Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-23

MR.. GRIFFIN TOLD FEB THEY MUST PART.
| he was about to start a rawboned
! country boy stepped up to him and
/ said:
Say, mister, won't you take me
along?'
whats your name:' asked Griffin
of the boy.
"Zeb''
"Zeb what?"
81 don't know. Father and mother
were killed by Indians on the plains.
was picked up by buffalo hunters"
Have you any homer"
"No.''
Little Molly Griffin stood by the wag-
on listening to this dialogue, and her
big blue eyes were filed with pity. She
said nothing. but remained intent on
what her father was saying.
Have you no clothes but those you
have on?' he asked the boy.
mo"
Griffin remained silent a few mo-
ments, celebrating. Then he said:
Il want boy about your age to help
with the horses and anything else
there is to be done on the way. I'll
give you your grub, but I've nothing
else for you. If you want to so with
US on those terms you may
Il do
"Well, come along with me. Those
clothes wouldn't last you halfway.
You'll need an overcoat when we get to
the mountains, and 1 must have an
other blanket. Reckon we have buffa-
10 robes enough"
Mrs. Griffin called her husband aside
and expressed doubt as to the pro-
priety of taking with them a waif who
was entirely unknown to them, but
Griffin said he would need some one.
Zeb proved a valuable acquisition.
He soon learned to harness and unhar-
ness the horses and was very useful in
and loading the wagons |
when the party camped under the |
stars. When Griffin was obliged to |
make repairs the boy proved very |
handy as an assistant. 1t was the |
first time in his life that he had been |
4 member of a family, and he seemed !
delighted with the association, the du-
lies and the experience of travelling all
lay and camping at night with the
others.
A recital of the adventures of the
party would fill a volume. There is
,nly room here to say that after
many mishaps and dangers they
cached the mountains and after many
more mishaps and dangers passed over
hem and finally struck the region of
he gold diggings. BY this time Zeb
lad become a fixture in the family. 1t
would have been cruel to send him
18th him.
Griffin had brought some money
With him, which he invested in mines
hat had been partially developed But
or long while none of these invest
lents turned out to be very profitable.
feanwhile Zeb grew to be young
IAN and gave indications OF having
prung from parents above the aver
ge in the social scale. He had ont
rown doing chores for the Griffin
lmiIy. but had not outgrown his in
crest in them. Mr.. and Mrs. Griffin
'ere the only parents he had ever
nown. and. as for Molly. he would at
ny time have given his head to graf.
~ within of hers. But as he grew :
lder he took his pick and shovel and
tarted forth 10 try his luck as pros
ector.
When Griffin had been in California :
TX years he struck 5onanza He !
ought partly developed mine for a
onS and sold it for fortune. The
mount he received for it was 4aO
ounds of gold. :
IL must be remembered that Califor-
la was still an inaccessible country.
% reach the Atlantic coast by land i,
ne same perilsus Journey the Grifiins :
nd taken 10 reach the Peeifc must be !,
ken again. To go by sea meant
'mething. though less dangerous. al