The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1915-07-29
A Miner S
Love Story
Bv DWIGHT NORWOOD


were sitting out under the blue heaV-
ens after supper smoking their pipes
and irving to get rid of the time which
hing heavy on their hands when they
were not AT work. The literature OF
uneducated persons, be they sailors,
soldiers or laborers, is yarns. and the
man who can supply them Is the best
fellow.
81 don't mind" said Jim. taking his
pipe out of his mouth, 'givin' you
story, but | feel kind O. backward
about IL, 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
a love story out O. Jim. and he's to be
the lover"
Jim put his pipe back into bis mouth
and said nothing more. 1t was evil
dent that be had been scared of. But
after a good deal OF coaxing ne was
persuaded and started in:
1T was when ! was prospectn
along the creek. the first of on the
gold fever in these parts. Most o the
bows 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 fired down in the valley below
me. started up and listened. 1t was
lust comm dawn. and everything ex-
cept an occasional shot was still as
the stars fadin above that no man
has ever heard a sound come from.
Thinks 1. reckon III just drop down
there and see what's goin' on. So
TUX my rife and meandered down
among rocks and trees till | come to
the edge of a clearin'. By this time
it was gettin' light enough to see. and
I seen. There beneath me was a man
and a woman tryin to hold of three
men. There was a pile O. dirt beside
a hole in the ground. and the man and
woman was firm from behind the pile.
IL 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 1t and
was tryin' to drive 'em away. Bout
that time a gal come outer a cabin
beside the hole and handed some am
munitiOn to the man and the woman
Then she TUX a place behind the dirt
pile and begun to pump lead at the
men herself
Them was the days when every
time a rife was fired II had to be
loaded ag'in. I 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.
I knowed she was hit. and II made me
mad to see a gal struck Hike that with
lead fred by a man. l let drive. and
I 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 II got In a 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' OF up where l was. and al
though 1t foated quiet. like a bit o.
fleece cloud in the sky above. 1t made
him jump. He didn't seem to know
what to do. KEEP out O. sight. and
he didn't know whether there was
one o. me or dozen. he looked at
the two dead men. then lit out
Il just dropped down among the fam
lily to see how bad they was hurt They
was so unsartin about who had helped
'em out and so anxious about each
others wounds that they didn't know
whether to take notice o. me or the
wounded I went for the gal and
stanched the blood from her shoulder
while the woman was pickin' ND the
man. There was two wounded and
two Of US all right. The man was shot
through the lungs and was in a 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.
THE gals wound was bound M, 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. I 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 payin'
dirt, and since I'd saved him and his
wife's and daughters lives I was vel.
come to any part O. the mine I wanted.
l tole him ] wasn't so low down as to
take a mine for little thing like that
ana was goin' away when the woman
onered me lump O. gold she'd had a
long while. I tole her that was too
much for two lead bullets, all I'd spent
on 'em. and was goin' away ag'in when
me gal asked me eff there really wasn't
somepin they could give me for what
I'd done for 'em.