, 1862-05-29
Thrilline Mining Ineident.

It was a gloomy afternoon in the middle oi
the rainy season so peculiar 70 the climate oi
California, that myself and two companions came
to halt, after long and fruitless search after
that precious metal which has drawn so many
away from their Ieaccful homes TO become wan
dererS in iar-of country.
Mine was only one Of the numerous instances
Of hard fortune which seems 70 merge into fa-
tality, and to make abortiVe every effort to-
wards acquiring fortune, or even competency.
Ny companions were young men, brothers, who
had left the States with their heads filed with
go den dreams, and, after two years Of unlar
aleled hardship, found themselves in frame
Of mind bordering upon desperation, utterly des
titute Of money and tue common neeessarics Of
life.
We had entered small valley IN the morning,
formed by the range oi b lis near the North Fork
Of the American River. II took Us the whole
Of the forenoon to descend the preeiptOus sides
Of the mountain, and, exhausted by our exeT-
tons, we had thrown ourselves under the out.
spreading branchrs Of q large oak, which stood
near the centre Of the small level which formed
the basin Of what appeared, at some distant Pc
rod, to have been the RESERVOIR Of small lake.
| had lighted NY pipe, while MY friends were
engaged in unpackinP such scanty provisions as
We had remaining Ny thoughts had insensibly
wandered away to old associations, and was
half wondering to myself whether ever would
"strike pile"-the ultimktttn which is ever
prrsent to q Caliiornian's imagination
was startled by shout behind me. turned
quickly, and found the brothers dancing and
lraping about in the most extFavagant manner.
rushed up 10 them, and there, in glttering pro
fusion, lay the cause Of their sudden joy: they
had rolled . large stone Gyer to serve as seat,
and in doing so exposed 10 view "pocket
filled with masses and Jumps Of gold in nearly
a pure state. | congratulated them on their
discovery, when each claimed Il a. his own: the
lie and the blow passed in quick succession, and
hef0re could utter word they we're IN mortal
combat, rolling over the sward and shifting their
positions with The rapidity Of lightning. They
were mad the fioth flew from between their
closely. shut teeth, and they gave utteranee TO
hows oi rage that restmbled more the shrieks
Of demons than Ol human beings. In en- in
slant one jumped up with . yell Of victory.
crashing knife dripping with the blood Of his
brother; he threw himself fat ON the ground,
with his face and hands on the treasure II was
with feelings better imagined than described that
] witnessed this terrible tragedy; everything
had passed 10 insiantaneousy that | llnd no op-
pnrtunity for interference As soon aa could
collect nv scattered senses, pruceedgd % rAisl
the injured one up. He was stone 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 looked
up, and--hOrrUr Of horrors i-saw the other
brother half risen from the earth, in the act u
casting firm him huge rattlvsnake which had
cooled itself around his neck, while he had been
hugging to his heart his ill-eotten gold. There
was dark, livid spot upon his cheek, which
told the tale, while stamped upon bis features
Aaatnnfr
G0r the mastery. Above IN could be heaId the
clear ringing rattle Of the deadly reptile, as, east
from the hand Of its victim, Il cTawled its slow
length away into the surrounding chapParel. ]
entered that valley young man: left Il prem
aturely old. buried both brothers under the old
tree which had been the only witness, besides
myself, Of their early aud violent death. 10