Part 5 (1/2)
”So I did. But digging it and keeping it are two different things, young man.”
”Did you lose what you had?” asked Mr. Crosby, who had heard from his sons something of their guest's history.
”I lost it--yes--in a way. I might as well tell you the story. It's not a very pleasant one. It goes to show that a man can be a pretty big fool when he tries real hard. That's not a very nice thing to say, but it's the truth.”
”How did it happen?” asked Will.
”Well, as I've told you, I've been a gold miner for a number of years.
I've prospected, or looked for gold, in many places in this country. And I've found my share of yellow nuggets in my time.
”I made my last strike in Nevada. Where I was, n.o.body thought there was much but silver, but I was lucky enough to come upon a good gold lead, and the vein got bigger the farther I dug. Well, to make a long story short, I took out several thousand dollars in pure gold. Then I lost it.”
”Couldn't you find it again?” asked Nettie, who, with her brothers, was eagerly listening to the miner's story.
”No, little miss, I couldn't, for I lost it by gambling.”
”Gambling!” exclaimed Mr. Crosby, for he and his wife were strict church people, and did not know much about the vices of the world.
”That's the plain truth. Everybody out West gambles--that is, nearly everybody. There are some exceptions, of course, but I wasn't one. Very foolishly thought I could get something for nothing, and put up my money in a card game.”
”And you lost?” inquired Mrs. Crosby.
”Every one but the man running the game loses sooner or later, ma'am,”
replied the miner. ”It's run that way. I lost over a thousand dollars before I had sense enough to quit.”
”Oh, then you stopped in time. I'm glad to hear that,” said the farmer.
”No, I didn't. I stopped gambling, but I didn't get out of the company of the gamblers, as I should have done. I stayed right there, for I thought I knew it all. Ah, that's a true saying, that there's 'no fool like an old fool,' if you'll excuse me using such language, but I want you boys to take a lesson from me.”
”Then how did you lose the rest of your fortune?” asked Jed.
”I was swindled out of it,” replied Gabe Harrison. ”It was partly my own fault, though. If I had had sense enough to keep away from the gamblers it wouldn't have happened. But one of them proposed a certain deal to me, and I went in with him. When it was all over I found I knew a great deal more than I did at first, but I hadn't any money left.”
”They took it all?” asked Mr. Crosby.
”One man got the most of it.”
”How?”
”Well, it was an old-time swindle, but I don't believe you'd understand if I told you. Such things aren't good for young people to hear about, anyhow. But I woke up one morning without a cent in my pocket, whereas the night before I had over five thousand dollars in pure gold.”
”Five thousand dollars!” murmured Mr. Crosby, to whom such a sum seemed a large fortune.
”Yes. Oh, we didn't think much of that amount in the West. Money was easily made and easily spent there.”
”Who got it?” asked Jed, leaning forward in his intense interest in the miner's curious story.
”One man got the most of it.”