Weekly Calaveras chronicle. (Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, Cal.) 18??-1874, 1867-10-05

MeSsle ana L were riding in front of
the line, when Meggie exclaimed:
'What horrible smell comes from
that copse!
Don't smell anything, Meg
you've lived here so long that you've
no sense of smell left
OF course as Meggie was with us,
BliDkers was there too. Blinkers ad-
vanced to the copse-paused-and rush
ed underneath the grass, barking as if
Infatuated.
There's something in there, Willie
Some of the Others coming up, we
pushed our way into the depths, guided
BY the frantic bark of Blinkers, and,
after being much scratched and torn,
found ourselves in the center of tram
pied circle of jungle grass, with the
half devoured remains of large tiger
The doctor was sent for, and the
wound discovered; the beast had evil
IDENTIFY been famed, the bullet breaking
the fore leg. 1t was also evident that,
wounded as it was, it had fingered on
till it was mere skin and bone, and had
died only within the last few days. As
sisted by some natives, the good natured
doctor commenced the horrible task OF
searching for the bullet, and, after hall
an hours labor, the most disgusting he
had ever undergone, it was found fiat
tened against the large bone of the hind
leg, and handed to me.
Never shall forget the pleasure l
felt when saw on the rescued bullet,
the No. 5, with dot as fresh and clear
as if it had just come from the pressing
machine.
Great was the rejoicing that night in
the camp of the Fortieth Blue fires
were burnt, the band came and serena
ded Meggie The whole of the officers,
including the old Colonel, came as to
levee but still l felt there was one
thing more to be found out How did
the No. 2 bullet get into the saddle?
At length | inquired whether any of
the officers missed any of their arms.
Curiously enough, the only missing arm
was gun belonging to the wounded
Captain I asked, did he remember the
size He did. 1t was just a shade
smaller than the bore of the regimental
carbines. You could get Government
bullet down by good deal of hammer
ing.
l now propounded my theory, that
the bullet No. 2 had been fired from the
Captains missing rifle, for the point of
the bullet was marked with rings, and
considerably fattened. Now there was
nothing in the flesh, and nothing in the
saddle to produce these marks, and they
must therefore have been made before
firing.
1 then proposed that full search
should be made with dogs, for at least
two miles round, from where the shot
was fired, to see if any traces could be
found of either the man or the gun.
We made the most careful search;
presently I came to a stone on the road
itself, marked in most peculiar man
ner.
whats the cause of these marks?'
said to the farrier of the troop, who
had volunteered to help, and who said
he never felt more grateful to any one
in all his life, than he did to me for
squeezing his wrist so hard that day
Whats the cause? It's been used
as hammer for something's nail in
shoe
Nail heads are square,
'True for you-these are round"
DO you think ramrod would make
these marks p
1T just would. Somebody's been
driving down a hard bullet with it.
so [ think Now, take this stone
and throw it straight over that gap into
the middle Of the copse, and I'll mark
where it seems to fall
He threw it, and marking the spot,
we found our way into the jungle; and
there, within few yards of the stone,
under the long leaves, we found what
we sought-the remains of native,
stripped entirely of flesh and skin ex-
cept on the hands and feet, and with
great gaping wound in the skull and
in the inside, which the ants had per-
fectly cleaned out, was large piece of
the breech of the burst gun that he had
by his side.
The whole evidence was there; two
empty cartridge cases; another No. 2
bullet; eight untouched cartridges. 1t
was clear enough that the man, who
ever be was, had taken the captains
gun, and putting in two charges Of pow
der, rammed down the too large bullet
with the blows of the stone on the now
bruised end of the ramrod; and the loud
report that all the witnesses spoke of
was as loud as the simultaneous report
of the discharge Of three charges OF
powder could make it. While the want
of force in the bullet was accounted for
by the bursting of the gun
We took home the skull, and the
burst rifle, and the cartridge cases, to-
oether with some remnants of clothing;
and we there found ont the intended
murderer to have been one of the cyces
or grooms Of the Captain; that be had
been horsewhipred month before for
ill-usinga horse of which he had charge
Of course there was new trial or
dered; and as the evidence was un-
questionable, Gerald was discharged.
Did be leave the regiment?
Not bit-why should he? The
men worshipped him, and the officer
vino was wounded was invalided; and
he and his comrades managed matters
among them so we'll that at the first