The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-05-30

| wipinS their mouths upon their hans,
did one of them speak. Then the white
haired giant nodded socially to Brent
Prospecting he asked.
YES"
well. slowly. 81 reckon wen have
| to let We in-on a small lay. rcJre.
After eatin' that supper we couldn't
plan for nothin' hostile. How much
| grub We gOt?'
"A three months allowance for one
man"
That's three weeks for four IlCn. or
4 month. mebbe. with lo -c-atiOI
Plenty. l guess, to carr. Us through"
Brent smiled sarcastically
Don't you think it might he good
| idea to ask my consent first" he is,
| ell
We're three men, an you amt hu!
one" cOmposedly. THOUGH. of course
tha; don't matter now After the sup
| per we couldn't be hostile Anyway.
ven 10 ready TO come in all right. even
on the smallest lay. soon's We know
| Seems odd. don't t''-rehectivcly-"bu
Jest the smell o that supper was all
| that saved Your life. oh, don't mind
tcllin' now" at the inquiry in Rrcnt's
| eyes. long 5 ye come in this ,l-y
an Dikker there heard We speak 'nDUt
! cyplorin' it, That left but one taiuS
To- us to do. We was hid up there with
orr GINS pintcd, an We was goja to
give ye ten minutes TO pack up an git
II yc didn't an from what Dikkcr -
We knowed We wouldn't we WAS - IL
80 shoot. There wouldn't he nothjn
else We could do" earnestly.
We'll. had my sun .p'inteJ "a
mouth open to hollor when ! GOT fU'
smell O. them ham an eggs right il III
throat, an I waited l:tle to cit en-
more smell with my mouth wide olea
whom the onions cone up. Lord
SmacEinE his lips reui2isceniy. I've
lived seventy years. an ueyct had
another second like that in all my life
jest laid my gun down an stuck my
nG5c out fur'S | could: then | felt
'~hamcd an looked round BUT Dix
kc-'s nose an Sans nose was both
SIT kin oft jest the same That fin
| ishnd us. We couldn't "A stayed w
there another minute for all the gold
IN these mountains. It's been ten
weeks - ten whole weeks since We
syallrrcd our last bit o pork. an in all
that time we amt had thing but
rJts billed to chaw on"
Ten weeks exclaimed Brent in
amazement. "Why. man alive, once
lived on them two days and thought
I'd starye. Why didn't one of you go
ont after l,rovi>lons:'
"Dasseut.' laconicalIy. "Thpy's too
many pr0spectors round watchin'. They
can tell from the size of a mans eyes
what he's found We have Il spn:
where we can pick up gold with our
| fingers, an we'd ruther starve than
| take chances But | reckon we four
c.la git it all out in month. an YOU
@aH have an eighth share from now on
.'u'-oh, yes, my names Moses, thirty
| ri'.c years proSpectin' an never struck
il rich till now. Who might you he|'
My names Brent Harlan, ten years
pro>pactin, bat going home\soon now"
\ week later they were gathered
around the campfire 1t was after sup
per, ana they had all been smoking,
| but now the pipes We're laid aside. ami
they We're gain; into the fire Pros
| pectiny days were nearly over for
them.
Into eyes that hal grown hard with
| gold seeking We're coming new expires
sions Of tenderness ana JOY. But the
| face of Moses was grave.
"Thirty-nine years of proSpGctin'," lie
| said at last. breaking the silence, "an'
| now mt seventy ready to quit. with not
kith or kin or f".end in the world
save you three to Look glad, 'Tain't
| ':oin' TO be so blame fine as | thought.
| You've all got somebody" he went
| on presently Il can see it in your
yes an in the way You smile to your
| selves. Eve never had nobody in all
ny life, not one. The fust thing re-
MHmtcr was bein' an orphan an fight
n for my grub, Now I'm goin' to ask
81 - sheer your homes with ne for
| I."f hour or 50. I've been watchin you
nj thinkin' it over. Wen be sayin'
lily in Il few weeks an mebbc won't
.cr see each other ag'in Won't you
| 3cer your wives an babies with me
| ~ Il little while? You've got letters
il photographs. an We can tell me
SHAT they do an say am how they
look. It'll be something for me to think
about arter we separate"
| Il don't mind" said Dikker. He drew
| / package from his pocket. worn and
| Soiled by much handling. and took
from it the photograph Of middle
aged woman, which he passed across
to Moses. Then he read his letters
| Trough, one 10y one. slowly.
we've been married thirty two
| .a"s," he said as he finished. IAN
| !cre'S only jest we two. But LizZy's
| he best woman ON Gods earth. | was
carGer in a cotton mill, an Lizzy
worked in the weave shop She works
IN the weave shop now. It'll be Il great
thing for me to go back with money
enough to set her up so she won't have
TO work another blessed day in all her
| life"
| I've got whole paSSlc," said Sam
! n answer to Moses inguiriug look.