The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1914-04-07
A Son of Dixie Story
BY Il. Bart Horton

FRANCES owens mad been Scrut1n1Z1ng Jim
Bennett carefully, and the result of her observa-
tions pleased her. Tall we'll built with clean-cut
features and sunny hair, he was more than an
ordinarily good-looking specimen of manhood
with him, and she said to him: eff you are in no
particular hurry to file that claim, you would
find it comfortable sitting up here than
standing down there, and l would like to have
you tell me about your strike
Jim accepted the invitation with alacrty
Before he had seen the girl he had been in
hurry to file his claim and to satisfy his cravings
for a square meal, more acute as he neared
of Jims thoughts for the last five six years.
but he had occasionally wondered just what the
girl of his dreams would look like, and it now
flashed across his mind that this question was
beside her in the grass and took up the book
that she had been reading and casually glanced at
it, he said: eff you fond of the Broad High
way as l am, certainly have strong mutual
friend"
Indeed, 1 am fond of it," she answered.
won't you tell about your striker"
ct certainly, looks like good one; in fact,
am confident that there is quite a little fortune
in it. l had been knocking around for the past
eight months, gradually working my way south
ward without much success, and a little more
than week ago 1 found that my supplies
nearly gone and my exchecquer running
very low, so | determined to abandon mining
for a while and make for this section to get
job a ranch. Two days later l found myself
at little stream, and, bending over to get some
water, l saw unmstakabe evidences of gold in
the sand. I had no way to pan it except with
my camp skillet so / stayed over until the next
day. staked my claim, and here I am practically
broke, rather hungry but more than pleased
with my life and surroundings
what you going to do if you haven't
sufficient money to outfit you while you are
working it," She asked him.
swell, that's the question that has been puz-
cling me-" he said. "Of course if it's only
placer deposit it will only require very simple
equipment. The main thing is to secure supplies
three months, and then get busy"
"Why not come over to our place? 1 heard
father say yesterday that he could use couple
more men"
Il surely would be glad to go back there
morrow and ask him for job"
Frances rose and said, "It's time that was
making for the ranch. My pony is hobbled over
in that little canyon, and we ride part way
back together"
When Jim left Frances Owens and took
the trail for Wharton, he had already come
to the conclusion that there elements in
life sweeter than the call of the Wild" The
next day he rode over to the Owens ranch and
ing instincts, Jim Bennett was not only a first
class cowboy in every respect, but everything he
did do he did we'll. He did not see anything of
Frances for he Immediately sent to ride one
of the northern boundaries of the ranch. This
had been a rather severe disappointment to him,
for the girl fever rapidly displacing the gold
fever in his mind. While the post he had was
only seven eight miles from the ranch, it
required at that particular time of the year the
most constant vigilance, so that he had to liter
ally sleep on the job and could not get into the
ranch house
Jim Bennett, riding his pony, at walk, with
son on the back of his head, was laying bare the
secrets of his heart to his broncho, and that ap-