THE HERMIT OP TIIKSISKIYOI-S. .v.i
the stone became Builiciyntly dry to suit nntte,, d takl.n ,,i8 a,.mrtim
the eenbe, and he arose from the ground, doubted. One day, there came down
put h,s pipe in h pocket, drew out hi. the trail from that direction, a, nan load,
knife, and sharpened the end of a stick ing a pack mule, ,, which wa loaded
he had previously selected. This he the ukuh! minor ovffit He rton!
thrust into the fire and loft it there un- at Johnson's and purchased a number
til it i had become charred. 0f article, offering, in payment, a -mall
" I haint as much of an artist as I lump of gold, inch as was common in
uster was, said he, as he took the stono the digging,. Johnm.u recogniml him
and propped it up against a log, at a instantly as the man who had, about two
convenient angle for writing, " And I mouths More, interrupted the Katur
never was quite equal to them old mas- dny night convivialities, to request the
ter fellers; but I reckon I can sork-r put loan of a blanket It was not infrequent
somethin' on this 'ere stone as that 'ar for a miner to I broke one month and
feller will understand the meanin' of." have plenty of " dust " another, and ho
With thiB remark, and with the com- Johnson suspicion were not aroused;
mittee standing at his back and on either but ho had a curiosity to know whero
side, Joe, after much effort, and several the man had htiuck it ho rich, and re
recharrings of his stick, succeeded in marked:
producing the following brief, but intel- " You seem to have hit it nlmut right,
ligible, illustrated inscription upon the stranger."
stone: " Yen, I have had very got! huvcchm,"
replied the man in a dignifieil and re.
fined tone.
" Yhcro alxmtH, niBy I auk?"
" Oh, up the creek a nhort distance,"
un'ul tlin f mill, am lie iiimIiIiuI tit tlin tirii.
Yfll prietor of IMsyvillo, and resumed hi
i JwUC i journey uown mo irau.
C?0 A 1" y y A few day after this, Wabiwh .loo felt
a prompting to visit the site of tliQ de.
This met with strong expressions of molishod hut It munt l co,ifewd
approbation from the entire committee, that this impulse was notaueriiatural
and, fastening the inscribed! tone secure- one, but the extremely natural deiro
ly between two of the boulders which possessed by every new candidate for
crowned the heap of brush once consti- literary honor. Ho wa anxious to learn
tuting the hut, they departed, in high what effect his literary effort had pro
spirits, for Johnson's, where they relat- duced, and with what kind of treatment
ed the details of their expedition to a it had met at the hand of the strang.-r
large and interested gathering, the nar- to whom it was luldrchd. Accordingly,
rative being frequently interspersed with he took no companion with him on hi
libations v'Mit- ln driving at tho acenn of hi
Thus, for several weeks, the matter artistic labors, ho went, at once, to th
rested. No more was smoke seen to rise pile of brush npon which hu tablet had
from the site of the demolished hut, by lcn d,,Hited. There it w; but it had
travelers along the trail at the base of Wen laid down flat upon the brunh I,
the hill, and that the mysterious st.ang- tween two l,uld,r. Lying then.,,, wa
er had heeded the warning of the com- a pirn, of p,er. held down by a wKl.t,