Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-10-05
"Let me have your tickets" he com.

He Endorsed them and handed them
70 the clerk, together with written
order. We all sat in absolute silence
for perhaps five minutes. Then the
clerk returned with handful Of gold.
This Brown counted over and showed
across to Talbot. The latter also
counted it and thrust it in his pocket.
Now" said Brown, with something
approaching geniality, II am counting
on your honor to say nothing Of this
outside. l am gambling ON your evil
dent class in life at home"
"You have our promise, and it will
be kept" said Talbot.
At our place we found that Yank
had not returned. At first we thought
nothing Of this, but about dusk we
found that all his belongings had dis
appeared.
We could not understand this sud-
den departure, except ON the possible
ground that Yank, realizing that now
the party must split forces, had decid-
ed to seek new companions among
those lucky enough to sail on the first
steamer.
even then he needn't have been In
such a hurry" complained Johnny
trife bitterly. "And he needn't have
thought we'd be in his way"
HAS he paid his share of the lodg-
ings?" it occurred to me to ask.
We felt quite bitter against Yank.
and we carefully avoided his usual
haunts, for we did not want to meet
him. Then we began to think it
strange we had not run across him
somewhere on the streets. Then we
began to look for him. We found
that Yank had disappeared!
At that. little alarmed. we set our
selves to serious search and inquiry.
A few remembered to have seen him,
but were vague as to when and where
The authorities moved sluggishly, and
with little enthusiasm. Men were dy-
ing every day and disappearing under
ground, leaving no trace of themselves
behind. One more or less seemed un-
important.
In the meanwhile we spent much Of
a comfortable majority of our fellow
argonauts, awaiting the sighting of a
vessel. We had engaged and paid
daily boatman to be in readiness to
take us off, and we settled our lodg
ings account a week ahead.
'There's going to be a scramble for
that blessed ship" said Talbot, "and
Wen just be prepared"
To that end we also kept our effects
packed and ready for instant removal
The expected ship came, of course,
on one of these dull gray days, and
lucky in being crowded out Of the huts
were the first to sight her. They
sneaked down very quietly and tried
to launch two Of the boats. Of course
the native bOatmen were all inside;
trust them! AS high surf was run
ming, and as none of the men were in
any sense good boatmen, they prompt
ly preached to and filed. The noise
brought us to the door.
Then there was fine row. One OF
the two boats Communicated by the
early birds happened to be ours. All
our forethought seemed to have been
in vain. The bedraggled and crest
fallen men were just wading ashore
when we descended upon them. Tai
bot was like a raving lunatic.
"You houndsw he rOared. Don't
you dare try to sneak off! You catch
hold here and help empty these boats!
You would, would you" He caught
one escaping worthy by the collar and
jerked him so rapidly backward that
his heels fairly cracked together. John
ny flew to the combat with chuckle
of JOY. contented myself by knocking
two Of them together until they prom
ised to be good. The four we had col
Jared were very meek. We all waded
into the wash where the boat lay slug
gishly rolling 1t is no easy matter tc
empty a boat in that condition. Water
weighs a great deal; is fearfully inert,
or at least feels so, and has bad hab-
it of promptly stopping in again. We
tugged and heaved and rolled and
hauled until our joints cracked, but at
last we got her free.
In the meantime forty other boats
had been launched and were flying
over the waves halfway between the
shore and the ship.
Talbot was swearing steadily and
with accuracy. Johnny was working
like a crazy man. was heaving away
at the stern and keeping an eye on
our involuntary helpers. The boat
man, beside himself with frantic ex-
element, jabbered and ran about and
screamed directions that no one under
stood. About all we were accomplish
ing now was the keeping of that boats
head straight against the heavy wash.
1t seemed as though we tugged thus
at cross purposes for an hour. In real
ity it was probably not over two or
three minutes. Then Talbot regained
sufficient control to listen to the boat
man. At once he Gained down.
Here, boys" said he, lease her
backward You, Johnny, stand by at
the bow and hold her head on. Frank
and I will give her a shove at the