Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-11-09

ana UODOuy LudI. LOU u nave Luc pId1C
plumb to yourselves Git in where the
mountains is really mountainous"
eff Sam Bagsby would join US it
might be worth trying" we came to
at last.
But Sam Bagsby secuted any such
idea.
II amt that kind of tomfool,'' said
he. "If I want to paddle my hands
blue I'd do it yere. | couldn't make
more'n livin' anyway. | tell you
amt got no use for yore prairie dog
grubbingr''
Then McNally had an inspiration.
"WiIl you GO. Sam, if we pay you for
going?" he asked.
Sure" replied the trapper at once.
I'm a laborin man. I'll go anywhar
I'm paid to 60"
1t came out that Bagsby's ideas Of
proper compensation were his supplies,
SIS a week in gold and drink Of
whisky twice a day! In all this gold
country he was the only man / met
who genuinely despised money. l real
lv think we were hurried to our deci-
sion by this unexpected reasonable
ness on his part. At any rate. we de-
cided definitely to go.
There were nine Of us-BagSby,
Yank. Johnny Fairfax, myself, Don
Gaspar, Vasquez. McNally. Buck Bar
ry and Missouri Jones.
3agsby got Us Mp long before day
light. The air was chilly, in contrast
to the terrific heat to be expected
later in the day, 50 we hastened to
finish our packing and ut dawn were
off.
Until about o'clock we jOurneyed
through a complete solitude; then we
came uDon some mel digging in dry
wash. They had piled up great heap
Of dirt from a hole. We stopped and
talked 20 them and discovered that
they were working what they called
dry diggings." The pay dirt they eX-
cavated from wherever they found it,
piled it in a convenient place and there
left it until the rains should permit it's
washing They claimed their dirt
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 he had not bothered to tell
uS-that we were now about to cross
the main overland trail.
We stopped that night near the road
and at Wayside inn or rOadhOuSe OF
logs kept by a most interesting man.
He served us an excellent meal, in
Guiding real eggs, and afterWard join
ed us around the fire. He was an
italian, short, strongly built. with close
curly hair rollicking, good natured
face, and with tiny gold rings in his
ears. Johnny and he did most Of the
talking, while we listened. No part OF
the civilized world seemed to have
been unvisited by this pair. Johnny
mentioned Paris. Our host added an
intimate detail as to some little street.
London appeared to be known to them
from one end to the other; Berlin, Ed
inburgh, ST. Petersburg even. and
host of other little fellows whose
names / never knew before and cannot
remember now. They wrapped remi-
niScenceS of the streets, the reStau
rants and the walters and prOpriet0rs
thereof: the alleys and byWays, the
parks and little places. | knew in
general way that Johnny had done the
grand tour, but the Italian with his
gold earrings and his strong, brown,
good humored peasant face puzzled me
completely. How came he to be so
travelled, SO intimately travelled? He
was no sailor. That | soon deter
mined.
The two of them became thoroughly
interested, but after a time the native
courtesy of the Italian asserted itself.
He evidently thought we might feel
left out of it, though think the 9th
ers were, like myself, quite fascinated.
"YOu lika music?" he smiled at us
engagingly. Il gotta my Italian fid-
die? No?"
He arose at our eager assent, pushed
aside a blanket that screened off one
end Of the log cabin and produced his
italian fddle"-a hand organ.
At once the solution of the wide
intimate knowledge of streets and OF
public places burst upon my compre-
tension. l could see our host looking
upward, his strong white teeth flash
ing in an ingratiating, fascinating
smile, his right arm revolving with the
crank of his organ, his little brown
monkey with ahe red coat and the anX
ious face clambering-
Next morning we crossed the over
land trail and plunged into a country
Of pines, of high hills, of deep canyons
and bold, rocky ridges. The open
spaces we had left behind and the
great heats. Water flowed in almost
every ravine, and along its courses
grew green grass and wild flowers.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Strike.
wv YE awoke the fourth morning
EX/ to a bright day. The he'll
wv mntnd ouajl were calling