The Republican journal., 1869-10-28

ing lace In answer TO an inquiry, he Sale
he had como for the body of the deceased, ,
if it was all the same to the committee. IIc
didn't wish to ''hurry anythng," he coult
wait" lie was not working that day; an(
when the gentleman were done with the
''dcceased'' he would take him. EFF thar is
any present" he added in his simple, serious
way, ''as would care to jinein the frn-they
tIn come" Perhaps it was from sense OF
hlmor which have already intimatcd was {;
feature Of Sandy Bar; perhaps it was from
something even better than that but two
thirds of the loungers accepted the invitation
ut once
/ 1t was noon when the body Of Tennessee
was delivered into the hands of his partner
! As the cart drew up to the fatal tree, We
noticed that il contained u rough, oblong bon
apparently made troma section Of slucng-
and half filled with bark and the tassels o
pine. The cart was further decorated Will
slips Of willow, and made fragrant Will
posted in the box, Tcnnessccs Partner drew
over ii Il piece of tarrcd canvas, and gravely
mounting the narrow seat in front, with hi,
feet upon the shafts, urged the little donkey
forward. The cquipage moved slowly on, At
that decorous pace which was -hahituat Will
''Jcnny" even under less solemn circulnstan-
ccS. The men, half cul'ously. half jeStingly,
but all good humoredl y-stroled along be-
side the cart some in advance some u little
in the rear Of the homely cataalque But,
whether from the narrowing of the road, or
some present sense of decorum, as the cart
passed on the company fell to the rear in
couples, keeping step, and otherwise as
summg the external show Of u formal pro
cession. Jack Folinsbee, who had at the out
set played 4 funeral march in dumb show
upon an imaginary trombone, desistcd, from
4 lack of sympathy and appreciation-nol
having, perhaps your true humorist's capaci-
ty TO be content with the enjoyment of his own
fun
The way led through Grizzly Canon-by
this time clothed in funeral drapery and
shadows. The redwoods, buryin@ their moe
casined feet in the red soil, stood in Indian
file along the track trailing IN uncouth be-
nediction from their bending boughs upon the
passing bier, hare, surprised into helpless
inactivity, sat upright and pulsating in the
ferns by the roadside, as the cottef!f went hv
Squirrels FASTENED to gain a secure outlook
from higher hou@hs andthe blue jays, spread
ing their wings, iluttcrcd before them like
outridcrS, until the outskirts Of Sandy Bal
were reached, and the solitary cabin Of Ten
ncssecs Partner.
Viewed under more favorable circunstan-
ceS, it would not have been 4 cheerful place
The unpicturesquc site, the rud, and unloyelN
outlines, the unsavory details, which dis
tinguish the nest-building of the California
miner, We're all here, with the drcarncss Of
decay superadded. A few PAGES from the
cabin there was Il rough enclosure, which, in
the brief days Of Tcnncssee's Partners ma
trimonial felicity, had been used as a garden
but was now overgrown with fern. As We
had, h..
what we had taken for Il recent attempt al
cultivation was the broken soil about an open
grave.
The cart was halted before the enclosure
and rejecting the offer Of assistance, with the
same Ar Of simple selfrelance he had dis
played throughout, Tennessee 5 Partner lifted
the rough collin on his back and deposited
it. unaided, within the shallow grave He
then nailed down the board which served a.
4 lid; and mounting the little mound of earth
beside it, took Oft his hat, and slowly mopped
his face with his handkerchief This the
crowd felt was Il preliminary to speech, and
they disposed themselves variously on stlmp4
and powders, and sat eXpectant.
NV hen man, began Tennessee's Partner.
slowly. has been running free all day, what :
the natural thing for him to do? Why, to
come home. And if he amt in Il condition
~ ~ HtlllN, W iltt tith HIS Dt'NL llltltl Go
Why, bring him home And here's TenneS-
see has been running free, and we brings him
home from his wanleringn He paused, and
picked up q fragment of quartz, rubbed il
thoughttully ON his sleeve, and went on: 1T
amt the first time that | brought him TO this
cabin when he couldn't help himself; it amt
the first time that | and jimmy have waited
for him on yon hill, and picked him up and
so fetched him home, when he couldn't speak
and didn't know me. And now that it's the
tme-why hy'-he paused ,andrubbed the quartz
gently on his sleeve-'you see it's sort OF
rough on his par,lner. And now, gentleman, y
he aaied, abruptly, picking up his long ham
died shovel, ''lhe fun il over; and my thanks,
and Tenne5Ssec's thanks, to You for yonr
trouble"
Resisting any proflcrs Of assistance, he be
gan TO fill in TIC grave, turning his back upon
the crowd, that after few moments hesita-
ton gradually withdrew, As they crossed
the little ridge that hid Sandy Bar from view,
some, looking back, thought they could see
Tennessce's Partner, his work DONE sitting
upon the grave, his shovel between his knees
andhis face buried in his red bandana handker-
chief But it was argued by others that YOU
couldn't tell his face from his handkerchief at
that distance, and this point remained mde-
cidcd.
h. the reaction that followed the frvcrish
excitement Of that day, Tennessee's Partner
was not forgotten. A secret investigation
had cleared him Of any completely in Tenncs-
sees guilt, and left only q suspicion Of his
general sanity. Sandy Bar made point of
calling upon him, and protfeling various un-
couth, bat wcll-meant kindncsses But from
that day, his rude health and great strength
seemed TO visibly decline; and when the
rainy season fairly set in, and the tiny grass
blades We're beginning to peep from the rocky
mound above Temcssee's crave he took
his bed.
One night when the pines beside the cabin
were sWaying in the storm, and trailing their
slender fingers over the roof and the roar and
rush Of the swollen river were heard below
Tenne Partner lifted his head from the
pillow, saying 1T is time to 90 to Tcnncs
see; | must put jimmy in the cart; ~ and
would have risen from his bed but for the re
strant of his attendant. Struggling, he still
pursued his singular fancy: "There now
steady 'Jenny'-steady, old girl. How dark
it is Look out for the ruts--and look out for
him, too, old gal. Sometimes, you know,
when he's blind drunk, he drops down right
in the trail. Keep on straight up to the pine
on the top of the hill Thar told YOU so
thar he is coming this way. too--all by him
self, sober, and his face a-shining. Tenncs-
see Pardner!"
The Portland Press relates the funny linan-