St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-09-09

| ~ '''"''' al ''Cp 't'phL iIIu- i'lu part
ly filled with earth and water, and once
sunk in there, all trace of them would he
lost; but rs | have said before, as yet
this is all surmise, as nothing has been
proved against him.; but | would not
care TO be his guest, if he had reason to
think that / had Il pile of dust about my
person."
"ThingS do look rather dark, Fred.
and perhaps you had better take UP with
our friends advice. I've no notion of
dissolving partnership with you so soon,
or to run the risk of losing my share of
the dust" said Seth, when Mason had
concluded
must own that his story had. in a
measure, impressed me with doubt as 10
the honesty of Old Sharkey still, | did
not like the notion of backing out, or
OF letting my companions see that their
woIdS had any effect to dampen my
courage. RumUr said that Sharkcv lived
alone, and what had | to fear from 4
weak, trembling, old man. ard lame
withal
If my su-picions were awakened,
could keep my eyes open through the
night, and my hands on pair of trusty
pistols that had never known TO fail
Inc. The more | reflected, the higher
my courage rose, and 50 | made reply to
Seth's observation, that he would have
no need to fear either my loss, or that OF
h,S gold but that, at any rate, should
try the hospitality of Old Sharkey, as l
had intended.
Finding that this story had no effect
on my determination. Mason bAde u>
good-dLy and went to his work, and our
meal b, ing concluded, we.soon followed
hi> example.
After dinner the next day, set out.
Ihc dust was carefully concealed about
NV person. where it would not Ic liable
To excite suspicion that had a lar-c
amount about me, should any one from
sinister motives attempt to ascertain the
fact. My pistols had been carefully
cleaned and loaded by Seth and myself,
before W. went To work, and | know
they wcr, in good effective condition.
and wi,h tiy>e ami keeping my eyes
open, had no douh; but what | should
escape any DANCES that might 6e>ct mc
while on my WAY.
Na-on'- claim Was on tie outskirts ,t
the iig4in.s, ard the direction l was
pursuing led me past where lac was hard
al wo.k. lie looked up As | hailed him
from about Il dozen feet below me
And 80 you are Of he said.
"IeS. GOOD luck to you ill my re-
turn"
Thank YOU, the same TO yourself.
For Gods ,ahe keep your eyes open, and
don't FORGET il anything happens that l
warned you
"Tll not forget; hut don't lose any
sleep on my account tonight
With these hali-ie,lng words. pas
scd on, not stopping to hear clearly tine
reply made by my friend whom l tho't
to be over cauliotiS.
The sun had sank beneath the rim Of
the mountains when | reached the deS-
crted dig-ingS, and caught sight Of a thin,
blue smoke curing upward from one oi
the cabins that scattered about, which
had once sheltered the miners, and
knew il to mark the abode Of Old !>ilar-
kew 1t was still some distance off, and
/ made my way slowly over the ground
that much rfScmblcd mole-hill tor
there were shafts and tunnels and piles
Of dirt thrown up i'll every direction.
Apparently claims had not been given "
until every inch of ground had been du4
over, and every hope Of labor been re-
paid.
As passed the black yawning mouth,
of these shafts that were scattered plcnti-
fully on either hand, | could hardly re.
press shudlcr. when | thought of the
story Mason had told, Surely, if Shark
ey was the villain he had pictured him
he could not ask for a better place to de.
post the bodies of his victims than cast
4, ing them herein, where it would DEFY tho
sharp eyes of the law to ferret item out
had been so brave in the face Of the
warning of my friend, that it would never
do to turn COW Ward now, and at that mo.
mcnt catching sight Of Il man sitting JUS
outside the doorway Of the cabin from
whence the smoke was rising, smoking
bis pipe and watching my advance,
hurried up my steps and in a few min
utes stood face TO face with the stranger
f WHO, from the description l had recciv
, ed, / knew could be none other than Ole
Sharkey himself
People who described him as ill-favor
, ed, had not done him injustice from tn
first glance 1 thought | had never seen
= more rcpulsive countenancc in my life
y His eyes were deep set, and overhung b
n mass of huge, bushy eyebrows, a fore