The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-11-15

PRICE FIVE CENTS.

f These words impressed me amazingly.
: How delightful il would be, with moth
ing but q tin dish, to wash out in the
. course of the morning gold enough for
a weeks board / reckoned thus: "Be-
tween break fast and dinner | can sure
ly wash out twelve dishes full of dirt
well, ifeach of those dishes only con-
tains twelve grains of gold, the merest
specks possible, / shall have six penny
weights of gold, worth eighteen shillings
or a pound" Such We're my sanguine
expectations.
Before going to bed that night,
Droc'ilebank, according to Il custom
which he told me he invariably observ-
ed, went carefully over all the little
packets of gold-dust which he had
bought, either during that day or on
form. n occasions.
"Twenty-scveh packets" heard him
say aloud.
lie then placed them, box and all, in
the little receptacle under the floor of
the tent, unclaimed Boxer, the bull
mastifl, who had been tied up during
the day, examined the Gaping of his
revolver, placed it beneath his bed with
in arms length, and retired to rest.
Perhaps | had slept too soundly the
Dight before, perhaps was excited by
the thoughts of the glittcring gold
which hoped to wash out on the NOR
row, at any rate, for some reasons or
other, l was unable to get to sleep. At
last tired Nature asserted her dominion,
and | dozed off imperceptibly. ! cannot
say how long l had been asleep, when
awoke suddenly with IA convulsive start,
opened my eyes, and gazed confusedly
around me. But was | really awake,
or was this merely an attack of night
mare? What | saw was sufficiently
disquieting. Brocklebank had been the
last to get into bed, and he lad eXtin-
guis ell the candle. But when / awoke
or iancicd | had awoke, for on the
following morning | attributed all my
terrors to the heaviness of an unleaven-
ed cake which l had eaten for supper,
when l awoke, my eyes were dazzled
by bright light, and l presently per-
ceived that there were no less than
three candles burning, two on the coun-
: ter where we were accustomed to weigh
out the groceries, and one on the floor.
, | was still more surprised to observe
f that Brocklebank was out of bed, par
+ TALLY dressed, and that he was stoop-
). ing over the cavity where his treasures
, were deposited. His back was towards
e me, so that l could not discern his face,
e or make out what he was doing; but
= after few moments, he rose to his feet
and confronted me. j was horritied.
d The handsome face, which n few hours
|, previous had worn such n calm, busi-
h ness-like expression, was now distort-
e ed by passion; the eyes which had
re sparkled with kindly shrewdness
er now glared wildly, yet in such a vacant,
2 objectless manner, that they appeared
IN totally unconscious that l was staring
~ into them with all my might. A few
moments later, after he had carefully
ID replaced the flag which concealed his
IN gold-chamber from ordinary view.--
! Brocklebank put his hand beneath his
Id bed, and drew out his revolver. The
Il sight of the weapon seemed to enragC
him he ground his teeth together
rk and began TO pace rapidly round and
or round the tent. As far as | could judge
mt it was the dead hour of the night, anC
'er all sounds, except the distant baying
lat of dog, had up to this moment beer
lte hushed. But the noise Of Brocklebank'
lal rapid footsteps aroused the watchfu
es, bull-mastiT outside, and he began t
of growl. The sound of the dogs voice
tly subdued as it was, seemed to fill tn
r. proprietor of the store with alarm. Hi
MS flushed countennnce grew pale; h
)w has ened round and round the tent wit
ret singular rapidity, and as he performe
ad this strange march, he pointed his re
lie volver successively towards the fourqun
I tiers of the compass, muttering, "Nortl
icy east, south, and west. My enemies ny
Be- on all sides"
ny felt very much alarmed while thi
ed extraordinary scene was being enacted
of but also felt entirely helpless, as
lal some superhuman power had chaine
he my limbs to the bed on which | lay.
,ut gradually formed n conviction that
hin was only dreaming, that the alarmin
on figure before me, with its distorte
,er countcnunce, its muttercd threats, an
nd its brandi-hed weapon, WIS only
rf, creature of the imagination, and ths
IA the real Brocklebank wa, fast asleep
cir hi, bed.
nd This conviction must, suppose, ha>
air soothed me considerably, for the imag
lp- nary RropE lpbuOlt LoI sparcaIV uttnrf
the the words which l have just recorde
ere when was overcome by an irresistib
nj drowsiness, ana remembered nothir
OF further.
on TO BE Continued