Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-01-16
TEE LAST MAN In MEXICAN
CAMP.
mr. JOAQUIN MILLER.
(ConGnued.)

lag his loss, crouehsd close 20 the old mans
legs II
A new oommotien in HogOm. Say what
Jou will Of god, whenever any one shut'
his eyes aud turns forever from u, As u 10
contempt, Tor . day at least, be assumes a
majesty propOrtionate with the amount
he has LETT behind him aud seems 10 des'
plss.
Tho Coroner, who wass candidate Tor
higher otics, msrsballed the Leading spirits
ct HJgem, aud proceeded 70 ihs cabin
where the dead mao lay. he felt that his
reputation vas 81 stake, aud, entering the
cabin, said ia . solemn voice, "ln the name
oFths ta~ I take possession OF this premi-
sasr Soma one at the door, evidently not
. friend Of the OoroneI's political asplra.
tons, called out; 40, what hat The
oihosr was not Abashed, but lowered up I'LL
his tall hat toaehsd the root, aud repeated,
"Ia the name Of the Law taks possession
Of this premises" This tims there vas no
Response or note Of derision, and il was
quietly conceded that The Gopher and all
his gold we're in the hands OF the Corousr.
Standing there, the jury, under dirsction
OF the Coroner gave . verdict OF death
from general debility Some one tried TO
bring the Coroner into contempt again, by
aftsrvard calling attention TO the fact that
he had forgotten TO swear the Jury bat The
officer replied TT IL not necessary IN
suoh cases By the Law mAde aud provided, y
and 90 was counted wise aud correct.
They bore the body OF the last man OF
Mexican Camp TO the graveyard on the
hill--maybs little nearer 70 heaven. How
odd, that nearly AL grAveyards are on q
hill. The places Of chief mournsra we're
given 10 Forty.nipe and the dog@ Whether
these places we're given because Forty nine
vas the ooly present acqusiniance OF the
deceased, or whether the dog quietly as
serted right thN, no one cared 70 dispute,
10 not oeriain. MosI likely !, wss one Of
those things that naturally, and therefore
correctly, adjust Themselves.
When these bearded men in blue shir.'
rested their burden NJ the open grave, they
looked At each other, and there was an M
pleasant pause. Perhaps they thought o
the Christian burial service 10 other lands
aud felt that something WAS wanting. A
las, Forty-nins stole up close to the heat
OF the grave, hssitated, lifted, and LAID
aside his old SLOUGH hat, aud, lookinI
straight down into the earth, said, in los
and helpless way;
tAtsd again, aud then continued. " In
mustNrd aud the clover seed are ouI li1tl
things, and no man eau tell the one iron
the other; yet bury them in the utmost part
Of the eartn, and each wilt bring forth 1t
kidd perfect and bssutiful-Snd-And-
man Is surely more than little sedan
and here he broke DOM utterly, An
knelI and kissed the face Of the dead.
The men looked away for awhile, as
TO obisots IN the horizon aud then, uithou
looking at each other, or breaking silence
lowered the uushApely box, caught up tn
spades, and found positive rslisi in heap
ing the grave.
TheH the Coroner, as in duty bound, Of
g. he expressed it, "as req aired by law .
such cases made and provided difecte
his attention 10 n search for the burIe
treasure.
Ysas,-po Wder boxes, oyster cans, an
sArdino boxes, old boots, and quickailVs
tanks. were carried out TO the hgbI aud II
speoted, without results "ln the straw
the bunk" said the COrousr and blanket
buuk aud straw were carried out TO the SUI
but not an ounce Of gold. 10 make sur
against the Intrusion of the iil-dlsposed, Il
unwsarisd Coroner slept ol the spot, ID
next DAY, the hearth vas taken up careful
ly, piece by piece, but only crckets clad I
black, aud l.tle pink-eyed mice, met u
eager eyes Of the men. Al last some OF
suggested that, "a the hArd-oaked earihe
Eoor vas the last place IN which one ~ou
look for hiddea treasures, that was prob
bly, the first and oLly place in which II
Gopher had buried bis god. The thou9
made the Coroner enthusiastic He sci
4 all Nka NrnFh -
the whole truth, be sent for whisky
sunset, the entire earthen floor had be-
dug to the depth Of many feet and empu'
outside the door. Not q EARNINGS worsh
gold had been found. The next day q
chimney was taken down. Lizards, dust
Adobes, but nothing more. sm bound
say that, about this time. the memory OF q
man lost taken up the bill uas held In b
little respect, and that good Or bad nAu
so far as the over-zeAlous Coroner was co
csrnsd, depended entirely On the results
the search. But one more thing remain
TO bs done; that was to remove the cabi
Shingls by shlugls, log by log, the strr
turs was leveIed. Woodrats, kangarC
mice, horned IoAds, Q rAttlesnake or =
that had gone into winter quarters und
the great logs, and that was all. Not
ounce Of gold was found in the last cat
Of Mexican Camp.
The fat was then stAksd OF rs mini
ground by some enterprisIng stranger, a
they began in the center TO slulce II TO
bedrock. They sluiced up the gulch fol
month, and then down ths guioh for
month, until the whole hill side was scalp
as it we're, TO the bone, aud the treasu
hunters we're bankrupt, but not even
much rs the color Of ihe dead mans e
was found.
Hogem was Disguised, aud The Gopl
was voted . worse man dead than living.
Ii began TO be- noticed, hostver, u
Forty-uins had mended somewhat IN
personal appearance si0ce the death Of i
Gopher, add i, was Whsperei that he kn
whore the treasure was. Some even ",
so far as to say that be had the whole ?
Of 1t in his possession. 'Some Of th'
nights he'll come mp G-missing,' sAid
butcher. striking sAvagelV ut bis steel acr
his block. 10 Justice to HoQem 1t must
observed she was not without grounds to
upon in her suspicious. For was not For
nine near the MAJ At his deA,h2 And,
be could get his dog, Why not get his g
also2
One night Forty--ine, holding tight t,
tow-string. shuilsd up TO the in Ihs sAlo
and, timidly pluokiuR nv sleeve, said;
"Goins away, hear y
"Yes..
"To the States p
eyes"
"Nsar to Boston,"
"May be-"
swell then, look here; come with M
aud, with the old dog humping bis b.
aEAins, his heels. he led the way out OF
door down the gulch to his cabin. de Jul
the lA,ch,strinE, entered. and finally str
light. Sticking the candle 10 = ~his
bottle tha, stood 90 the greasy table 10
center Of the ADor, he picked up the
string. and pointing TO the bunk 10
corner, we sat do-n tog",hsr and the
dog rested bis nose bet~een the Old IN.
legs
After looking shout the cabin 10 n-rv
silence for tim. FI-y-nins aros- s'I