The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-11-19


out TO honor the arrival OF Old Joe
Cunnill. whom. three months before.
The very dogs had not considered
worth a bark.
! An echoing whistle from far down
\ the canyon at last brought silence. and
the crowd made way for the recep-
/ tion committee TO step close TO the
I track. With a warning screech from
the engine and a changing OF the bell
the train swept around a curve. rum
bled over the bridge. and stopped. pun
ing impauently. Saugers held its
breath.
! At last familiar figure was seen
10 descend from the high steps. All
/ aboard shouted the conductor. sig
mailing the engineer.
As the engine began ii gather mo-
mentum slowly. in puffy Jerks, for the
] upgrade run, there was spilled from
( the second day coach an accumulation
OF females Of assorted sizes. which
piled up in heap on the cindery path
beside the track, then rose. one by
one. and my,ekly tagged the steUs Of
Joseph Cunnill. capitalist.
The train crept out Of sight around
the curve. but Sauger's did not know
It. The brass band was silent. and the
reception committee stood stock still.
and stared stupidity. The committee,
at last, regained its presence OF mind.
and stepped up TO Old Joe, but Sau
gers guest of honor was timidly ma
king for the trail behind the station,
which was the short cut to the town
Isaac Pendleton stopped him Here
Joe, old fellow. you amt goin to give
us the cold shoulder, are you? What
you in such a hurry for2"
"Ask-ask her; she'll tell ye," he
stammersd, pointing behind him The
gaze Of the crowd was transferred to
the aggregation Of females. which pre-
sented q shrinking front to the pub
lie eye. The oldest. OF about 10 sum-
meTs, unkempt and forlorn-eyed, gath
cred the youngest, aged two. TO her
breast grouped around her the re-
naming seven, ranging from IS down,
and cast her eyes on the ground in
frightened confusion. The old miner
braced himself. and turned brayely
toward the crowd. We'll. ye see. Mr..
PendletOn,' he said. keeping his eye
on the mild-faced storekeeper, lit was
somethin' like this. was prospect
ina smile went the rounds OF the
crowd-"an' that night the mule died.
an | was peggin' along afoot. kinder
lonesome, an / come across, down the
creek, woman and eight kids what
their husband and father had died a
week before, and she'd been doin' odd
Jobs round the diggin's and was clean
beat out an lonely-like. Well. rnen
come along, she jest cried. she was
so glad to see me, cause looked like
her old dad, an the children called
me grandpap. An she was goin' to
pull up stakes an make tracks for the
poor farm. So | sez: Come along
with me TO the parsons. the one what
peddles his gospel talk through the
minin' country sez /, because there
didn't seem to be nothin' else TO do.
seems how she didn't have no per.
tector. An | thought mebbe We
wouldn't be terrible put out. gentle
men, IL used the rest OF the money
to come back TO Sauger's an set up
Nelly n,She children"
The crowd was very quiet.
But what about your pile, Joe?"
asked Spandling after a moment
How much. and where did you make
the striker"
''Strike?" repeated Joe in bewilder-
ment. Il didn't make none this time,
less Mely's the strike"
A groan ran through the multitude,
disappointment was pictured on a
hundred faces, some looked fairly men
acing. II was not often that Sauger's
bestirred itself as 1t had for this oc-
casion which had ended so absurdly.
They would be butt for the ridicule
Of the whole county.
Suddenly. the hotel man stepped up |
TO the woman and spoke to her in a
low tone. Then he faced the crowd.
Boys, you're scarin' the poor crit. |
turs to death, with the tender feelin'
for Charley Mason glarin' out Of your |
eyes. The reception committee will |
be responsible for the drawin' up OF |
a testimonial TO that gentleman; you
leave that TO us. But we're a pack Of |
fools, just the same. not TO see that
this is the biggest joke in California,
bigger than the Barneses' strike. II |
Old Joe didn't bring back nine times
more than We expected, then I'm
crazy. Whoever heard of claim that
panned out such nuggets as these
here?" pointing TO the eight young
women. Il find" he continued. that |
this estimable lady. Mrs. Joseph Gun.
mill. is past master at the wash tub.
What do you say to setting her up in
The Grubstake Laundry, and re
Questing that heather clothes-destroy
er. Chin Lee. to seek another sheep
ranger"
Saugers gave lusty roar. Clark
had touched vulnerable spot. Every