The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1904-07-28

Nont OF the party nsu made DIG
strike In the way Of finding nuggets.
sun We had nothing to complain OF.
We were paasdng fair wages. and that
In the long sen. IL better than making
big haul AZ one time. and then lay
ing on and running through the whole
OF u In less than n months time. as
have known plenty Of fellows TO do.
One day the camp was all astis Hike
a hive Of bees which somebody had
thrown a rock into. One of our chaps.
fellow by the name OF Joe Garland.
had made a tsn-strike He had hit
upon the biggest nugget Of gold that
! had ever been found IN The region OF
Tear-Shirt. II was a good one. worth
couple Of thousand at least. and the
boys al gathered about with greedy
eyes They envied Joe his good luck:
suii they were ali glad that he had
got n. 4 more delegated fellow than
he was you never saw. He Rugged the
chunk and pctted II. and II seemed that
be would never tire OF feasting his
eyes upon H.
Joe carried his nugget 20 tie camp.
but he did not stow Il away with the
rest OF the treasure lie would hide II
| for himself n the rest was stolen
while he was away at work he was go
Ing 70 save his
Two or three times a day Joe would
ieave his work and 20 10 see that the
nugget was safe We used 10 tease
I him about 81. and tell him be was los
iug flesh at the rate Of sen pounds a
day. and that II the treasure was not
sent away soon. there would be moth
Ing left Of him but skin and bones.
The third day after tho finding Of
the treasure. about tho middle Of tho
forenoon. Joe made one OF these visits
20 the camp. and when he came back.
q more frightened and woe-hegone
countenance than his you never saw in
your life.
what IS it, We all cried in chorus.
TITS gone" was all the poor fellow
could manage 20 say.
What f. gone" We repeated. though
on the minds OF each flashed the
thought Of tho treasure.
~Thc nugget" ne gesped.
We dropped spade and pick and
started FOR tho camp All Of MS we're
Interested n Tho nugget was stolen.
most likely an the dust We had gather
ed had gone with 90.
We piled into tho camp. and went for
tho spot whore the general treasure
was kept. Each drew breath OF relief
when We found that Il had not been
tempered with The rohher. whoever he
was had contented himself with Joe's
nugget
49, -.. ~ ~.ffrrnF s..,-.r s..e ~~rfN
look in tho place where Joe had kept
&c. and thus convinced ourselves that
a. was really zone. VIC all turned 90.
to try and find = cicw 90 tho rohher
but. Try a. we would. not the slight
or Glow could We md. Not a track
could We discover about the camp ex-
cent those which we felt sure our own
fecf had made.
The fellow who ara thc cooking was
thc only one who had been about the
camp since We had left in the morn
Ina. and nobody. much less Joe sus-
pectcd him. FOR ne was Jocs brother
Do had been his custom TO DO up the
wors On The morning and spend the rest
of the forenoon with ms until 90 was time
for dinner
Pc had not been az The digrinrs more
than an hour before Joe had made the
discovery 90 bis less. So that the rob-
berry could have hut Just taken place
ATT that day We spent in searching
around. hrt rettinE no clew. Whoever
the rohhcr WAS. he had covered his
trail too well for us
Nieht obliged us to give over the
D
I last fhnF lu onr thoughts as one after
trothcr we dropped OF 20 sleep
D had been asleep some time. when
some ono gave me- q nudge in my side
which completely woke me J started
[ ~ and dimly 90 the darkness 7 saw Joo-s
brother beside me
What lo You WANT" said a trine
annoyed. Tor 7 didn't relish the punch
/ I had got
'1Iush' Joe has just rot up and gone
ont. and n ne wasn't ssleap when h.
I fo do such things when he was q boy
+ 1.ef us follow him
spraue to my feet. and We went soft
iy out a sudden thought flashed
through my mind. but said nothing II
might De that the nugget would be
found.
u was bright starlight outside and
we saw Joe moving away toward a clus-
Ter Of oaks which stood about 20 rod 8
OF We followed him as fast a. We
could. and got TO the trees almost as
soon as ne did A. the foot Of one he
stopped and bent down and pretty soon
we saw him draw something forth.
For a while De seemed 20 be fondling
e. then be put Il carefully hack and
burning around he went BY as toward
the camp. He moved like one who had
BIS eyes shu;. and both Of us would have
taken our oath that he was fast asleep
The nugget is found" said I. in a
whisper. and then we hurried to the
tree. It's trunk was hollow. and thrust
INK my hand In drew out the lost treas
Ure.
We carried Il back 20 the camp. When
~. t-af fhar. M ara Wa cffr-f,~ -.