The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-12-08

" VI pdEtDtT " lew udNS ldleT,
indicating II 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 immoderateiy. for
the object was unusually tall and loose
1ointed and wore II soled suit of yellow
macktnaw. He had laid off his coat.
and now the baggy. bilious trousers
hung precarionsly from his angular
shoulders by suspenders Of alarming
frailty His legs were lost in gum
boots. also loose and eavernoHs, and
his entire costume looked relaxed and
Tapping. so that he gave the impress
sion Of being able to shake himself out
of his raiment and to rise like a bur-
lesque Aphrodite. His CAGE was over
grown with grizzlt tangle that
looked as though it had been trimmed
with buttonhole scissors, while above
the brush heap grandly scared shiny,
domeliSe head.
HAS he always been bald?"
Nav. He amt bald at all He
Ehaves his mob In the early days he
wore a long fiowin name which was
tnha bted by crickets. tree toadS and
such fauna, 1t got to be a hobby with
him finally, so that he growed supersti-
tious about goin' uncurried and would
back into corner with both guns
drawed If a barber came near him.
But once Hank-that's his real name
undertook to fry some slapjacks and in
Eivln' the skillet a heave, the dough lit
among his forest primeval, jest back
Of his ears, soft side down. Hank pol
mted the gu1ch with langwidge which
NO man had ought to keep in himself
without it was fumigated. Disreppita-
bleness oozed out through him like
sweat through an ice pitcher, an since
then he's been known as SIapjack
Nmms an has kept his head shingled
smooth as n gun bar'l He's good
@iner, though Amt none better-an'
square as die"
Sluicing had begun on the Midas.
Long sinuous lengths of canvas hose
wound down the creek bottom from
the dam, like gigantic serpents. while
the roll OF gravel through the fumes
mingled musically with the rush of
waters. the tinkIe OF tools and the song
of steel on rock. There were four
strings" of boxes abreast. and the
heaving line of shoyelers ate rapidly
into the creek bed. while teams with
scfapers splashed through the tail races
II an atmosphere of softened profanity.
IN the big white tents which sat back
from the bluffs, fifty men of the night
shift We're asleep, for there is no re-
epite here-no night, no Sunday no
halt, during the hundred days in which
ehe northland lends herself to piIlage
The mine lay Graded between woli-
Gerful, messy, willow mottled noun,
tSins, while above and below the gulch
was dotted with tents and huts, and
everywhere. from basin to hill crest,
men dug and blasted, punily. patiently,
while their tracks grew daily palmer
0ger the face of this inscrutable will
eerness.
a great contentment filed the two
p0rtners as they looked on this scene.
70 wrest from reluctant. earth her
richest treasures, to add to the wealth
Of the world, to create--here was sat
isfaction.
I'VE amt Robin no widders am
orphans dom it, neither" Dextry sud
denly remarked, expressing his part
ner's feelings closely. They looked at
each other and smiled with that rare
understanding that exceeds words
Descending into the cut, the old man
filled gold pan with dirt taken from
under the feet of the workers and
washed 1T in puddle. while the other
watched his dexterous whirling mo-
lions. When he had finished they
poked the stream of yellow grains into
a pile; then, with heads together
guessed its weight laughing again de-
lightedly, in perfect harmony and con-
tentment.
1--WE been waitin' a turrible time fer
this day said the elder. I've suf-
fered the pl agues of prospectin' from
the Mexicos to the Circle, an yet I
don't begretc oh it none now that I've
struck pay"
While they spoke two miners strug-
gled with bowlder they had unearth-
ed and. havi ng scraped and washed 1t
carefully. st aggered back to place 1t on
the cleaned bedrock behind. One of
them slippe d, and it crashed against
brace which held the siuices in place.
These boxes stand more than mans
height above the bedrock, resting on
supporting posts and running full OF
water. Shollld sluice fall the rush.
ing stream aries out the gold which
has lodged In the rifles and foods the
bedrock, raj sing havoc. Too late the
partners saws the string Of boxes sway
and bend at the joint; then, before
they could reach the threatened spot
TO support 1t, Siapjack Simms, with q
shrek. plunged Tapping down intp the
cut and seized the dume. His great
height stood him in good stead now,
for where the joint had opened water
poured forth In cataract He dived
under the breach unhesitatfngly and.
STOPPING, lifted the line as near to It's
former level rs possible, holding the
entire burden upon bis naked pate.
He gestieulated wildly for helix
sIhlie over him poured the deluee oE
Icy, muddy water. Il entered his g4p~
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