The Alaska citizen., 1910-08-13

the hat round and take up some nuggets fer the little girl to kinder ease her up while shes laid off
 So We took his cady and he start eI thc pile with ffty-one of them waller ,artwhcels. Then We made the rounds, took in saloons. mines and hoardin' houses. and when We fin ished up that night. We had 5000 in gold. with plenty of nuggets, too We took 'em to Dick and asst him to take the pile and give it to the lit ue girl with a purty speech, but, gee. he blusLed and said. No. boys. here's yer sIuff; go give il to the lit lie girl in yer incest way and tell her that owin' to her misfortune, an ] it bein' SO near Christmas time. her friends and admirers wish to show their sympathy by a gift as will en- able her to pass the holidays very merry-like. or somethin to that eff feet; but We couldn't get no more ou'en him. He jest froze up like he allers did with Us fellers
 We got Choteau Bill. who kep' sa- loon in the eulch. 10 slick hisself up to kill and he alters was dandy in his store clothes and mighty glib with his tongue-so as he could make the speech We'll. Bill. he got a purty pair of little slippers and had 'em all painted up with gold 1 little fclt,rs they wuz too, but they held them chunks jest the same 1 Then takiH one iu each hand he went to the parlor al the Home with l the rest of Us felers onto his heels There in a chair by the windcr set the little lady. Bill. with trimble | in his voice said.
 Miss King. otherwise Little Mug get. We. yer admirin friends, do hereby present yer with a golden token of our esteem, as well as our sympathy May this golden offerin boost yer spirits up bit, and with our best wishes fer a Merry Christ mas we pour these nuggets at yer little feet. and truly hope these emp " slippers may be worn before many days by them purity little feet. as l have kicked their way right inter our hearts and affections. So. here goes, boys. three cheers fer the Lit He Nugget, of Nugget HHl.'
 "Sech a cheer as went up in that old shack. The little lady wiped some tears oaten her eyes and said she'd send half to her mother and sister iu Chicago as were dependin' on her for serport Then We cheered for tine mother and sister, and all of us Jeff with big Jumps in our craws When We told Dick about it he said in the same sad-like way. Boys, don't none of yer ever fergit yer mothers and home folk
 Dick left of a student that night and I didn't see him no more until one day in April l stopped at Union City fer dinner, about a hundred mile from Nugget Hill, and who should see but Dreamy Dick. a limpin' into the eatin' station, his arm in sling and lookin more rest less and sadder'n ever. He didn't see me and didn't seem to notice no one. so l jest tended strictly to 1 bizness and eat my dinner. After bit Dick went out on the porch and set on a bench a gazin' off over the mountains. Purity soon he sighed big sigh, so I went to him and said:
 Sick, old boy? My, but he look ed scared But he held out that purity white han an said:
 "Out of luck. Bill; all knocked out My broncho got the best of me and Pm laidioff Do you know. Bill, life aint worth Twin when yer don't live in Gods country? l think I'll play quits, pull up stakes and leave Have a good mine to board yer schooner and go on with yer; would, if l thought my ankle wouldn't give me the devil-but I'm laid up fer repairs
 About six o'clock the next morn ing, as I was pullin' up to the breakfast station, who should I see but Dreamy Dick a saddlin' his cay use, as dapper as could be and as nimble as yer please He didn't look my way, but had a big hustle on him, and off he chased over the trail in the direction of the round up camp. Well, I couldn't fer the 1 life of me make out how that pore l boy. lame as he was. could manage to ride as he mustha' done all night and brace up so after bein so bust ed up as he was. Howsomever, he must have left right after I did, cut across the trail over the divide, got fresh cayuse and like as not would make Utah afore I could. That boy was a queer puzzle to me. A cow | puncher, a miner, and a dead swell -allers writin' and a sighin' and with a black devil for a tillicum l