New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-31

= | month, and then down the SuAcH III
month until tho whole hillside was scaIpou
as it were, to the bone, ana tne Inc 'l nnan q
. | hunters were bankrupt. but not even 8
much as the color Of the dead mans gol'
was found.
Hogem was disguised, and the Gophe
| was voted worse man dead than uVinS.
| 1t began to be noticed, however, tina
/ | Forty-nine had mended somewhat IN ~
) personal appearance since the deatn OF th
Gopher, and it was whispered that ne kuev
where the treasure was. Some even wen
J 80 far as to say that he had the whole phi
. of it in his possession. ''Some OF thes'
, nights he'll come up missing" said TN
I butcher, striking savagely at his stee
, across his block. In justice to Hogem II
must be observed she was not without
grounds to go upon in her suspicion. FOL
death And if he could get his dog, why
not get his gold also.
: One night Forty nine, holding tight to
tow-string shutfled up to me in saloon
and timidly plucking my sleeve, said:
Going away, hear =
''To the States p
Eyes"
..Near to Boston .
May be-"
"Well then. look here; come with nee.
And with an old dog humping his head
against his heels. he led the way out of the
door, down the gulch to his cabin. he
pulled the latch-string, entered, and finally
struck light. Sticking the candle in
whisky bottle that stood on the greasy table
in the centre of the earthen floor, he picked
up the tow-string, and pointing to the bunk
in the corner, we sat down together, and
the old dog rested his nose between the old
mans legs.
After looking about the cabin in nervous
silence for a time, Forty mine arose with "a
look Of determination, handed ME his string,
stepped to a niche in the wall, and taking
| an old crevicing knife, stuck it in stOutly
above the latch.
This means something said to myself.
"IIere will be a revelation and confess
! that vision Of the GOpher's gold bags
crossed my mind with tempting vividness
After while the old man came back took
up the whisky bottle, removed the candle
from the niche, and, holding it up between
his face and the light, which he held in the
other hand, seemed to decide some weighty
proposition, by the run of the beads in the
bottle, and then turned and offered it to me
in silence. As / declined his kindness, he
| hurriedly took long draught. replaced the
| candle, then came and sat down close at
| my side, took his string, and the old dog
| again thrust his nose between his knees.
you see"-and the man leaned over to
| Of manner that suggested that his mind was
va idering-''yOu see, we all came out from
Boston together-Godfrey, that's the Go
pher Wilson, that's Curly and l. Things
! didn't go right with me there after came
| away, so just let them drift here Lost
my grip. as they say; didn't have any
snap any more, as people call it. Godfrey
and Wilson got on very well, though, till
Wilson was killed
Till the Gopher killed him ;" l added
well, now, there's where it is. said old
Forty-nine. and he shuddered. The dog,
too seemed to grow nervous, and crowded
his ugly head up tighter between the old
mans legs.
Inartistic as it is. must add that here he
again handed me the string. and. rising
sOlemnly, went deliberately through the
process of removing the candle and con-
templating the contents of the bottle. Again
declined the offer. / was wondering in
which part of that wretched cabin We're the
bags of gold.
exactly as before.
There's where it is. Godfrey did not
kill Wilson. The Gopher did not kill Curly
10 more than did YOU. You see, Curly was
Young: bright beautiful, sunnv-taced boy.
that had been petted to death by his mother
and a housetul OF sisters. and somehow, out
here he fell to gambling and taking bit too
much. and one night, when Godfrey tried !
to get him away from game. set |
OF roughs got up row, upset tine table. |
and Curly got knitted by some one of |
the set. vino made rumpus to get grab |
at the money. Godfrey was holding the |
boy at the time to keep him from striking. !
tor he was mad with drink. Poor Curly |
only said. Don't let them know it at
home, and died in his arms. Everybody
was stranger to everybody then. and no
nna fnnl -, II. I:
ly concern him. People said Godfrey was
risht-that it was a case of self-deteuse.
and Godfrey never said a word, never de-
MED he killed him. but went back to the
ca bin. took possession Of everything and
had 1t all his own way. He worked like a
Chlnaman and never took part in the
miners meetings or anything OF the kind.
By and by all his old acquaintance had
gone but me: and he was only known as
the Gopher
Again forty-nine paused and the dog
'rept closer than before. as If he knew the
lame of his master.
Once more the man arose, lifted the can
lie. contemplated the beads in the bottle
Is before. and returned. He did not sit
Town but took up and pulled back the
blankets at the end of the bunk.
II thought as much" said to myself.
: The gold is hidden in the straw
Look at them, said he; and he throw
Town bundle of papers, and held the dim
andle for me to read. ,
There We're hundreds of letters. all writ
en- in fine steel-plate lady's hand Some ,
we're addressed to Godfrey and some TO :
y llson. Now and then was one with a
'order OF black, telling that some one at i
omc no longer waited the return Some
+ the letters l read. Come home, come !
ome. was at the bottom of all. II CHANGED
1 one addressed to Wilson, Of a recent i.
ate, thanking him with all mothers and j.. :
sisters tenderness for the money he had
o constantly sent them through all the
7cary years. l did not understand it and
BOXED up at Forty-nine. lie bent over me. i
$ sat on the bunk beside the letters with =
is candle
;" That was 1T. you see: that was it, As
Iodtrey. that's the Gopher, is dead. ard can
end them no more money, and as YOU was :
gong to the States, l thought best that . .
on should drop in and tell the two families
emily somehow that they both were dead.
ay that they died together. He sent them =
lie last ounce lie had the week before he =
led, and made me take these letters to keen l.
lem away from the coroner, 80 that he 8
light not know his address, and so they
light not know at home that Curly had died y
ing ago, and died a gambler. Take one of -
re letters along, and that will tell you "
here they are" -"
Again old Forty nine resumed the tow u
ring: He looked toward the door, and "
hen stepped across the sill he put out the 7
INT, and we stood together. !;
The old dog knew there was but the one -
ace tor his master outside his cabin at |
zen time, and, blind leading the blind. II
ither he led him through the dark.
Mineral 10 ffa &c e,,l, |