The Portland daily press., 1873-03-22

of the mind may account tor what Is other
wise inexplicable in what I am about to re-
late.
We had encamped for the night. and it was
near sunset. Harper, overcome by fatigue,
Law asleep, with his head upon roll of blank
cts. For the hundredth time l had drawn
the unfinished letter from my pocket, and set
with nv back against the tree, perusing it
dreamiiy-with lead pencil, which had fall
len out in getting the letter, also III my nand:
/ remember wishing that some splrit-hand
would seize the pencil and compleee the let
Tar when TO nv infinite surprise shadow,
ike that Of sudden twilight, fell upon all
things around. was somehow conscious of
q nreternatural presence, and looking up, be-
held. Immediately Immediately in front OF me,
a man. or shadow of man, tall and mus
cular, with brown face and bushy beard.
He wore miners gray flannel shirt-with
out coat-and had a revolver belted to his
side. I seemed to be utterly without the
power of speech or motion, and looked into
the sad and sympathetic eyes he turned upon
me with a sense of awful fascination. could
see Harper dimly through the semi-darkness.
but the quiet Of slumber still lay upon his
weary face. Then night seemed to close
down, and awoke with start to find that
the evening had advanced, and that nv COM
panlon was kindlng, "a fire. turned to look
for the paper and found it at the foot of the
tree against which had reclined: but what
dld see? On the blank space, below the
lnk-blot to which Ihad referred, was rude
Craving in pencil! 1t seemed to rep, esent
two ranges of mountains, intel secting each
other at right angles. In the centre of the
rectangular space on the lower side was a
small diagram, resembling the Large one in
shape. took it to the fire-light for closer
examination; it was the representation of
miners pick.
Who had done this, and what could it
mean? Was it the idle and unmeaning
tracery of my own unconscious hand, or was
it the effort of some superior power to direct
us in the search tor the lost cabin? At all
events, could make nothing OF the myster--
GUS symbolism befor me-pregnant though it
might be with previous revelations-and
thought best not to mention the circumstance
to Harper.
In the afternoon of the next day we were at
the foot of another mountain wall, spiked
with the gray shafts of fire-scathed frs, and
with here and there rocky peak towering
high in the smoke-tinged atmospheric
Through system Of caLons hewn in these
mighty rocks we penetrated the range, and
halted tor the night upon an open spot where
grass was abundant, and after retreshment
forgot in the narcotic languor, of the pipe all
physical weakness and mental strain.
On the morning following we climbed
lofty emine nee that shot into the sky like the
spire OF some Titanic temple, and with our
telescopes swept the unknown country before
us, serene and beautiful under the flattering
tints of a summer sun. To the right, and
running nearly north and south, lay another
range OF mountains intersecting at right all
giles that through which we were passing
the drawing below the ink-blotl There, up
on the great face of nature, was the realiZa-
ton of che pencil-sketch; and its symbolism
was as clear as light; away in that central re-
gion to the south, the mystic emblem of the
pick marked the locality Of the vallt of gold!
With the agitation consequent of so sudden
a revelation, 1 turned toward Harper, with
this Interpretation of the secret then d.
vulged and he, too, was stirred to the in
m ost depths of his imaginative nature.
Onion we went, in a dream of wonder
and future wealth, and nothing impeeed our
progress now, until, at last, we entered a mar
row valley, walled in by precipitous noun
tains, and bordered on each side by a beauti-
full stream. We knew that we were upon sa-
cred ground; and, along the shadowy fringe
Ct the forest, where the fretted waters sang
barbaric tune, we rode, silently as specters.
A resistless magnetism drew us on, and not
word was spoken. Our very heart-strlngs
might have snapped with their terrible ten
sion. We turned projecting angle of the
wood, and square, black object was before
us. We had found the Lost Cabin nothing
now but an empty pen of scorched and black
enel logs.
distangled a pick from one of our packs,
and stepped within the Enclosure. 1t, too,
was choked with weeds and. bending them
aside, saw grinning upon us in its hideous
solitude, human skull! Poor Harry! The
Indians had intended that the cabin should
be his funeral pyre, but only the lighter ma
terials of the roof had ignited, and the green
logs had refused to burn. struck the pick
int the ground near the center of the cabin.
Once more lifted it, and drove the long
wedge of iron to the handle in the loose soil.
The point fastened in some tough substance;
and at The same instant, Harper, uttering a
cry of mortal anguish fell heavily at my feet,
as rifie-shot roared in my ear-and 1 drop
| ped into oblivion.
| Then it was night-a long, starless, and
dreamless night of clio ..ded intellect and
slumbering soul. When the cunning forces
Of nature had repaired the fragile structure,
and the dawn of reason came. they were tell
ing the story Of a stage driver on the Oregon
and California route, who, many months be-
fore, had captured nude sun-brunzed wild
man-gibherng like a monke. but harmless as
a baby-near the boundary line, and had sent
him north to Portland. 1t was the story of
my rescue from the southern vilds.
For the rest, Harper must have fallen by
the accidental disch ,rge of his own rifle; and
my mind, strungby high excitement of the
search. weakened by the despotsm of one
absorbing idea, and dazed by the apparent
interposition of the supernatural, had given
way under the shock, and the mere instincts
| of the animal nature had provided me with
sustenance, and prolonged my lfe.-Orerland