The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-10-17
The Trade
Rat Mine
tc0pyrieht. BY shOrtstory pub. CO.,
BY Enstace v. Bray

FOR awhile along welldefned trail
on the banks of a brawHng branch Of
the Feather river, he is pretty sure to
come upon weatherbeaten basin.
and 10 be surprised by the singular
object under a glass case that may be
seen through its only window. Some
times the curious traveller also gets
q glimpse of the occupant Of this lone
~ abode, gaunt, bent old man, with
bair and beard and shaggy brows Of
slivery whiteness.
Bot there Is a kindly slnam in the
honest blue eyes beneath those shaggy
brows. undimmed even yet by the
hong years that have frosted the thin
hair and patriarchal beard, and at
tracted by the strange personality Of
the reciuse and the romance OF his
surroundings, visitors have from time
70 time won his confidence sufficiently
TO draw from him the particulars that
have become sublifnsted into the crys.
tal Of this strange story.
Horace Robb, though accustomed
from boyhood to live and look out for
himself, was by no means always
hermlt stunning his kind. He came
70 California IN the early ffties---not
= Apioneer. but follower In the track
af the earliest searchers for gold.
Youth. enthusiasm, restless energy.
and a determination to win q fortune
FOR her whom he had left behind were
his incentives TO untiring effort, but
fhey did not bring success The great.
sr the endeaVor, II seemed to him,
The smaller the result. Now and
again be found color or two. Just
snough TO keep him on the move
u Finally, tired, for the time, of roam.
fng. he relocated an abandoned placer
claim on this foaming branch OF the
reather river, inheriting with IL a de-
serted cabin and its mesger pleuishing
OF rude table, stool and bunk, and
rusty pots and ans. He stralghtened
up the rickety door, cleared out the
spring, and installed hts stock Of
bacon, beans and potatoes. Then he
settled down 10 days of weary tramp
ing with pick and pan and nights OF
deep, and dreamless sleep.
E For the second day of his sojourn,
Robb had found sticks, pebbles and
other trash among HIS beans, and at.
tributed the adulteration TO dishon.
est trader, but as the weeks went by
the stock of beans diminished with
alarming rapidity, while the refuse in.
creased in proportion. Next the DO.
cato sack seemed filing up with rub
oish, also, and the potatoes went fast
or than he ate them.
One day, returning suddenly TO the
cabin for forgotten implement, he
surprised great rat in the act Of drag.
gipg candle into a hole which Robb
had supposed TO be securely stopped,
and the cause of the disappearance OF
his supplies became apparent. But the
steady increase OF sticks and stones
was still a puzzle to him until he re.
called some of the queer tales told TO
him by miners OF the trade rats that
gre said TO be born with sense OF
3ustice. and cannot help trying to do
the square thing"
? Without stopping to theorize, he
determined 10 put the matter to prac.
deal proof, and when he went 70 his
next days work he placed a tempting
piece OF bacon rind on the stump
that served him as a sideboaru, leay-
ing the rat-hole still unstopped. When
he came home at night the bacon was
gone. and In it's place was a stone.
Day after day he repeated the ex-
psTfment, until II became a habit with
him TO put remnant of giiddle.cake
or bit OF bacon or potato skin upon
this stump, and invariably he found
~ night a chip or twig or pebble In
place of the vanished scrap of food.
II was a sort of barter, in which the
balance always showed on the wrong
side OF the ledger, but by keeping his
provisions in crude, tin.lined locker
OF his own construction, and allowing
tbe rat.hole 20 remain open, he not
only preserved his own rations from
nolestation, but inspired the trade
RAJ With such sense Of dependence
and Immunity that the big rodent
made a practice OF coming out OF his
hole In the quiet hours OF candle-light.
for a supplementary evening luncheon.
Sitting up on his launches, he would
wink his bright black eyes and wiggle
Ms whiskers TIL the patient miner
brought him bit of food
Things went ON this way for months,
and the trade rat, now almost tame,
was Robb's only companion and dis.
traction in many a lonely hour. All
nils time he was getting no gold 10
speak Of. his supplies were nearly
gone, and the prospects we're decided
" discouraging.
One mornings clear. crisp Cali
fornia morning Horace Robb put in
the customary place on the stump
small fragment from his fast empty.
n6 larder and started out In search Of
his fortune Just once more. He went to
stdinerent place, but there was no
different result, and he returned to his
cabin ~ the days end 80 near to
tears as man Of bis make ever
cSfnes rPerfunctoriiy no prepared
sad ate his meal which he meant 70
be the last In that place, except a
breakfast in the worning. Then as
listlessly be lighted candle. Us
- - ,falI stna,, M, xf,,Kn =. bors, Il 4, "a