Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-21
(Continued.)

| quite oblivious to all that was going
on about us. 1t was only by accident
that Yank looked up at last, so | do
not know how Ions Don Gaspar had
been there.
"Will you look at that?" cried Yank.
Don Gaspar, still in his embroidered
boots, his crimson velvet breeches, his
white linen and his sombrero, but
without the blue and silver jacket, was
busily welding a pickax a 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 a flannel shirt?"
"Tll 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," 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 It. Our sack of sand
was growing heavier, as, indeed, were
our limbs AS a matter of fact we
had been at harder work than any of
us had been accustomed to for very
long hours, beneath a 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 replicas of
the first. We ate hurriedly ut 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 1t contained over pound!
But the long hours, the excitement
and the inadequate food told on our
nerves. We snapped at each other
impatiently at times and once or twice
came near to open quarreling. 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 We're all reluctant to
do so.
"I1l be - il I'm going to lug way
up that HILL" growled to myself. 81
tied them up yesterday, anyway"
Johnny caught this.
"Well, it wasn't your turn yester-
day." he pointed out, land it is today.
I've got nothing to do with what you
chose to do yesterday"
"Or any other day." I muttered.
whats that?" cried Johnny trucu-
lently. 81 couldn't hear. Speak upr
We were flushed and eying each 9TH
er malevolently.
"Thatll dor said Yank, with an un-
expected tone of authority. Nobody
will go 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 a
certain belligerency mingled with sur
prise. Yank had so habitually acted
the part of taciturnity that his decided
air of authority confused us. His
slouch had Strengthened; his head was
up; his mild eye sparllled. Suddenly
felt like a 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 a 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. l
should jedge we have pound of gold
or tharabouts. How much is that
worth, Johnny? You can figger in yors
head"
along about $3.50" said Johnny aft
er a moment.
'Well, keep on figgerin'. How much
does that come to apiece?"
"About $50, of course"
"And dividin' eighty by five?" per
sisted Yank.
sixteen.
"Well," drawled Yank, his steely blue
eye softenlng to twinkle, 1916 day
Is 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 it that way, had
you?" he asked. "Nuther had l until
last night. was so dog tired
couldn't sleep, and got to figgerin'
little on my own hook"
"Why, can do better than that in
San Francisco, with half the work.
cried
Maybe for awhile" said Yank, "but
here we got chance TO make a 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.