Hugh Pendexter

“ Gilbert answered as he endeavored to mend his broken train of melancholy thoughts.
“Not interest anybody!” ponderously cried the proprietor, tossing up his hands helplessly. “Good lord! A man has a heaven-given gift and let's on as how it don't interest nobody! Fellers, that beats the Dutch" Then to Gilbert he eagerly offered. “Your gifts interests me to the tune of eight dollars a day. All you do is just loaf in here and hint to folks when it's time they was leaving. Eight dollars a day, your meals and bunk and washing. ”

“ If any one makes a offer that Tom says is good you snap it up, or you'll not go back home. By this time some of Murieta's band has heard about gold-slugs being fetched into this valley. If he goes to cutting up, Tom, stick your knife right through his in'ards.”
“I'll cut him up wakan way, just like a Dakota cuts up a buf'ler,” was the gruff assurance.
Confused by this exchange of advice and threats and not having the slightest idea as to what it related Gilbert hurriedly washed and dressed. Old Misery had all the appearance of being sober except that his talk was irrational. ”

“ When attempting to pay his way in he found himself facing Roger, who grinned broadly and informed:
“Money's no good. Queenie says you're her guest to—night.
This was an unexpected courtesy and he felt a flash of pleasure. Then he saw Phelps' gloomy face just inside the door and knew he had overheard Roger's words and was resenting Miss Montez's display of favoritism. As Gilbert passed through the doorway the mine-owner curtly remarked:
“You git in free. I have to pay.” ”

“ TO Bill Williams at his side he confessed:
“You're right, Bill; it won't do to leave 'em alone too much. He may be cold-blooded, but she's all fire, and even ice will melt. The younker's medicine is from Wakantanka to make him see the danger of living alone with that young streak of scarlet in this holler. But you know, Bill, it was a case of have to. I'll take him with me next time. Got to go down the ridge for a day or two. No; you'd best stay here and look after things such as them cubs.”
In the cabin he procured a hammer and a pick and hid them in the pines up the slope. ”

“ You're dead right; human lives are just so many broken trails. They seem to start from nowhere and run wild. Seasons come roun' reg'lar 'nough. Some medicine fixes it so's seed is scattered and trees spring up, but we poor humans start from nowhere and travel blind. As you say, Bill, there must be some medicine that straightens out crooked trails and patches out broken ones till they git somewhere.”
He worked his way some distance up the ridge until he could look down on the timber flanking the slopes of Grass Hollow. ”

“ He'd never use it to hurt any one but himself; and some one's sure to cheat him out of it before he went far doing that. But he never will get hold of any gold, Misery. Some folks is foreordained to get it; some ain't.”
Sailor Ben awoke with a snort and staggered to his feet to roll sleepily away to the third cabin.
Weymouth Mass rose to follow him, pausing only to inform Old Misery:
“His luck is beginning to crop out. Ain't mentioned rum only twice to-day. Led me to some dry diggings, and I panned out eight or ten colors. Not much in itself, but proves his luck is waking up. ”

“ Big feller is sorter slow and thick-headed and ain't as wakan as the bookish galoot that gits writings from young women, but he's most like us humans. And stronger'n hell. But don't ever try to read it, Bill, less you find it set down in a Dakota winter-count. Damnest trail you ever see. Every t'other word is a brier or a bramble or a boulder. It's climb up and fall down. ”

“ I figger you saved me about eight hundred dollars' worth of mirrors. That old—gentleman—let on he was going to drop in here later and learn me how to run a eating-house. Wish you'd come here and live.”
Gilbert paid his score without understanding much of the talk. Nor did he try to understand it. The fat man impressed him as being drunk or crazy. That a man, starting to leave ahead of him, should skip to one side with grotesque haste and give him the right of way, impressed him fleetingly as being a bit of crude horse-play. ”

“ As they took to the street the doorway behind them was filled with surprised faces.
“Lodging-house right above eating-house,” Misery informed in a muffled voice.
“Good. But you know you oughtn't to do this way. Some day, when you've had too much some one will harm you.”
The mountain man was seized with a coughing spell. After Gilbert had pounded him on the back he managed to mumble:
“You're wakantanka. Your medicine's stronger than the neck-hide of a buf'ler. Show me a bunk. I'll be all right in the morning. Mind's sorter filled with fog. ”

“ And so many men. Don't mention anything I've said to her. Stage folks are finicky, I dare say. Different from other folks. And you probably won't see her to speak to her again anyway. I don't mean to say I've filed my claim on her yet, but she's as good as said it's to be a partnership for life.”
“I'm not interested,” stiffly rejoined Gilbert. “We only met while traveling to Sacramento. If she's good enough to notice me I can't run away.”
“Of course not,” slowly agreed Phelps, furtively eying him. “Any time you feel like earning mighty good wages, I have a fat job for you. ”

“ Money's a good thing, young man, if you use it right. It didn't spoil Isaac, or David, or Abraham, or Job, and they was all thrifty, well-to-do folks. But if we ain't careful what we do in getting it, or what we do after we get it, it's a bad thing. So it's spoiled lots of folks. I haven't any doubt that a foolish use of money is meant by the 'harlot' mentioned in Proverbs, where it says: “She hath cast down many wounded. Yea, many strong men have been slain by it. ”

“ Bill Williams still slept and he knew the bear would never slumber if a two-legged intruder was near.
Working more carefully the mountain man proceeded to uncover a pocket of small nuggets, round and worn just as they had been left by the vanished torrent ages before. He put them in a bag and estimated their value at about two hundred dollars.
He was impatient to call it a day and be returning down the ridge, but with a groan decided:
“Mustn't half-do it. Ain't so hard as cracking rock for t'other parcel of dust. Got to have 'nough for a mess.” ”

“ Keep clear of Nevada as folks they still speak about the woman monte dealer of the El Dorado. You can make the valley late in the afternoon and come part way up the ridge after the show bu'sts up and camp.”
As he talked he pulled from his shirt a soiled handbill announcing the appearance of the “Beautiful and Famous Lola Montez as Julia in The Hunchback.”
Gilbert's steamer acquaintance Roger was cast as “Master Walter.”
“By George! I'd like to see her on the stage!” cried Gilbert. “She must be a very clever woman. You'll like her, Maria.” ”

“ Tobin swallowed, breathed hard, then meekly surrendered:
“I pass. You win. Hi, you Pipps. Come away from that saloon winder. We'll mosey down to that claim of yours and watch you earn a honest four-bits. Signs look like lots of folks is keen to see you work.”
Armed with pick and shovel Pretty Soon Jim led the way for a mile from the business center. Trailing along some distance behind the three men came a score or more of citizens. Phelps brought up the rear with a group of personal friends. Until he glimpsed Gilbert he had laughed much. ”

“ Others took the hint and endeavored to outrace the Georgia miner.
While Phelps wiped the sweat from his forehead and stared stupidly at the nuggets Tobin refilled his pipe and lazily remarked:
“Always the way. Man digs a hole a few feet deep, then quits, when ten minutes' more work would fetch him a fortune. Go ahead, Jim. Next pocket oughter pan out a bushel.”
“Stop! Wait a minute!” gasped Phelps, raising a trembling hand. “I sold this claim. I'll buy it back. ”

“ Senor Gilbert is a Yankee-e. He looks on life too sober. He theenks every one means what is said. The play-acting senorita is to marry a ver' rich man, Senor Don Phelps. Sol She marries a ver' rich mine, ver' much gold. ”