Claim 227

By Ron Lewis

This is the story of Johan Bain and David 'Frisco' Andrews. A nervous hand trembled as it reached into the cold water, before pulling the nugget the size of his hand from the flowing stream. He knew as soon as he touched it what it was. Holding it up to Andrews, wild eyed, he yelled to his companion, "Bonanza, ya?" Walking to him, David saw the yellow stone with other minerals clinging stubbornly to the gold. Taking the soft metal in his own hands, he felt exhilarated at the sheer size of the mineral. The gold warmed from his touch, feeling heavy and living in his calloused hand. Perhaps this was where the fever comes from. Gold fever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ron Lewis
• Release date: Apr 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311900722

Ron Lewis

Ron Lewis has had a life long interest and love of both history and westerns. Blending fact and fiction together, mixing real characters and those created from whole cloth, his stories are his views of the old west of the 19th century.Mr. Lewis’s roots in Oklahoma reach back to the 19th century when is his great-grandfather John moved though the Indian territories, and eventually Oklahoma territory yearly. He operated a traveling musical group who sold a panacea concoction most often called “Snake Oil.”Eventually his grandfather, John Henry, settled in the Winding Stair Mountains of eastern Oklahoma, very near to Robbers Cave. John Henry worked for a mining company as an elevator operator. His grandfather was well known and all who knew him knew his credo in life. “I don’t want to be higher than picking corn or lower than digging potatoes.”Hearing stories from his father, uncles and grandfather about life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries kindled a love for those bygone days. Many of these stories are the basis for his writing.

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Claim 227

A Tale of the California Gold Rush

Ron Lewis

© Copyright 2014, 2019 by Ron Lewis

All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction and not intended to be historically accurate, but merely a representation of times. Names, characters, places, and incidents used in this story are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to any person living or dead is merely coincidental and unintentional; however, historical characters are used strictly for dramatic purpose. This story contains some violence.

Claim 227

Johan Bain stopped his plowing at the end of the row. He pulled the plow from the ground and turned his mule around, pointing back in the other direction. He set the plow into the dirt, kicked the blade down into the soil.

It’s goot dirt, he told the mule. Only problem is not our dirt.

Pulling his wide-brimmed hat from his head, he hung his topper on one of the plow handles, pulled a kerchief from his pocket, and wiped the thick sweat from his brow. Johan peered west toward the horizon.

Bain longed to go somewhere, anywhere, other than here. To a place Johan Bain would call his own. But deeper than owning property, he wanted to be somewhere else.

Johan, a voice called to him.

Bain turned back toward his house and spotted his wife plodding toward him, a water bucket in her hand weighing her down. Johan pulled the rigging from his shoulders and strode toward his wife.

Hilda, you shouldn’t be doing that!

You need water, she said. This isn’t so heavy. Hilda Bain smiled at her husband. Setting down the bucket, she drew a dipper full of water. She handed the dipper to him.

He took a long draw from the dipper, followed the first drink with another from the bucket, retrieved another full cup, and poured the water over his head. He returned the ladle to the bucket before taking his wife in his arms and hugging her.

Your best wife ever a man had, he told her. Well, love, I should go back to my work.

Yah, she said. I’m making stew for supper.

What meat did you use?

That scrawny runt goat.

Mmm, your goat stew. Yah, the best stew in all of Holland, Johan said. Have I ever tell you how much I love you?

Not often, but enough, so I know. She turned, walking back toward the house. She turned back to him, Bring bucket back when you finish for day.

The fact that Johan Bain loved his wife seemed odd to some, considering their beginning. But in truth, no two people ever loved each other more than Johan and Hilda Bain. Things weren’t always this way; their marriage had been an arranged marriage by a matchmaker. Complete strangers, the pair never set eyes on one another until their wedding day.

This was something unheard of in America, but in those times, in Europe, an arranged marriage was common practice. They were married on a sunny day in May. It took a month to become familiar with each other, where they relaxed around each other. Longer still to adjust to