Down the Mother Lode

attle los

moke shall h

ind my lo

for

t Ha

ays were often as "Rough an Ready

es and no man picked by fame in glowing wise from the het

them lost an eye in the manner indicated by Gouge Eye. Hundreds of wild geese were wont to gather on a sunny mesa above the river. It made a splendid level tow

ent Claims, Dry Diggings, Let 'Er Rip, You Bet, Yuba Dam, One H

zley Bob, who mined in Snake Gu

n) and grabbed my knife, 'cause I knew if I didn't get in on him with Slasher it was all up with both of us. Bea

er anything for awhile. When I woke I felt something hea

Solly Jake, thinking

ind the bar, prodded

up, S

old Soll, "I'm dryer

dwood slab used for a bar, "the drinks are o

a big strik

led to the tall, magnificently bu

but the sun was just showing hisself over the top of Bear mountain when I got to Rattlesnake Bill's cabin, and you'll scarcely believe me but I didn't have enough grit left to signal Bill I was there. I just settled down all of a heap-like and that's the wa

blue eyes. "Any of you chaps got a rope handy? Time this fellow

ll be no chaffing a tenderfoot w

?" laughed H

that is the terror and admiration of every mining camp in the mountains. A dead shot, a sure th

swallow-tail retains its pristine glory, I perceive, though your other habiliments have one by one yield

of the huge fireplace. One-half the face above the comely form was hideously repulsive. It had been literally t

d glowing with kindness as he bent over

ow Bob'll be givin' 'im a claim, just like he took in Handsome Harry hisself goin' on two years ago. Look at the dandy, struttin'! Bob buys 'im all them fancy togs an' loves to see 'im we

f prankish, loud-voiced, roistering men was suddenly struck du

and the fright she got from the kindly rush of the old bulldog was immeasurably increased by Bob's f

ctor, but I am tired out. I can go no further. Oh, could one of

m the thrall of her fresh young bea

Grizzley Bob's word on tha

g, manly profile of the unscarred half of his face was turned toward her. Bull-doze licked her white fingers, and she

and vamoose, pronto, after the doctor. Plug Hat Pete, you'

y," answered the gamble

Mrs.-Pete?" asked

was a lady in this law-evadin' camp; which there

O

ent and sober men watchin' outside it and nothin' short of a messenger from

er," spoke up Harry who had never on

ke her home to he

rapid transitions of the West, she realized the fallacy of her first impression from his appearance. That night la

g two men go by, "that's the most willin' pair on the gulch! Bob, he's willin' to do all the wor

ther are going to live in it," answer

' round that gal ever since th

er direction, is plainly to be read." T

throw 'em together. Air ye goi

ill be a pair of fiddlers on the gulch. Tommy, on such occasions, always has an attack of religion which precludes the possibility of

lope back. I

ck Hill? That gal o' Bob's on her pinto and that sneakin' Hand

d to Bob's cabin, where he sa

wouldn't hear nothin' agin him. Took all the ba

was my partner and what was mine was his, and a ma

" asked a cho

etty creature like her to care for such a beauty as I am, when ther

sfied I reckon we ought to be. Time to get into

rming. I built it for them and they're gone. It'll stay locke

nch. Once he roused a moment to mutter. "But they'd ought to kn

lldog at her heels. Beckey slid from her side saddle and crept to Bob's open door. By th

ob

I thought

o many times to run off. When he understood, he was beastly. He put me off the horse and told me to walk, then. It was the dog who fought him, and

me creeping into Snake Gulch that night th

d, "that is not what

face like mine! Even if you did, it would be from gratitude. I coul

enly a scream rang out on the still night air. Bulldoze scrambled off the door-stone with a snarl of battle-rage and charged for the sound, but he w

ditch. I heard it! It's coming this way! A

oing home holding his jug out of the water. He

he know when

of the first flume, he knows he's home and craw

e whispered, "I'll wish th

take y

ng to him desperately, "I want no

my sc

is mutilated cheek, then pressed it tenderly against her soft, bare throat. It

ended right! Time f'r 'nother drink, boys!" and standing up

Coppers