The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-14
Roppy's
Surprise Party.
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You remember Hoppy? Well. he
was with a little bunch of us back
among the foothills of Nevada about
twenty years ago, where We were at
tempting to induce mother earth tc
1 give us a fortune, and where, 1 might
say incidentally, that we found it
and kept it-thanks to Hoppy.
He was one Of those lank, bony
creatures that nature puts on the
earth to show by way of contrast the
beauty and use of other mortals. He
got his name from his walk; 1t al
ways made me think Of a man trying
to run and changing his mind at the
last moment; it was a cross between
two gaits.
I'VE tolerated him for the simple
reason that so many other people arc
tolerated on earth-he was willing.
Willing to do US any favor or give us
any help that lay within his power,
and a quiet appreciation of what you
did for him - these were the two
things that distinguished him and led
US to forgive him for the many acct
dents that he was the chief instru-
ment in causing.
"We we're working the hills for all
we were worth and getting pretty
we'll discouraged when HopDy, who
was ahead of US, stumbled and slid
down the bank he had climbed,
throwing the gravel every which way.
Had it been any other of us we would
have cussed a little, but Hoppy SIM
ply rolled over and stared at some
thing he had unearthed. 1t was gold
dirt. And there we found our for
tune. We dug in it for all we were
worth, and after the days had gone
and we we're through every MA IN
the bunch had dust enough to make
him grin the rest Of his life.
well, to skip details, on the day
when we were packing up ready for
the ride to the nearest camp a man
rides I'D in a great stew and sweat to
tell US of a murder that had been
done somewhere in the valley, and
we Immediately offered to go and
help run down the men who had done
the dirty business.
$50 it was fixed up that Hoppy
should be left to guard the dust. 1t
looked foolish to me, but you know
how it is; we were in a sweat with
the excitement Of a man hunt and
perhaps a good gun fight thrown in,
yet some of the fellows thought that
Hoppy was just the man to put in the
position of guard, for he'd fight If we
told him to, like a cat in a corner.
1--WE rode of, leaving him behind
to keep an eye on the dust. The rest
of the story I have gathered from him
and it's mighty interesting. 1t seems
that we had no more than ridden out
of sight and hearing, or beyond the
reach OF a gunshot, when three men
rode from around the cliff to the gull
ly and came up to the shack.
"Hoppy saw them and he didn't
like their looks, but in those days it
was up to every man to be decent to
any pilgrim that struck his bunk. So
Hoppy walks out with that queer gait
of his and says: 'Howdy!' They
,grunted in reply, and the big fellow
of the three leans yer and Says:
kin we stop a minute, friend?'
"'Sure,' Hoppy answered, wishing
they were in China or some other ia
.booed place.
II suppose when they saw Hoppy
they thought they were going to have
a regular cinch in landing u gold,
but they made a mistake, as people
often did when they figured they
could go by Hoppy's personal appear
ance. You see, the whole thing was
a put-up Job; somewhere or other
they got hold of the truth that we
had a lot of dust up there, and they
got it into their heads that they
wanted it. So they cooked up that
a about the murder and the MUIR
.derer putting up a game fight and
wanting our help. We did just what
they wanted-rode off with the chap
while they dropped in on the scene to
do business.
"They got inside, but Hoppy had
his gun a little too handy, so they
didn't do anything except sit around
and CAB. Finally one Of the men
asked Hoppy for a drink of water.
.rhe pail was just beyond Hoppy, near
the door, and Hoppy invited him to
20 over and help himself, but there
was where Hoppy made a mistake.
Instead of handing the robber a glass
himself he let him go over. and the
first thing Hoppy knew there were
three husky chaps astride of his pitt