Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-11-05
CHAPTER vi.
~ YHO's your new shift boss?"
A Glenister inquired of his
wv partner few days later,
Indicating n man In the cut
CHAPTER vi.

I1O . your new SullL UOSS
IA Glenister inquired of his
wv partner few days later,
Indicating man in the cut
below, busted in setting line Of
sluices.
"That's old Slapjack Simms, friend
Of mine from up Dawson way"
Glenister laughed immoderately. for
the object was unusually tall and loose
Jointed and wore soiled suit of yellow
mackinaw. He had laid off his coat,
and now the baggy, bilious trousers
hung precariously from his angular
shoulders by suspenders Of alarming
frailty. His legs We're lost in gum
boots, also loose and cavernous, and
his entire costume looked relaxed and
Tapping, so that lie gave the impress
sion of being able to shake himself out
of his raiment and to rise like Il bur
lesque Aphrodite. His face was over
grown with grizzled tnngle that
looked as though 1t had been trimmed
with buttonhole scissors, while above
the brush heap grandly scared q shiny,
domclilc head.
HAS he always been bald?"
"Naw! He amt bald ut all. He
shaves his mob. In the early days lie
wore Il long tlowln' name which was
inhabited by crickets, tree toads and
such fauna. 1t got to be hobby with
him finally, SO that he growed supersti-
tious about goin' uncurrled and would
back into corner with both guns
drawcd if barber came near him
But once Hank-that's his real name e
undertook to fry some slapjacks and i'll
givin' the skillet n heave, the dough lii
among his forest primeval, jest back
OF his ears, soft side down. Hank pol
luted the gulch with langwldge which
no man had ought to keep in himself
without it was fumigated. Disreppit;i
bleness oozed out through him like
sweat through an ice pitcher, an since
then he's been known as Slapjack
Simms an has kept his head shingled
smooth as gun bar'l. He's q good
miner, though. Amt none better-an
square as die"
Sluicing had begun on the Midas
Long slnuous lengths of canvas hose
wound down the creek bottom from
the dam, like gigantic serpents, while
the roll Of gravel through the fumes
mingled unsteady with the rush OF
waters, the tinkle of tools aud the song
Of steel OH rock. There were foul
Strings" Of boxes abreast. and the
heavng line Of shovelers ate rapidly
into the creek bed, while teams Will
scrapers splaslled through tho tail races
an atmosphere Of softened profanity
In the big white tents which sat bach
from the bluffs, fifty men OF the night
| shift We're asleep, for there is no re
| spite hcre-no night, no Sunday, III
halt, during the hundred days in whict
the northland lends herself to pllage
The mine lay Graded between won
derful, messy, willow Mottled noun
tains, while above and below the gulcl
was dotted with tents and huts ant
everywhere, from basin to hill crest
men dug and blasted, punlly. patiently
while their tracks grew daily palmer
over the face Of this inscrutable vii
derness.
great conteutment filed the two
partners as they looked on this scene
To wrest from reluctant earth he
! richest treasures, to add to the wealth
Of the world, to create-here was sat
lsfaction.
eve amt Robin no widders an
orphans dom It, neither" Dextry sud
denly remarked. expressing his part
ner's feelings closely. They looked n
each other and smiled with that rul,
understanding that exceeds words.
Descending into the cut the old MAJ
filled gold pan with dirt taken from
under the feet of the workers ant
washed it in q puddle, while the othe
watched his dcXterous whirling mo
lions. When he had finished they
poked the stream of yellow grains int,
pile; then. with heads together
guessed its weight, laughing again dc
lightedly, in perfect harmony and CON
tentment
I've heen waitin' n turribs time fc
this day" said the elder. I've suf