The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-10-02
An Incident in the Life of Il Miner

1t was gloomy afternoon in the mid
die of the rainy season so peculiar to the
climate of California;, that myself and two
other companions came to halt, after a
long and fruitless search after that preci-
Gus metal which has drawn so many away
from their peaceful homes to become
Wanderers in Il iar-of country.
| Mine was one of numerous instances
Of hard fortune which seemed to me, &c
into fatality aud make abortive every
effort toward acquiring fortune or
even a competency. My companions
were young men, brothers, who had left
the States with their heads filed with
golden dreams, and, after two years of
unparalleled hardship, found themselves
in frame of mind bordering upon despe-
ration, and utterly destitute of money
and the common Dcccssaries of life.
We had entered a small valley in the
morning formed by the range of hills near
the North Fork of the American River.
1t took us nearly the whole forenoon to
| descend the prccipitious sides of the
mountain, and exhausted by our cxer-
| tious, we had thrown ourselves under
the outsprcad branches of large oak
which stood near the center Of small
level which formed the basis of what APP
pearod, at some distant period, to have
been the reservoir of Il small lake.
had lighted my pipe, while my friends
were engaged i'll unpac&ing such scanty
provisions as we had remaining. Nv
thoughts had insensibly wandered away
to old associations, and was half-wonder-
ING to myself whether | would ever
strike pile,' the utmatum which is
ever present to a Californian's imagina-
ton, when | was startled by shout be-
hind me. | turned quickly, and found
the brothers dancing and leaping
about in the most extrayagant man
ner. | rushed up to them and there in
g'lticrIng proiuslon lay the cause of their
sudden joy: they had rolled lar gc stone
over for IL seat, and in doing so exposed to
view poke" filed with masses and
Jumps Of gold in nca,lya pure state.
congratulated them on their discovery.
when each claimed it as his own. The
lie and the blow passed in quick success
sion, and before | could utter word they
were in mortal combat, rolling over the
sward and shifting their positions with
the rapidly Of lightning. They were
mad, the froth flew from between their
closely shut-tcctl', and they gave utter
ance to bowls of rage that rescmbled
more the shricks Of demons than human
beings. In an instant one jumped up
with yell Of victory, gra>ping a knife
dripping with the blood of his brother,
with his face and hands on the treasure.
1t was with feelings better imma gncd
than described that witnessed this ter
bic tragedy. Everything had passed so
ln'tantancous!y that | had no oportunity
for interference. AS soon as | could
collect my scattered senses | proceeded
to raise the injured one up. lie was
dead; the knife must have pierced his
heart. | was in the act of laying him
down when cry reached me that will
haunt me to my dying hour. l looked
up, and-horror, Of horrors saw the
brother half-riscn from the earth, in the
act or casting from him huge rattle
snake which had coiled itself around his
neck while he had been hugging to his
heart his ill-gotten gold. There was a
dark, livid spot upon his check, which
told the tale, while, stamped upon his
features, terocity, rage, fright and utter
despair struggled for the mastery.
Above all could be heard the clear, ring
ing rattle of the deadly reptile, as, cast
from the hand of it's victim, it crawled
its slow length away into the surro und-
ing chapparel. entered that valley a
young man-I left it prcmaturely old.
| buried both brothers under the old tree
which had been the only witness besides
myself of their early and violent death.