Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-02-18

quite able to care for herself anC
little Jesse till he should return from
Pixies Peak a rich man, she would
make no objection to the plan. MOI
did she. for as she afterward re
marked to Mrs. Feedwell, at would
have done no good. Am had hi:
heart set on goin' with them pros
pectors an she reckoned it must be
for the best or it wouldn't be So"
On the third day after their arri
val at the Mississippi the prospectors
resumed their journey westward
and in the course of time, after many
mishaps and more or less danger
from the Indians who in small par
ties occasionally lowered about them
causing them much annoyance al
night by their endeavors to STAN
pede the horses but doing them very
little damage-the prospectors fl
nally reached their destination al
Pixies Peak, where they at once made
such dispositions as seemed most ia
vorable for their success. And here
dear reader, we must bid adieu, how
ever reluctantly, to Mr.. Amaziaf
Badleigh for we shall never meet
with him again.
1t was not long after the gold
seekers had resumed their weary
treck that he began to show his pre-
vailing characteristic, the inevitable
disposition to take things easy, for
as he remarked -" they didn't seem
to be no great need o'tearin' round
like all git out, seem as how they
want nothin' toh be done 'cept jist
ridin' in tn Vaughn"
Now it appears that Amaziah's
philosophy did not impress his part
ner favorably, indeed it was only less
impressive than his inactivity; nor
was that worthy person, the partner
at all slow to evince pronounced
aversion to Mr.. Badleigh's ways, or
to make his aversion known, at first
in quiet hints, and afterward in
terms that would admit of no mis-
understanding. Unfortunately ANA
ziah either through sheer indiffer-
ence or unaccountable stubborness
failed to profit by his partners OBJ
jections; there was little If any i'm
provement in him as day after day
they proceeded on their way. When
at length they had reached their
Eldorado, and began in earnest to
search for gold, hard labor was con-
tinually demanded with small prom
Use of reward There was so little
encouragement in all this wearing
toll that Badleigh utterly unaccus-
toned to hard labor in any form,
soon refused absolutely to do his
share of the work OF course the
partner repudiated the double bur-
den, declaring that he would not be
imposed upon any longer; whereup-
son an open quarrel was precipitated,
the men came 70 blows, knives were
drawn and in the ARRAY, Amaziah
BadIeigh lost his life.
CHAPTER w.
1t was almost two years after her
husbands violent death that Mrs.
Badleigh, one afternoon in the month
of August, was surprised to discover
upon some vacant lots near the
boarding house of Mrs Feedwell, the
men and teams her late consort had
Joined in their goldseeking expedi-
tion 10 Colorado. She was of course
greatly shocked to learn OF the
death of her husband, from
whom she had heard never a
word since his going away two years
previously. But inasmuch as it is
not our province to pry into the per-
sonal griefs of our friends, we may
only remark that as nearly two years
had elapsed since his taking off and
as the manner of his death was as
cribed to accident she in due time
became quite reconciled
The men who had left the Miss
issippi river in such good spirits and
with such high hopes of success had
returned empty-handed. They had
failed to find gold in paying quaint
ties, and since there was little pros.
pect Of any other employment suffi
GENTLY remunerative in Colorado al
that time, they had left the country
re-crossed the desert and were once
more at the great river on their
treck back to their former homes
The wagon-cover, which on their way
out had borne the words
pixies PEAK OR BUST"
was now adorned with a sentiment
much more appropriate to and il
harmony with their present condi'
ton and feelings.
BUSTED by Thunder"
At that period most of the country
beyond the Mississippi river was vir.
gin soil. The settlers were few and
distant from each other. Albeit
there was a steady unbroken move
.,,,I Inx,