
you OF the sUbjeck-
This weddin', as I was sayin' afore,
5egt plumb laid over anythin' that's
ever been pulled Of round this neck OF
the woods. But tust I'll hev 10 inform
you On how II come about.
''Swzrt Pete come out here long
bout tn time tn fust pay dirt was
struck n the gulch. He was a tall,
good lookin' young German, with
black hair an black eyes, an a good
word IT ev'rybody. Like all the rest
Of Us he spent most OF his time dig
gin holes in the mountain. but he
didn't seem 10 hev much luck an ther'
didn't none OF his holes seem TO pan
out much.
But long bout tn time Pete he'd
been here q couple OF years he struck
ft-kinder accerdent'ly. you know.
Was chasin' a runaway burro up in
one OF tn gulches one day when he
happened 10 see a pecooliar lookin'
rock Stopped to look at it and found
Il was sure enough pay dirt
Wei. Pete he jest quietly stakec
out his claim an set 10 work on IL an
fore long he he'd more money'n he
knowed what TO do with. Most Of the
men would hev bucked tn tiger till
Il was all gone. but Peter he wasn't
thet kind But al the same he wanted
10 celebrate an he didn't know jest
'zactly how he was goin' TO do IT. Pete,
he thought an thought, an al last he
got an idee. h would git married.
Their hadn't never been a weddin' al
r-r-
scmethin new
But ther's one pecooliar featoor
'bCut gettin' married. Theirs allus got
10 be a woman IN the case Thets
why I've aIIus fought shy Of tn propo-
sit.on. But Swart Pete was dead
game sport an he wasn't 'fraid OF
nOthln'-not even a bundle Of calereo.
Only thing thet bothered him any was
where he was gOin' TO get tn female.
But Peter never was tn kind 10 be
stunDed ~ trines an he begun to
look aroun' an take notice. Wimmin
in them days wasn't so blamed plenti-
ful as they are now an II looked as II
Pete might heV a hard time pullin'
tEet weddin' of.
Eonsouever, IL so happened thet
bout thet time ther' was a little ga
out here who'd come out to civilize
tn natives an incident'ly TO teach
school. But she found she was UP
against II good an hard She didn't
seem 20 be maxim what you might
call q howlin' success Of tn civilizin'
business an school teachin' wasn't all
roses, neither. She was nice lookin'
little piece Of calerco. too. with big
blue eyes an q wistful kind Of a look
bout her. s II she needed somebody
10 take care Of her.