The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-01-21

drawn to the singular appearance of
mOtiOnless donkey-cart halted at the sid
of the road AS they approached, they a
once recognized the venerable Jenny
and the two-wheeled cart as the propert,
of Tennessee's Partner,-used by him il
carrying dirt from his claim; and few
PAGES distant the owner of the equipagt
himself, sitting under a buckley tree, wipine
the perspiration from his glowing face. Ii
answer to an inquiry, he said he had come
for the body of the "diseased,' "if it wal
all the same to the committee He didn
wish to "hurry anything" he could wait
He was not working that day; and wher
the gentleman were done with the eds
eased,' he would take him. sEf thar i.
any present." he added, in his simple, ser.
ious way, Gas would care to iine in the
fun'l, they kin come" Perhaps it was fol-
sense of humor, which 1 have already
intimated was a feature of Sandy Bar
perhaps it was something even better thar
that; but two-thirds of the loungers accepted
the invitation at 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 it contained rough, oblone
| box-apparently made from section OF
| sluicing, half filled with bark and the
tassels of pine. The cart was further deco
rated with slips of willow, and made fra
grant with buckeye blossoms. When the
body was deposited in the box, Tennessee S
Partner drew over it piece of tarred
canvas, and gravely mounted the narrow
seat in front, with his feet upon the shafts,
urged the little donkey forward. The
equipage moved slowly on, at that decorous
pace which was habitual with "Jenny,''
even under less solumn circumstances.
The men-half curiously, half jestingly,
but all good-humoredly strolled along
beside the cart; some in advance, some a
little i'll the rear of the homely catafalque.
But whether from the narrowing of the
road OF some present sense of decorum, as
the cart passed on, the company fell to the
rear in couples, keeping step, and other
wise assuming the external show of a
formal procession. Jack Polinsbee, who
had at the outset played funeral march
in dumb show upon an imaginary trombone,
desisted from lack of sympathy and
appreciation-not having, perhaps, your
true humorist's capacity 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, burying their
mocassoned feet in the red soil, stood in
1ndian-file along the track, trailing an
uncouth benediction from their bending
boughs upon the passing bier. A hare,
surprised into helpless inactivity, sat
and pulsating in the ferns by the roadside
as the cortege went by. Squirrels fastened
to gain secure outlook from higher boughs;
and the blue jays, spreading their WINGS
fluttered before them like eutriders, until
the outskirts of Sandy Bar were reached
and the solitary cabin of Tennessee's Part
ncr.
Viewed under more favorable circum-
stances, it would not have been cheerful
place. The unpicturesque site, the rude
and unlovely outlines, the unsavory details,
which distinguished the nest-building of the
California miner, were all here, with the
dreariness of decay superadded. A few
PAGES from the cabin there was a rough
enclosure, which in the brief days of Ten
nessee's Partners matrimonial felicity, had
been used as garden, but was now over
grown with fern. AS we approached it we
were surprised to find that what we had
was the broken soil about an open grave.
The cart was halted before the enclosure;
and rejecting the offers of assistance with
the same air of simple self-relance, he had
displayed 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 a lid; and mounting the
little mound Of earth beside it, took off
his hat, and slowly mopped his face with
his handkerchief. This the crowd felt was
a preliminary to speech; and they disposed
themselves variously on stumps and boul-
ders, and sat expectant.
"When man," began Tennessee's Part
ner, slowly, "has been running free all day,
what's the natural thing for him to do p
Why, to come home. And if he amt in
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 wander
ing" He paused, and picked up a frag-
ment of quartz, rubbed it thoughtfully on
his sleeve, and went on: "It amt the first
time that I've packed him on my back, as
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 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
last time, why" he paused rubbed the
quartz gently on his sleeve-"you see it's
sort of rough Oh his pardner. And now,
gentlemen" he added abruptly, picking up
his long-handled shovel, "the fun'rs over;
and my thanks, and Tennessee's thanks, to
you for your trouble
Resisting any proffers of assistance he
began to fill in the grave, turning his back
upon the crowd, that after few moments
hesitation gradually withdrew. As they
crossed the little ridge that hid Sandy Bar
from view, some, looking back, thought
they could see Tennessee's Partner, his
work done, his shovel between his knees,
and his face buried in his red bandanna
handkerchief. But it was argued by others
that you couldn't tell his face from his
handkerchief at that distance; and this
point remained undecided
In the reaction that followed the feverish
excitement of that day, Tennessee's Part
ner was not forgotten. A secret investiga-
ton had cleared him of any completely in
Tennessee's guilt, and left only suspicion
Of his general sanity. Sandy Bar made a
point of calling on him. and profferino