Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-09-02
AN INCIDENT OF A MINER.

1t was a gloomy afternoon in the mid
die OF the rainy season so peculiar to the
climate OF California, that myself and two
companions came to a halt. after a long
and fruitless search after that prec;ons
metal which has drawn so many away
from their peaceful homes to become wan.
derers iii a far off country. Mine was
one Of the numerous instances Of hard
fortune which seem to merge into a fatal
ity, and to make ahortive every effort
towards acquiring a fortune, or even a
competency. My companions were Young
men, brothers. who had left tile States
with their heads full Of bright dreams.
and after two years Of unparalleled hard:
ship, found themselves IN a frame Of mind
bordering upon desperation, utterly des.
titute of money. and the ommon necessa
ries of life.
We had entered a small valley IN the
morning. formed by the range of hills
near North Fork of the American River.
1t took US the whole of the forenoon to
descend the PERCEPTIONS mountain, and
exhausted by our exertions, we had
thrown ourselves under the outsprea ding
branches of a large oak, which stood near
the center of the small level which form
ed the basin Of what appeared, at some
distant period, to have been the reservoir
of a small lake.
| had lighted my pipe, while my friend
was engaged in unpacking such scanty
provisions as we had remaining. Nv
thoughts had insensibly wandered away
to old associations, and | was half won
dering to myself whether l could ever
strike a pile"-the ultimatum which is
ever present to a Californian's imagina.
tion-when was startled by a shout be-
hind me. | turned quickly, and found
the brothers leaping and dancing about
IN the most ~extrayagant manner. ]
rushed up to them. and there in glitter
Ing profusion lay the cause of their iov
they had rolled a large stone over to
serve as a seat, and in doing so exposed
to view a pocket filled with masses and
Jumps OF gold in nearly a pure state. ]
congratulated them on their discovery
when each claimed it as their own, the
lie and blow passed in quick succession
and before L could utter a word they
were IN mortal combat, rolling over the
sward and shifting their positions with
the rapidly of lightning. They were
mad the froth few from their closely
shut teeth, and they gaue u~tterance to
howls OF rage, that .r%esembled more thC
shrleks OF demons than Of human beings
In an instant one jumped up with a vel
, OF victory, graspipg a knife dripping will
the blood OF his brother he threw him
self fiat on the ground with his face anc
t hands on the treasure. 1t was with feel
lngs better imagined than described, tina
| witnessed this terrible tradegy every
t thing had passed so in staneously, that
had nc opportunity for interference. Al
soon as | could collect my scattered sen
SEES, | proceeded to raise the injured one
up.
He was stone dead the knife mus
have pierced his heart. | was in the act
of laying him down, when a cry reached
f me that will haunt me to my dying hour
| looked up, and-horrors IL saw the
other brother half risen from the earth
IN the act of casting from him a huge rat.
tlesnake which had coiled itself around
his neck, while he had been hugging to
his heart his ill-gotten gold. There was
2 dark livid spot upon his cheek which
: told the tale, while stamped upon his fea.
lures, ferocity, rage, fright and utter
despair struggled for the mastery. Above
all could be heard the clear ringing rat
tie OF the deadly reptile, as. cast from the
hand of its victim, it crawled its SLOW
length away into the chapparel. l en-
tered that valley a young a [ left Il
prematurely old. buried both brothers
under the old tree which had been the
only witness beside myself of their early
and violent death. :