East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-04-15

louder still, and then family. He made
great effort to awake, and at last succeed
cd, though he was still in half stupefied
state. There was noise Of some person
moving near him, and low moaning :
iIc got on his knees to creep out of the
miama, aud by the light of the moon he
saw his mate lying ON the ground with
blood issuing from cut on the head and
man kneeling beside him aud searching
his pockets. Horrorstruck at the sight
Gardner was at first unable to move, bn,
at length, with a sudden impulse, nc
threw himself upon the assassin and tried
t. bring. him to the ground. The latter
though surprised by the attack, soon freed
himself, aud snapped two caps OF revol.
yer at his assailant, bu: the pistol missing
fire, he snapped up the bundle Of Long
Ned, and made off into the bush.
Gardner had no strength to follow him,
but sunk down by the body Of his mate,
anil lay there he could not tell how long.
When he again came to himself it was
broad daylight. Having satisfied himself
that Ned had ceased to breathe, he ran
away from the spot; and walked for two
days without sleeping, till he found his
way to my hut. a t
"It's all true," Gardner said, when he
had ended this story.
"What male you keep tia sccret?" ]
asked. "Did you give no information to
the policc?"
al dared not. They'd have said it was
me-" ~ a
could hardly restrain my indignation
at this reply.
al know what the police are," he re-
pcated, "and il you were like me you
wouldn't have told them either"
He would not explain what he meant,
but afterward found out the reason OF
his fears, which were not altogether
groundless. Gardner was, in the Ian
guage of the colonies, an "old lag"--that
is to say, discharged convict--and he
knew that if the murder became known,
he would be suspected of having killed
his mate for the sake Of the gold he had
about him.
1 told Gardner that I should give in.
formation to the police at onca Seeing
l was resolved, he at last gave his con-
sent, and set off to the government
camp aud inquired of the guard for one
of the commissioners who bore a good
name on the diggings Fortunately
that gentleman was engaged in rubber
of whist, and therefore, although il was
near mi might, had no difficulty in get.
ting too 900 him. lie listened TO me po-
litely, and showed degree Of energy not
at all common among those officials.
"This is strange story" he said.-
"The fact of the murder is true enough,
for the body has been found under the
circumstances You describe; but why
should this man want to conceal it?
must see him. c
/ told him Gardner's condition, and he
sent for the doctor from the whist table,
ordered three horses TO be saddled, and
desired me to lead the way to the hut
In half an hour more, he had heard the
story from Garduer's own lips, and ascer-
tanned that the murder had taken place
the third night before. -
"Could you swear to the murderer, II
you saw him?n the Commissioner asked
Gardner said he could not; he was sc
stupified that he remembered nothing
about him, except that he was stou
man. 'lfaI
"You say that there was grog-ten
where you stopped, about mile from th'
placer" -ao F4 e
Gardner asscnted.
"Thst tent is not there now; was all
round the place last night"
III knew you would not believe me,
Gardner said.
"You are mistaken; do believe you
I know there was such tent there
You say tho man took yonr mates swaQ
with him--what was in it?" pm
"Nothing but possum rug that hi'
gold was tied up in" f.
Nothing c.sc?' i- etiil io
"Nothiug else that / know Of"
The Commissioner considered. "That',
awkward" he observed to the Doctor
"a bag Of gold aud possum rug ar,
things not easily identified"
IL should know that rug among I
Thousand" interposed Gardner. -
"Why SOP" gas - ~ PISS fr
"Why. 1t was made in hurry, or else
in plaoe where possums aren't so plenty
as they are here. There was one wild
cat skin in it." in
"You arc certain Of that?" 49,.
II am, sir" he replied. ff
"Could you swear 10 the man that kept
that coffee tent, if you saw him?" CD
al should know him anywhere.n .o
"Very good" said the Commissioner
"Doctor, LII leave you to examin,
your patient Let him have anything h,
wants from the camp. You need not b,
alarmed, my man; you are not suspected
OF this affair. Good night to you."
followed tho Commissioner outside
and asked him IL he thought he could
trace the man at the grog-tent, on whom
our suspicious had fallen. .gpse
CT think 1 can," he said. "Time j,
everything; he has three days SAT- o
Us, hut il may be done" And the Com
missioner mounted his horse and gal