The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-09-05

swelled up like p'ison and my back
creaked like frozen pine tree in the
wind. Then 1 quit, and | stayed quit.
I'm a hunter. and I'm maxim a good
livin', because l amt very particular
on how live"
BE and Yank smoked interminable
pipes and swapped yarns. Johnny and
/ liked nothing better than to keep
quiet and listen to them. Bngsby had
come out with Captain Suffer and told
Of that doughty soldiers early skir
mishes with the Indians. His tales of
the mountains, the plains and the game
and Indians were so much romance to
us, and we both wished heartily that
fate could have allowed us a chance
at such adventures.
"But why don't you fellows branch
outT Bagsby always ended. what
do you want to stick here for like lot
Of groundhogs? There's rivers back in
the hills heap better than this one,
and nobody thar. You'd have the place
plumb to yourselves. Git in where the
mountains Is really mountainous"
"If Sam Bagsby would join us 1t
might be worth trying" we came to
at last.
But Sam Bagsby secuted any such
idea.
81 amt that kind OF tomfOol," said
he. "If l want to paddle my hands
blue I'd do it yere. | couldn't make
more'n llvin' anyway. ] tell you l
amt got no use for yOre pra rie dog
grubbing"
Then McNally had an inspiration.
"Will you go, Sam, If we pay you for
going?" he asked.
"Sure," replied the trapper at once.
"Tm a laborin man. I'll go anywhar
I'm paid to CO."
1t came out that Bagsby's ideas of
proper compensation We're his supplies.
SIS week I'm gold and a drink OF
whisky twice "A day. In all this gold
country he was the only man 1 met
who genuinely despised money. Ireal-
iy think we were hurried to our deci-
sion by this unexpected reasonable
ness on his part. At any rate, we de-
clded definitely to go.
There were nine OF us-Bagsby,
Yank, Johnny Fairfax, myself, Don
Gaspar, Vasquez, McNally, Buck Bar.
ry and Missouri Jones,
Bagsby got us up long before day
light. The air was chilly, In contrast
to the terrific heat to be expected
later in the Gay, so we hastened to
finish our packing and at dawn were
Off.
Until about 3 o'clock we journeyed
through complete solitude; then we
came upon some men digging In dry
wash. They had piled up n great hear
Of dirt from hole. We stopped and
talked to them and discovered thai
they were working what they called
dry diggings." The pay dirt they ex
cavated from wherever they found 1t
piled it In convenient place and ther,
left it until the rains should permit III
! washing. They claimed their dir
would prove to be very rich, but
: thought myself that they were labor
. ing in great faith Also we learned
what Bagsby had known right along
!, but which lie had not bothered to tel
! us-that we were now about to eros
: the main overland trail.
= We stopped that night near the roa'
: AID at a wayside inn or rOadhouse o
logs kept by a most interesting mar
He served us an excellent meal, In
y Guiding real eggs, and afterward jolu
ed us around the fire. He was n
Italian, short. strongly built with clos
: curly hair, n rollicking, good nature
" face, and with tiny gold rings in hi
!, ears. Johnny and he did most of tn
" talking, while we listened, No part @
% the civilized world seemed to hav
~ been unvlsited by this pair Johnn
, mentioned Paris, Our host added a
IN intimate detail ms to some little stree
" London appeared 20 be known to theI
~ from one end to the other; Berlin, Et
n, iuburgh, ST. Petersburg even. and
a, host OF other little fellows who's
IN names never knew before and cannC
remember now. They snapped rem
D, niscences of the streets, the resta'
" rants and the walters ond proprietor