Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-09-28

In one thing-they had all been devised
by men who had never seen any but
manufactured gold. | may add that
never saw a machine of the kind ac-
tually at work in the diggings.
Just now, however, | looked on the
owners of these contraptions with en-
w and thought ourselves at a disad-
vantage with only our picks, shovels
and axes.
| As we drew southwark the days be-
came insufferably warm, but the nights
were glorious. Talbot and I liked to
sleep on deck and generally camped
down up near the bits. The old ship
rolled frightfully, for she was light in
| freight in order to accommodate so
many passengers, and the dark blue
sea appeared to swoop up and down
beneath the placid tropic moon.
We had many long, quiet talks up
there, but in them all / learned moth
ing, absolutely nothing, of my compan-
ion.
IF you had broken my arm that
time should not have taken you," he
remarked suddenly one evening.
''Shouldnt blame you,' said |.
NO! | wouldn't have wanted that
kind of a man." he continued, "for |
should doubt my control Of him. But
you gave up
This nettled me.
Would you have had me or any
man brute enough to go through with
it?' demanded.
"WelT'-he hesitated-"it was agreed
that it was to be fight, you remember.
And, after all, if you had broken my
arm it would have been my fault and
not yours
Two young fellows used occasionally
to join US in our sWooping, plunging
perch. They were as unlike as two
men could be, and yet already they
had become firm friends. One was a
slow, lank, ague stricken Individual
from somewhere in the wjlds of the
great lakes, his face lined and brown
as though carved from hard wood, his
speed slow. his eyes steady with a
yelled sardonic humor. His companion
was scarcely more than a boy, and he
came, | believe from Virginia. He
was a dark. eager youth, with a mop
of black shiny hair that he was always
tossing back, bright glowing eyes,
great enthusiasm of manner and an
magma ton alert to catch fire. The
backwoodsman seemed attracted to
the boy by this very quick and unso-
phisticated bubbling of candid youth,
while the boy most evidently worship
ed his older companion rs a symbol of
the mysterious frontier The north
erner was named Rogers, but was in
variably known as Yank. che south
erner had some such name as Fairfax,
but was called Johnny and later in
California. for reasons that will APP
pear, Diamond Jack. Yank's distin-
gushing feature was long barreled
pea shooter" rifle. He never moved
ten feet without it.
Johnny usually did most Of the talk
ing when we were all gathered to-
gether. Yank and | did the listening
and Talbot the interpellating. Johnny
swarmed all over himself like a pick
pocket and showed us everything he
had in the way Of history, manners,
training, family, pride, naiyete, eXpec-
tations and hopes. He prided himself
on being a calm, phlegmatic individual
Unconditional and not easily excited
and he constantly took this attitude.
1t was a lovely joke,
"Of course" said he, lit won't be
necessary to stay out more than a
year. They tell me can easily make
81, 100 a day. But, you know, l am
not easily moved by such reports
he was at the time moving under a