The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-03-11
A Miner S
I Love Story
By DWIGHT NORWOOD


was one Of party of miners who
were sitting out under the blue heav-
ems after supper smoking their pipes
and trying to get rid of the time which
hung heavy on their hands when they
were not at work. The literature OF
uneducated persons, be they sailors,
soldiers OF laborers, is yarns, and the
man who can supply them is the best
fellow.
Il don't mind" said Jim, taking his
pipe out of his mouth, "givin' you a
story, but / feel kind o. backward
about it, SEEM I'm the hero of 1t, and
there's a heroine"
well, now, we like that" said one
OF the party. Boys. we're goin' to get
love story out O. Jim, and he's to be
the lover"
Jim put his pipe back into his mouth
and said nothing more 1t was EVIL
dent that he had been scared off. But
after a good deal of coaxing he was
persuaded and started in:
1T was when was prospectin'
gold fever in these parts. Most O. the
boys was washin' for gold right here
on the creek, but some of us lit out to
see what we could git furder up,
where Georgetown is now. | camped
one night on the side of the divide
and was Weakened toward mornin' by
shots fred down in the valley below
me. l started up and listened. 1t was
just comm dawn, and everything ex-
cept an occasional shot was still as
the stars fadin' above that no man
has ever heard sound come from.
thinks |, reckon RI just drop down
there and see what's goin' on. So ]
TUX my rifle and meandered down
among rocks and trees till l come to
the edge of a clearin'. By this time
it was gettin' light enough to see, and
I seen. There beneath me was man
and a woman tryin' to hold OF three
men. There was pile o. dirt beside
hole I'm the ground, and the man and
woman was FIRM from behind the pile.
81 TUX In the situation at onct. The
man and the woman had been diggin'
for gold, and the others was claim
| Jumpers. Like enough the diggers
had struck payin' dirt and them as
was firm at 'em had got on to it and
was tryin' to drive 'em away. Bout
that time a gal come outer cabin
| beside the hole and handed some am
munition to the man and the woman.
| Then she TUX place behind the dirt
| pile and begun to pump lead at the
| men herself.
Them was the days when every
| time a rife was fred 1t had to be
| loaded ag'in. | had no load In mine.
but / had some ammunition. Before
l could get it into my gun the man
| below was hit and fell senseless, leav-
| in the two women to defend their
selves as best they could agin three
men. The men thinkin' they had an
easy Job Of it started to rush 'em.
Just then l got my gun loaded and
| at the same time seen the gal drop her
gun and put her hand to her shoulder.
| knowed she was hit. and It made me
mad to see q gal struck like that with
lead fred by a man. let drive. and
l dropped the first man that left cover
to make the rush.
THAT kind O. clustered the Jumpers.
| They didn't realize at first where my
shot come from. While they was
thinkin' about it l got in fresh load
and dropped another man. This only
| TUX two of 'em, but two out left only
one. He caught sight Of little smoke
driftin' Off up where ! was, and al
though it floated quiet, like bit o
fleece cloud IN the sky above. it made
him Jump. He didn't seem to know
| what to do II KEEP out o. sight. and
he didn't know whether there was
one o. me or a dozen. He looked at
| the two dead men. then lit out.
II just dropped down among the FAM
| fly to see how bad they was hurt. They
was so unsartin about who had helped
'em out and 80 anxious about each
others wounds that they didn't know
whether to take notice O. me or the
wounded. ! went for the gal and
stanched the blood from her shoulder
while the woman was pickin' up the
| man. There was two wounded ana
two of us all right. The man was shot
through the lungs and was in purity
bad way. lit out for a doctor and
got one there by noon. He said that
the mans wound wasn't mortal, but
1t was a mighty close call.
1.-The gals wound was bound up. and
she was well on to recovery In ten
days. but the man-her father-was
nigh on to six weeks before he was
out o. the woods. ! stayed with 'em
and TUX care Of 'em, and when they
| got Strengthened out bid 'em goodby
and was goin' away. The man stopped
me and told me that he'd struck pay1n'
dirt, and since I'd saved him and his
wife's and daughters lives | was wei
come to any part o. the mine wanted.
I tole him I wasn't so low down as to
take mine for little thing like that
and was goin' away when the woman
offered me lump O. gold she'd had
long while. tole her that was too
much for two lead bullets, all I'd spent
on 'em, and was goin' away ag'in when
| the gal asked me eff there really wasn't
somepin they could give me for what
I'd done for 'em.
"'Well,' said. scratchin' my head,
EFF you insist on maxim payment l
reckon I'll take you"
The speaker stopped, and one OF the
n.