Down the Mother Lode

wish to

anguage

ways that

ricks tha

n Chinee i

e I would ris

t Ha

es between the American Indians and the Chinese-physical characteristics dating

amen. The feeling began, presumably, through intermarriage and flourished like the celebrated milkweed vine of the foo

ran to meet him. John Chinaman started back as quickly as he could on the swaying bridge. The faster Indian caught him, and, though miners on both

nd this, then, is the tale of an enco

d accountin', On an

ng, coming around to the side verandah with two pins in his hand, to whe

you hurt your h

r boy h

Aren't you doi

hinaman she had ever seen, meekly bending to the washing, and quickly

sted Jo, stifling

ne-dollar-hop him stop one month, Ch

must be another holdup! And Rand is shotgun messenger on the stage today. Hark

" answered Sing, listening inten

u go and

spy the frightened deputy washerman wriggling under the verandah. "Bime-by I kill 'um," remark

e coming at full speed, and the near wheeler was dripping with blood. A de

hile he lashed the shot-crazed horses to their last ounce of speed with the fi

ter! They must have killed him when he wouldn't stop. Sing-" but Hop

spume over the pointers (the second pair), and fell. Men were already scrambling onto their horses, and loping in from all

who w

I saw Digger Dan-" They were ove

l substitute did fairly well, and Jo did not wor

he won't say a word except that he wants to see you. I've come to e

rt space." Not for worlds would she have

at 'twere

ed, thankful for the darkness which hid he

Joe, and afraid to venture into

e cut off half his queue and braided his hair in two pig tails, and put diffe

er Dan cloe,

heriff, "betcha he knows more abou

man whom Sing had put in to do his washing. But, though the complex Oriental nature will never be quite understood by the Occidental,

wing well that a command would only elicit a stolid "No s

d (Rand) an' plenty man come, he lun (run). I ketchem him! Tlee (

rove it down the canyon for us

ows more about it

said Rand, positively. The ma

Sing raised an expressionless face and

n you and see that your apron's hanging in the Ha

weird invocations over the clothes of Digger Dan slowly smouldering in a coal-oil can in the middle of the floor. Hop Sing held one hand in the smoke, raised the other

the next morning, when she found

stay. He come back bime-by." Jo knew

with the first flurry of snow, from his claim in the south. He caught both

since I've heard from you. You have

ince Sing disappeared? They say that I know too much about the holdups; that

h falsehoods," cried the g

u what-tell you that which glorifies the very life in my frame. How

egations. Oh, I may be lost to a

e. Till then I must not. I cannot bring disgrace upon y

ace. He told me that if you went back to the stage you would certainly be killed

are Tom Be

ed. "Whoever it is, h

' stage's jest in, an' you're paw's took awf

he morning stage. Will y

the stages. The mails and the 'dust' must get through in spite of all. I go out on the first sleigh; this one you must take. This

ace lit up with the feeling which but one woman in the w

e snowed in. Rand, Digger Dan came," she added, in a whisper; "the stage will be s

. I will pr

a hill, Texas, the driver, pulle

asked

d Texas, "an' it's pi

ut for

m spotted,"

ed, snorting, quickly to the left, the sleigh hit a snow-covered stump

was the coyote-skin coat of an Indian who had made one sig

s a rifle barrel from

al

know that the Wells-Fargo box had vanished from under the driver's seat? Or was it knowledge of the horde of yelling Indians which ro

xpress box?" as

," answered Ra

mountain, I suppose,

to clear my own namen-all but Digger Dan, who escaped. When I say that

er Dan now, carr

ied anything in bask

you do?" blandly remar

p S

Land's money,

in the o

rock). Makern he

d you get

ide down. Him money, he fa' out. Him stop place snow melt away by h

y were met by a smiling Si

e other boy

m get out quick,

nk you for all the six month

heap savvey you come see Missie Jo. Missie papa, lo-ong time

e Ind

friends, dear

ina

es

e did Digge

Me killum him. Goo-bye, me go cookem velly fine dinner. Missie Jo, Massa Land, you get marry now. Me hope you ketchem plenty boy!" From his point of view what greater blessing co

rstow