of each day she placed most of the gold flakes in her Mason jar, reserving a small amount which she put in a second jar. She took the gold nuggets and did likewise, putting most of them in one jar, a smaller amount in a second.
When she finished dividing the gold, she carefully hid the jars with the smaller amounts beneath a loose board of the cabin’s floor, figuring that the hiding spot would almost certainly be found by anyone who came into the cabin intent on stealing gold. She then placed the bulk of the gold in a hole which she had dug beneath the floor of the cabin, under her mattress. Although she hadn’t heard of anyone in Kicking Mule having his poke stolen, she knew only too well that any gold camp was ripe pickings to the dishonest. She only hoped that the smaller jars of gold would satisfy any thieves, should they come to her cabin.
"Can we count you in on a poker game tomorrow?" Tom Salverton called to her the next Saturday evening just as dusk began to settle in. "We could use some new blood in the game."
"I might come by to watch for awhile. It would sure be good to hear someone else’s voice beside my own."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. When me and Ed first started prospectin’, we didn’t want to stop to eat, we were so full of gold fever. We worked seven days a week, from sun up to sun down. But after a while you begin to realize that the gold you don’t dig out today will still be there tomorrow. Six days a week is plenty of work; a body needs a rest."
"I’ve just about come to that conclusion myself. I need to clean up around the place and wash some clothes, then I’ll probably wander into town and see what’s going on. I might see you and Ed later."
***
As she picked her way along the stream toward Kicking Mule the next day, Shinonn saw that she wasn’t the only miner doing her washing that day. All along the shore of the river she encountered shirts, trousers, long-johns and socks spread out on rocks and draped across bushes to dry in the mid-day sun.
Although it was late in the year, and the air was crisply cool, the sun shone brightly. It was a good day to wash and a good day to rest.
Sounds of revelry rode the currents of the thin mountain air, reaching out to Shinonn as she approached the small mining town. From one tent she heard a harmonica, soft and soulful. From another came the voices of miners in deep discussion about the price of gold. She passed several men who were discussing stories they had heard about a strike further up stream.
"I heard tale that they’re taking a full cup of gold out in one hour’s digging up at Critter’s Creek."
"Yeah, I head that one too. Only, when I heart it, they was talking about this camp right here. So far, I ain’t found but a couple of cups of gold all told and I been working my claim for two weeks."
"Old man Adams, has the claim just up from mine, he found a nugget the size of your fist. He ain’t found much else, but that sure was one purty nugget."
"One purty nugget ain’t enough for me. I figure I’ll go take a look at that new strike. I been itching to try my luck up at Critter’s Creek anyway. That creek looks the sort of place where a feller can find gold.
Everything about it is just right for gold."
"Ain’t you learned nothing yet? Gold ain’t where it’s supposed to be; gold is where, ... well, it’s where it’s at!"
Shinonn passed the gossiping miners and continued onto the saloon. Since she didn’t drink liquor, she’d not previously had a reason to enter the building. Like so many of the structures in the gold country, it was a temporary affair made of canvas and the stray plank of wood.
She found her neighbors Tom and Ed inside and about two dozen other miners. A couple of card games were going on while in a corner a grizzled old miner sawed away on a fiddle. The tune the old man played was unrecognizable but lively. Shinonn found her foot tapping to the rhythm of the music,
"Draw up a stool and sit in
When she finished dividing the gold, she carefully hid the jars with the smaller amounts beneath a loose board of the cabin’s floor, figuring that the hiding spot would almost certainly be found by anyone who came into the cabin intent on stealing gold. She then placed the bulk of the gold in a hole which she had dug beneath the floor of the cabin, under her mattress. Although she hadn’t heard of anyone in Kicking Mule having his poke stolen, she knew only too well that any gold camp was ripe pickings to the dishonest. She only hoped that the smaller jars of gold would satisfy any thieves, should they come to her cabin.
"Can we count you in on a poker game tomorrow?" Tom Salverton called to her the next Saturday evening just as dusk began to settle in. "We could use some new blood in the game."
"I might come by to watch for awhile. It would sure be good to hear someone else’s voice beside my own."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. When me and Ed first started prospectin’, we didn’t want to stop to eat, we were so full of gold fever. We worked seven days a week, from sun up to sun down. But after a while you begin to realize that the gold you don’t dig out today will still be there tomorrow. Six days a week is plenty of work; a body needs a rest."
"I’ve just about come to that conclusion myself. I need to clean up around the place and wash some clothes, then I’ll probably wander into town and see what’s going on. I might see you and Ed later."
***
As she picked her way along the stream toward Kicking Mule the next day, Shinonn saw that she wasn’t the only miner doing her washing that day. All along the shore of the river she encountered shirts, trousers, long-johns and socks spread out on rocks and draped across bushes to dry in the mid-day sun.
Although it was late in the year, and the air was crisply cool, the sun shone brightly. It was a good day to wash and a good day to rest.
Sounds of revelry rode the currents of the thin mountain air, reaching out to Shinonn as she approached the small mining town. From one tent she heard a harmonica, soft and soulful. From another came the voices of miners in deep discussion about the price of gold. She passed several men who were discussing stories they had heard about a strike further up stream.
"I heard tale that they’re taking a full cup of gold out in one hour’s digging up at Critter’s Creek."
"Yeah, I head that one too. Only, when I heart it, they was talking about this camp right here. So far, I ain’t found but a couple of cups of gold all told and I been working my claim for two weeks."
"Old man Adams, has the claim just up from mine, he found a nugget the size of your fist. He ain’t found much else, but that sure was one purty nugget."
"One purty nugget ain’t enough for me. I figure I’ll go take a look at that new strike. I been itching to try my luck up at Critter’s Creek anyway. That creek looks the sort of place where a feller can find gold.
Everything about it is just right for gold."
"Ain’t you learned nothing yet? Gold ain’t where it’s supposed to be; gold is where, ... well, it’s where it’s at!"
Shinonn passed the gossiping miners and continued onto the saloon. Since she didn’t drink liquor, she’d not previously had a reason to enter the building. Like so many of the structures in the gold country, it was a temporary affair made of canvas and the stray plank of wood.
She found her neighbors Tom and Ed inside and about two dozen other miners. A couple of card games were going on while in a corner a grizzled old miner sawed away on a fiddle. The tune the old man played was unrecognizable but lively. Shinonn found her foot tapping to the rhythm of the music,
"Draw up a stool and sit in
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