The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-02-04
A Miner 5
Love Story
3, DWIGHT NORWOOD
Jim. tell us a story"

Jim was gold miner on Clear creek,
Colorado. q good many years ago. He
was one Of party Of miners who
were sitting out under the blue heavs
ems after supper smoking their pipes
and trying to get rid Of the time which,
hung heavy on their hands when thay:
were not at work. The literature OF
uneducated persons, be they sailors,
soldiers or laborers. IL yarns, and the
man who can supply them IL the best,
fellow.
II don't mind" said Jim, taking bis
pipe out OF his mouth. "givin' you q
story. but feel kind O. backward
about It. SEEM I'm the hero Of it. and
there's 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 his mouth
and said nothing more 1t was evi.
dent that he had been scared Oh. Bot,
after good deal Of coaxing be was
persuaded and started In: a
ut was when was prospectin'
along the creek. the 6rst OF on the
gold fever In these parts. Most o. the
boys was washin' for gold right here
on the creek, but some Of % lit out to
see what we could git furder up,
where Georgetown IL 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
Just comm dawn. and everything ex.
cept an occasional shot was still al
the stars fadin' above that no man
has ever heard sound come from.
thinks l. reckon I'll Just drop down
there and see what's goin' on. So l
TUX my rife and meandered down
among rocks and trees till l come to
the edge Of clearin'. By this time
1t 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
hole in the ground, and the man and
woman was FIRM from behind the pile.
II 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 firin' at 'em had got on to it and
was tryin' to drive 'em away. Bout
that time 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. 4
"Them was the days when every
time ride was fred 1t had to be
loaded ag'in. had no load In minssy
but had some ammunition. Before
could get It into my gun the man
below was hit and fell senseless, leav-
in the two women 10 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 I got my gun loaded and
at the same time seen the gal drop her
gun and put her hand to her shoulder.
l knowed she was hit, and 1t made me
mad to see gal struck like that with
lead fred by man. let drive. and
dropped the first man that left cover
to make the rush.
'"That kind o. 6ustered the Jumpers.
They didn't realize at first where my
shot come from. While they was
thinkin' about 1t 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 doated quiet like a bit O
fleece cloud in the sky above. It 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. mo or a dozen. He looked at
the two dead men, then lit out
II Just dropped down among the fam.
ny to see how bad they was hurt They
was % unsartin about who had helped
'em out and 20 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' up the
man. There was two wounded and i,
two Of % all right. The man was shot
through the lungs and was in a purity 4
bad way. lit out for q doctor and /.
got one there BY noon. He said that
the mans wound wasn't mortal, but
It was mighty close call.
The gals wound was bound M. ana
she was well on to recovery In ten
days, but the man-her father-was
nigh on to six weeks before be 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 payin'
dirt. and since I'd saved him and bis
wffe's and daughters lives was vel.
come to any part o. the mine I wanted.
! tole him I wasn't 90 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 4
much for two lead hnlleta all III .popt