The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-02-06

''If there is one thing that like it il
more than another" soliloquized Five
thinking himself unobserved.
We heard him, for all that, for he sal
Just outside the cabin, under the shed
watching between the whitfs of his pipe
the drip, drip from the shingles, while the
four of us dropped away at drawpokel
inside
The "bar" was flourishing Just then
men were drifting rapidly into Tuolomne,
attracted by the report of rich diggings,
and there was hardly square inch on the
bar that was not staked off with claim
The one streeted town was bustling, the
cloth houses, stores and saloons, with the
usual loafers, were drawn up in dress
parade along the thoroughfare. in which
pack-trains meandered to and from the
outer world. The half doors of the "Bella
Union' and the "Blue Wing" continually
swung open, as the boys went in and out
for their hourly comforts. The devotees
of the gaming table revelled over the
cloths, and empty pouches and ringing
heads were the morning bulletins.
Our cabin stood little withdrawn from
the main street, the home OF five of us for
many months. Those days are passed
and gone when Jack used to toss his
steaming slapiack up the chimney and
deftly catch them on the outside-those
days of almost unvaying pork and beans,
with a very semi-cccasional touch of fresh
beef
We knew quite well each others his
tory, as far as general points went-all
save that Of Five, who was an enigma
OF him the only tangible and discoverable
mark was blue '5" worked between his
thumb and fore tinger-and so earned
his title. A spare, nervous little man,
with sweeping moustache, care worn
countenance and restless eye The force
that draws men together in pioneer times
is unexplainable. "Sim" had been a
minister had slipped from grace, and
tloated to the gold country. "John Bun
yan'' was a broken down merchant from
Troy, fond of his tipple, and master
hand at story. Brannan had last come
from Calcutta, where he had been mis-
sionary, he said; but he thumbed a Jack
too well for that. This was before the
era of genteel clergymen. Five and |,
runaway from home made up our house
hold
Five, we used at first to ply with ques-
tons. but gaining nothing by our trouble,
gave it up. His emily companion was his
dog, brindled, sulkv, snappish brute,
with a stumpy tail His taithfulnes and
love, withdrawn from every one else,
centered in his master Five's chief solace
was his violin.
When others sought saloons, he took
his violin and whiled away the hours with
touching melodies. soft, dreamy airs of
home, or anon, wild, wailing strains that
thrilled the soul Many time | have
seen rough fellows hanging around a
cabin at evening. listening TO the music
as the quiet air bore it swiftly to them,
and thus Five's violin was minister OF
comfort to many lonely man. He would
rarely play when asked, ana then only
some ditty like the 'sWrecker's Daughter, :"
or ''Tom Ligbee's Snake" which would
put fits into fellows heels-reserving for
his communion the strains that were so
benefiting to all. And in this way he
found a companionship that compensated
him for a lack Of friends. He was COM
monty set down as a musical Portugee.
but the sequel will show that the coniect-
ure was far from right
Hot hot terrible hot were the summer
days, and unused to hard work, dropped
my shovel one burning afternoon and
went up to the shanty tired out and dis
gusted. | was surprised to find Five at
the house and in his bunk, for he had gone
out with the rest and was always a steady
worker.
"'Sick, old man ?'
''Yes, lad, very sick. Bruce lie down -
For the dog at his head growled vicious
" as put my hand on Five's forehead
and found it almost blistered with fever.
mot SO bad as that, old man, you're
good for many day vet Have drink ?'
81 don't -something-cool, cool :"
fetched him pan of water and he
drank it, saying:
"What are you doing here at this hour
of the day ?"
"I'm tuckered out, Five, and had to
give it up"
''Well | am obliged to you," and he
sank back into his blankets, and fell into
deep slumber.
The next morning he was right again,
but after he recovered he seemed to open
his heart to me, and often in the dim, un-
certain hours we talked of men and things.
heard his soliloquv, as | said before,
and not long after, tired of the cards,
went out to him.
"Well, old man, what are you mourn
ing about now?"
II can hardly say. lad, but mostly of
home"
"Then you have a home ?"
''To be sure'
"Well, we always have had our doubts
about it,"
81 don't know how much OF home it is
now, but l had a wife and two children
and mother-in-law. which last was
p'isoned, and hope has bolted into an
other and better world. You see it's hard
navigatin' in shoal place; and mother
in-law is the shoalest thing I've struck
Have you been married ?"
"No."
"Don't you eyer marry any one but an
orphan, them
"Why SOP
'I'll tell you my experience. l came
from Rhode Island, and anciently was
captain. and have sailed the purtiest
creature that ever skinned the water |
| got on we'll till met blue-eyed girl
from Maine, and thought she would do to
cast anchor with. which [ did, and were
as happy as two barnacles on a sunny log,
till her mother came to live with us; arter
that the compass had a continual varia-
ton, and things got to be no better in
short metre. That ar mother-in-la law, she
tried to be steward, and bo's'n, and
first mate, and had her eye on the cap
tain's cabin, and we had mutiny all the
time. ] told the wife l would pension of
the old hulk and drag her into safe har-
Dor, and then she and me and the babies,
which were two of 'em, would 20 off
soundings and try blue water all alone.
But my wife wouldn't. I am told that
wlmmen think they can allus get hus-
bands, but they never can have but one
mo.her-so they sticks to her. Blessed
if see what they wants Of any mother after
they git man to fill the bread-locker and
buy 'em new studdinsels So houoht 1T