The Portland daily press., 1870-06-04

could not be condoned bymoney, MS lace tooh
a more serious and sanguinary hue, ana th0se
who were nearest TO nm hoticeu tnat ms
rouoh hand frenbled slightly on the table.
lie bestated moment as he slowly returned
tho oold 10 the carpetbag, as ii he had not |
vet entirely caught the elevated sense OF JUS |
lice which swayed the tribunal, and was per-
nlexcd with the belief that he had not offered
enough. Then he turned to the judge, and
say ing, "Ths yer is lone hand, played alone,
and without my pardner," he bowed to the iiu-
70 and was about TO withdraw, when the judge
called him back. "lf you have anything to
say to Tennessee, you had better say it nOw."
For the first time that evening the eyes of the
prisoner and his strange advocate met. Ten
nessee smiled showed his white teeth, and
saying, "Euchred, old manw held out his
hand. Tennessees Partner took it in bis
own, and saying, 81 just dropped in as was
passln TO see how things was gettin' on" let
the hand passiyely fall, and adding that sit
was warm night" again mopped his face
with his handkerchief, and without another
word withdrew.
The Two men never again met each other
alive. For the unparalleled insult OF a bride
offered to Judge Lynch-who, whether bigot
ed, weak or narrow, was at least ncorrupti-
ble-firmly fixed in the mind of that myth
cal parsonage any wagering determination of
Tennessee's tate; and at the break of day he
was marched, closely guarded, TO meet it at
the top of Marley's hill.
How he met it, how cool he was, how he re-
fused to say anything, how perfect were the
arrangements of the committee. were all duly
repoited-with the addition of warning
moral and example to all future evil-doers-in
the lied Dog Clarion, by its editor. who was
present, and to whose vigorous English |
cheerfuly refer the reader. But the beauty of
that midsummer morning, the blessed aInity
oil earth and air and sky, the awakened life of
the free woods and hills, the joyous renewal
aud promise OF nature, and above all, the inf
| mite serenity that thrilled through each was
| not reported, as not being part of The social
lesson. And yet, when the weak and foolish
deed was DONE and life, with its possibilities
and responsibilities, had passed out OF the MIS-
shapen thing that daneied between earth and
Sky, the birds sang, the flowers bloomed, the
sun shone, as cheerily as beforek aud possibly,
the Red Dog Clarion was right.
Tennessee's Partner was not in the group
that surrounded the ominous tree. But as
they turned to disperse, attention was drawn
to the singular appearance OF a motionless
donkey cart, halted at the side of the road. AS
they approached, they at once recognized the
venerable "Jenny" and the two-wheeled cart
as the property OF Tennessee's Partner-used
by him In carrying dirt from his claim; and a
few PAGES distant, the owner of the equipage
himself, sitting under buckeye.:ree, wipng
the perspiration from his glowing face In
| answer to an inquiry, he said he had come for
the body of the diseased" "if it was all the
same to the committee" He didn't wish to
hurry anythng;" he could wait. He was
not working that day; and when the gentle
| men were done with the diseased" he would
take him. EFF thar is any present." he added,
| in his simple, serious way, ''as would care to
jine in the fun'l they kin come"
| Il
which have already intimated was feature
OF Sandy Bar; perhaps it was from something
even better than that; but two-thrds of the
loungers accepted the invitation at once
Ii 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 no
ticed that it contained rough oblong box
apparently made from section of sluicing-
and half filled with bark and the tassels of
pine The cart was further decorated with
slips of willow, and made fragrant with buck
| eye blossoms. When the body was deposited
| III the box, Tennessee'S Partner drew over it
| piece OF tarred canvas, and gravey mount
| ing the narrow seat in front, with his feet up-
on the shafts, urged the little donkey forward
The equipase moved slowly on, at that deco
| rous pace which was habilual with "Jenny"
even under less solemn circumstances. The
men-haif curiousiy, half jestngly, but all
cart; some in advance, some a little in the
rear OF the homely caiafalque. But, whether
from the narrowing of the road or some pres
ent sense of decorum. as the cart passed on
the company fell to the rear in couples, keep
ing step, and otherwise assuming the external
show OF formal procession. Jack Folnsbee,
VINO had, at the outset, played funeral
march III dumb show upon an imaginary
trombone, desisted from lack of sympathy
and superintendent having, perhaps, your
true bumorist's capacity to be content with
the enjoyment of his own fun.
The Way led Through Grizzly Canyon-by
this Tune clothed in funeral drapery and shad-
| ows. The redwoods burying their moccasin-
| ed feet ill., the red soil, stood in Indlan file
along the track, trailing an uncouth benedic-
| ton from their bending boughs upon the pass
| ing bier. A hare, surprised into helpless in
activity, sat upright and pulsating, in the
terms by the roadside, as the cOrtege went by.
| Squirrels fastened to gain secure outlook
rom higher boughs and the blue jays, spread
| ing their wings futtered before them like out
| riders, until the outskirts of Sandy Bar were
reached, and the solitary cabin of Tennessee's
Partner. ..Y.t
Viewed under more favorable crcunl-
stances, it would not have been a cheerful
place. The unpicturesque site, the rude and
unlovely outlines, the unsavory details, which
distinguish the building OF the California
miner, were all here, with the dreariness OF
decay saperadded. A few PAGES from the cab
| in there was rough Enclosure, which, in the
brief days of Tennessee's Partners matrimo-
NAL felicity, had been used as garden, but
was now Overgrown with fern. AS we APP
preached it, we were surprised TO find that
what we had taken for recent attempt at
cultivation was the broken soil about an open
grave.
The cart was halted before tho Enclosure;
| and rejecting the offers of assistance, with the
same air oil simple, seli-reliance he had dis
played throughout, Tennessee's Partner lifted
| the rough coffin on his back, and deposited it,
unaided, within the shallow grave. He then
| nailed down the board which served as q lid !;
| and mounting the little mound of errth beside
it, took off his hat. and slowly mopped his face
with his handkerchief This the crowd ielt
was preliminary to speech; and they disposed
themselves varlously on stumps ard powders,
and sat expcctant.
'When man." began Tennessee's Partner
slowly, "has been running free all day, what's
the natural thing for him to do? Why, to
come home. And if he amt in a condition to
go home, what can his best friend do? WHY,
bring him home! And here's Tennessee has
been running free, and we brings him home
from his wandering" He paused, and picked
up a fragment of quartz, rubbed it thought
iully on his sleeve, and went on: cit amt the
first time that I've packed him on my back, as
you seed me now. 1t amt the first time that
L brought him TO this yer cabin when he
couldn't help himself; it amt the first time
that L and Jimmy have waited for him on yon
hill, and picked him up and so fetched hin,
home, when he couldn't speak, and didn't
know me. And now that it's the last time
lwhl he paused, and rubbed the quartz
Seotly on his sleeve-''you see it's sort of
Io'lsh on his pardner. And now, gentlemen"
" aused, abruptly, picking up his long-han-
oieu shovel, "the iun'ls over; and my thanks.
ana 1eifaeSsees thanks, to you Tor your
| trouble" ''
hesstns a,y profers of assistance, he be-
gan 10 Dill ID The grave, turning his back upon
the crowd, that ster few moments hesita-
ton, gradually withdrew. As they crossed
the iiltie ridge that Md Sandy Bar from view,
some, looking back, fought thew could see
Iennessees partner, his work done. sitting ON
The grave, his shovel between his knees and
his face buried in his red bandana bandlIer-
chief. But it was argued BY others that Won
couldn't tell his face from hin handkerchief at
that distance; and this point 1smained unde-
cided.
In the reaction that followed the, feyerisb
excitement of that day, Tennessee's Partner
was not forgotten. A secret investigator,
had cleared him of any completely in Tennes-
secs guilt, and left only suspicion of his gen.
eral sanity, Sandy Bar made point of call
ing on him, and prolfering various uncouth,
Dut Well-meant kndnesses. But from that
uay, his rude health and strength seemed to
eels:lnly decline; and when the rainy season
1halaiy set IN, and the tiny grass blades were
"cSiuDlng to nppn from tho rooIyu mound