The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-02-09

with a look of resolution, handed me
his string, stepped 10 niche in the
wall, and taking an old crsvicing knife
stuck it in stoutly above the latch.
"This means something" said l to
myself. "Here will be revelation,
and 1 confess that vision of the
Gopher's gold-bag 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, then turned and
offered it to me in silence. AS | de-
clined his kindness he hurriedly took a
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, the man leaned
over to me, and began in whisper and
q strangeness of manner that suggested
that his mind was wandering. "You
see, we all come out from Boston to-
gether; Godfrey, that's The Gopher,
Wilson, that's Curly, and L. Things
didn't 60 right with me there, after l
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"
It'll the Gopher killed him ?" l
added.
swell, 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 be-
tween the old mans legs.
lnartistic 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 contemplating the contents
OF the bottle. Again | declined his
offer. ! was wondering in what part of
| that wretched cabin were the bags of
gold.
The man sat down and continued his
story exactly as before.
"There's where it is. Godfrey did not
kill Wilson. The Gopher did not kill
Curly no more than you did. You see,
Curly was young, a bright, beautiful,
sunny-iaced boy, that had been petted
TO death by his mother and a house full
of sisters, and somehow, out here, he
fell to gambling and taking a bit too
much, and one night when Godfrey
tried to get him away from game, a
set OF roughs got up a row, upset the
table, and Curly got knitted by some one
OF the set, who made rumpus to get a
! grab at the money. Godfrey was hold
ing the boy at the time to keep him
from striking, for 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 one took stock
in that which did not directly concern
him. People said Godfrey was right
that it was a case of self-defense, and
Godfrey never said word. never denied
he killed him, but went back to the
cabin, took possession of everything,
and had it all his own way. He worked
| like Chinaman, and never took any
| part in miners meetings, or anything of
the kind. BY an by all his old ac-
quaintances had gone but me; and he
was known as The Gopher.
Again Forty-nine paused, and the dog
| crept closer than before, as if he knew
the name of his master.
Once more the man arose, lifted the
candle, contemplated the beads in the
bottle, us before, and returned. He did
not sit down, but took up and pulled
back the blankets at the end of the
bunk.
Z" thought as much" said to my
self. The gold is hidden in the
straw
Look at them," said he; and he
threw down a bundle of papers, and
held the dim candle for me to read.
There were hundreds of letters, all
written in fine steel-plate lady's hand.
Some addressed to Godfrey and some to
| Wilson. Now and thea was one with a
border of black, telling that some one
at home no longer waited the return.
Some Of the letters | read. "Come
home, come home," was at the bottom
of them all. | CHANGED on one addressed
| to Wilson, Of recent date, thanking
him with all mothers and sisters ten.
derness for the money he had so con-
stantly sent them through all the weary
years. ] did not understand it, and
looked up at Forty nine. He bent over
me, as | sat on the bunk beside the let
ters, with his candle.
"That was it, you see; that was it.
AS Godfrey, that's the Gopher, is dead,
and can send them no more, and as you
was going to the States, | thought best
that you should drop in and tell the
two families gently, somehow, that they
both are dead. Say that they died to-
gether. He sent them the last ounce
he had the week before he died, and
made me take these letters to keep
them away from the coroner, so that
they might not know at home that
Curly had died long ago, and died a
gambler Take one of the letters along.
and that will tell you where they are"
Again old Forty nine resumed the
tow string. He looked toward the door,
and when | had stepped across the sill
he put out the light, and we stood to-
gether.
The old dog knew there was but the
one place for his master outside his
cabin at such time, and, blind leading
the blind, thither he led him through
| the dark.-Scribncr' Monthiy.