The Placer herald., 1871-09-23
CHAPTER II.

The twilight was rapidly deepening into
darkness when Abbott was once more on the
road from San Francisco to the robbers
ranch. Reaching the door he found it lock-
ed, but at his knock it was speedily opened
by Jack, and in another moment Abbott and
Jack were in the dimly lighted and deserted
interior. Jack had been doing Lut little else
but drink during his masters absence.
"Well, Captain George, what's the
news?"
Every hing going smoothly, Jack, l
have worked up the thing nicely The Un-
Gle Sam quits the wharf at ten tomorrow,
sooner than expected, but l suppose you
are ready ?"
You may bet your life on that, captain;
l shan't feel easy until see the blue waters
between us and the shore"
But how about the jeweler p
The job was done as clean as a whistle
He came along at midnight. Between you
and me it was the neatest job we have ever
done-two thousand dollars in dust, besides
a casket OF gems!'
Good!' exclaimed Abbott, how did
the boys act?''
Prime! Bill White had little row,
but otherwise there was no trouble. Here
are the stones, l suppose they are worth a
pile"
Jack opened a strong box and produced a
metal casket highly polished, with the key
attached.
Superb!' exclaimed Abbott turning over
the contents, which consisted of rings, pins
and necklaces, and other combinations OF
precious stones and metals. Why, Jack
they are worth II cool ten thousand at least.
Suddenly be paused; his hand shook. A
paleness more deathly than its accustomed
hue overspread his eounenance
"Nas this ring in the casllet?" he ex-
claimed, holding up an elegant, chased gold
ring in ths form ofa serpent with ruby eyes
No." replied the other; that was
taken from the finger.
Strange" muttered Abbott, speaking tc
himself in an absent way, but still white and
trembling.
bat after all, it may have been stolen. y
Then, after thinking deeply for few mo-
ments, a." Jack, exclaimed he suddenly, :" !
must see the face of the jewcler.''
See it! you are crazy cried the other,
"the old man is planted"
"Where ?"
"At the foot of the big oak, over there in
the timber"
"Jack, must see his facev'
Don't be a fool!'
I" ! am not one. Humor me this once,
like good fellow. Bring lantern and
tools. We will have plenty of time to re-
turn and pack up. Quick, now.'
The man muttered something about the
unleasonabeness of the thing, but neyerthe-
less got the requisite implements and then
passed out of the house, followed by Abbott.
When they came to the foot of the large oak
that stood out grandly in the spare forest,
and looked far over the sandy tract they had
just travelled, Jack sat down the lantern,
and fell to work with the pick The ground
was loose, but it was mingled with fragments
of flinty rock, and the work was so hard that
the perspiration fell from his brow in streams.
At length. with the assistance of the spade,
a considerable excavation was effected. The
man sprang into it, with many curse he
lifted dark, heavy object partially above
the surface. Then leaping out of the pit he
grasped the lantern. Abbott had been wait
ing quietly, but his breast was the theatre of
a tragedy of alternating hope and despair.
He staggered back as the bright rays of the
lantern flooded the still features of the muir
dered man. A sharp cry broke from his
lips. Jack gazed at him in mingled awe and
astonisbment.
"What ails you?" he asked.
George Abbott buried his face in his hands.
His form swayed to and fro in whrlwind
Of agony and dread He dared not look
again; for he recognized in the haggard, life
less form before him his own father whom he
had Quilted years before in the land across
the seas, and whom he had murdered-for
it was he who had consigned him to the
weapon of the assassin. He turned from
the spot and fled, never stopping to look
back; on, on, he reached the bank of a
precipice; with shrek that echoed far and
wide, and fell, a shapeless mass on the rag
ged rocks below. Golden Era.
ONE of the difficulties of the Luxemburg
question is found in the names of three vii