The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-11-07
Doref spoke up reassur-
copva,enr.,soe ~ HARPER q BROTHERS


ingly:
"Dere's no use gettin' scare lax dat
because nobody knows Were Lees
creek she's locate but John an me,
an dere's nobody wat knows he max
de strike but us four"
"That's right" said Gale. 1.-THE only
other way across is by Black Bear
creek, and there amt a half dozen men
ever been up to the head Of that
stream, much less over the divide, so
I don't allow there's any use to fret
ourselves"
They went on their way, travelling
leisurely until late evening, when they
| camped at the mouth of the valley up
which the miners cabin lay. Camp
had been made early at Gales sugges-
ton instead of pushing on a few miles
farther, as Lee had intended, and now,
when the cool evening fell and the
draft quickened, it became possible to
lay off gloves and headgear, SO they
sat about the fire, talking, smoking
and rubbing their tired feet.
1t is at such hours and in the smoke
of such fires that men bark backward
and bring forth the sacred, time worn
memories they have treasured to turn
them over fondly by the glow Of dying
embers.
"No Creek" Lee, the N eyed miner
who had made this lucky strike, told
in simple words of his long and soil
tary quest, when i'll luck had risen
Nth him at the dawn and misfortune
had stalked beside him as he drifted
and drank from camp to camp, while
the gloom of a settled pessimism
soured him, and men began to shun
him because of the evil mat seemed
to follow in his steps.
i've been rainbow chasin' forty
years." he said, "and never caught
nothin' but cramps and epidemics
and inflamations. I'm the only miner
in Alaska that never had a creek
named after him."
els that how you got your name?"
asked Runnion.
self nor nobody else. I just occupied
space"
Finally Gale arose. remarking Sleep
lily that 1t was time to turn in If they
wished to get any rest before the mos
quitoes got bad again, then sauntered
away from the fire and spread his
blanket. The rest followed and made
down their beds, then, drawing on
gloves and hac nets and rolling them
selves up in their coverings, fell to
snoring-all except the trader, who
lay for hours on his back staring up at
the stars, as If trying to solve some
riddle that baffled him.
They awoke early and in half an
hour had eaten, remade their packs
and were ready to sun their march.
As they were about to start Gale said:
II reckon we'd better settle right
now who has the choice of locations
when we get up yonder. I've been on
stampedes whe-a It saved a heap of
hard feelng."
I'm agreeable" said Stark. "Then
there won't be any misunderstanding"
The others, being likewise old at the
game, acquiesced. They knew that In
such cases grave trouble has often oc-
Cured when two men have cast eyes
on the same claim and have felt the
miners causeless ''hunch' that gold
lies here or there or that the ground
one of them covets is wanted by the
other.
"I1l hold the straws," said Lee, "and
every Teller will have an even break"
Turning his back on the others, he cut
four splinters of varying lengths, and,
arranging them so that the ends peep
ed evenly from his big hand, he held
them out.
'.The longest one has the first choice,
and Sc on" he said, presenting them
to Gale, who promptly drew the long
est of the four. He turned to Doret,
but the Frenchman waved him cour-
teously to Stark, and when both he and
| Runnion had made their choice Lee
handed him the remaining one, which
was next in length to that Of the
trader. Stark and Runnion qualified in
! the order they drew, the latter ours
ing his evil luck.
"Never min, ole man." laughed Pole
on; "de las shot she's de sure wan"
They took up their burdens again
and fled toward the narrow valley.