The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-08-29

without the blue aud silver jacket, was
buslly welding pickaX hundred
feet or so away His companion. or
servant was doing the heavier shovel
work.
why, oh, why" breathed johnny at
last. "do you suppose. If he must mine,
he doesn't buy himself a suit Of dun
garees or q flannel shirtY'
"I'll bet it's the first hard work he
ever did in his life surmised Yank.
"And I'll bet he won't do that very
long" I guessed.
But Don Gaspar seemed to have
more sticking power than we gave him
credit for We did not pay him much
further attention, for we were busy
with our own affairs, but every time
we glanced in his direction he appear
ed to be still at 1t. Our sack Of sand
was growing heavier, as, indeed, were
our limbs. AS matter of fact we
had been at harder work than any of
us had been accustomed to for very
long hours, beneath scorching sun,
without food and under strong excite
ment. We did not know when to quit,
but the sun at last decided it for us by
dipping below the mountains TO the
west.
The following days were repllcas or
.he first. We ate hurriedly at odd
times; we worked feverishly; we sank
into our tumbled blankets at night too
tired to wiggle. But the buckskin sack
Of gold was swelling and rounding out
most satisfactorily. By the end of the
week it contained over a pound!
But the long hours, the excitement
and the inadequate food told on our
nerves. We snapped at each other
impatlently at times and once or twice
came near to open quarrellng. Johnny
and / were constantly pecking at each
other over the most trivial concerns.
One morning we were halfway to
the bar when we remembered that we
had neglected to picket out the horses.
1t was necessary for one of us to go
back. and we were all reluctant to
do so.
"Pll be - il I'm going to lug way
up that hill" i growled to myself II
tied them up yesterday. anyway"
Johnny caught this.
"Well, 1t wasn't your turn yester.
day." he pointed out, "and Il is today.
I've got nothing to do with what you
chose to do yesterday"
"Or any other day." / muttered.
"Whats that" cried Johnny trucu.
lently. 81 couldn't hear Speak upF'
Htts aryft. nfh
er malevolently.
"Thatll do" said Yank, with an un.
expected tone of authority. Nobody
will 60 back and nobody will go ahead.
Well just sit down on this log yere
while we smoke one pipe apiece. I've
got something to say"
Johnny and | turned on him with
certain belligerency mingled with sur.
prise. YanlS had so habitually acted
the part of taciturnity that his decided
air of authority confused us. His
Blouch had stralghtened; his head was
up; his mild eye sparkled. Suddenly
felt like bad small boy, and believe
Johnny was the same. After a mo
ment's hesitation we sat down on the
log.
"Now," said Yank firmly, "it's about
time we took stock. We been here
now FIVE days. We amt had decent
meal of vittles In that time. We amt
fixed up our camp II mite We amt
been to town to see the sights, We
don't even know the looks of the man
that's camped down below us. We've
been too DANCED busy to be decent.
Now we're goin to call halt.
should jedge we have u pound of gold
or tharaboutn. How much Is that
worth, Johnny? You can flgger In yore
head"
"Along about $3.50" said Johnny aft,
er a moment.
well, keep on figgerln'. How much
does that come to apiece2"
| "About $50, OF course"
"And divldln' eighty by ive?" per
sisted Yank.
sixteen"
"Wen," drawled Yank, his steely blue
eye softenlng to n twinkle, 1915 day
IL fair wages, to be sure, but nothin'
to get wildly excited over" He sur
veyed the two Of us with some humor.
Hadn't thought OF 1t that way, had
your he asked. "Nuther had | until
last night. | was so dog tired
couldn't sleep, and | got to tiggerin' a
little on my own hook"
"Why, can do better than that in
San Francisco, with half the work" l
cried
'Maybe for awhile" said Yank, "but
here we got chance to make big
strike most any time and In the mean
time to make good wages. But we
amt goin' to do 1t any quicker by kill
in ourselves Now, today is Sunday.
1 amt no religious man, but Sunday
Is a good day to quit, propose we
go back to camp peaceable, make a
decent place to stay, cook ourselves up
a squar' meal, wash out our clothes,
visit the next camp, take look Mt
town and enjoy ourselves
Thus vanished the first and most
/ wonderful romnupa of tha pnld IN