The Portland daily press., 1873-03-22

tina, made the woods echo and brought deii-
ry running to the spot, for he had heard IL,
and recognized his brothers voice on the
other side Of the little valley. You can mag
inc their ecstasy. They had known poverty
| all their yes, and there before them was
wealth, sudden, splendid, exhaustless. But
1 must not linger Working together they
finished the cabin that day, and the next be-
gan to gather the gold. The labor was not
great, and within two weeks time they had
n aped together marvellous quantity OF it,
and began to contemplate return.
Lille was now precious. and, latter thinking
1t over and weighing the chances for and
against the practicabity of getting back un
molested, they were convinced that it W s
best to remain where they were until the
volunteer forces under General Lane, Wnicn
they knew were on their way, had reached
the hostile country and relieved the hard
paths of mountain travel from the willy zoe
that lurked upon every step. Having maae
an excavation in the center of their caDin
floor. they lined it carefully with rock, and, IN
the vault thus formed, deposited their urea,
sure, tied up in bags of dried and undressed
deerskin. This was done ia case an attack
from the indians should compel them to flee,
when, of course, it would be Impossible to
carry the heavy metal.
But no attack was made, and, after the
LAPSE OF several weeks, they arose one morn
ing and agreed that it was time to be upon
the homeWard Grail. The sheeny 70 est leaves
waved in the soft winds OF the morning, and
the fresh air was musical with the songs of
birds, as, fully aimed, they strobe forth spirit
eddy to bring in their horses, which had
grown fat and vigorous upon the bountitul
pasture.
The cabin stood near the stream. in the
edge of the wood, and when they ha ap-
preached to within forty yards of it, sudden
ly score of rifles clashed upon them from
the bank, followed by the terrible war. cry of
the Snastas
Henry, who it happened was in font of
James, leading two OF the horses, sank with
deadly groan, his horses rearing and falling at
the same time. The Indians burst from their
cover and sprang forward with all the echoes
OF pandemonium. James emptied his rifle
with fatal aim among them, and drew his re-
9olver. The Indians knew the kind of music
they had to face, and having neglected to re-
load, dashed back to the cover o. the bank.
The resolute miner saw his salvation in this
movement, and, hastily tossing noose-halter
over the head of the only horse that remained
uninj lr d, leaped upon his back, and was out
of immediate danger in an instant-career-
ing down the valley with che scattering shots
OF the enemy singing over his head. The
war party being afoot, he was not followed,
and finally reached the frontier settlements,
after journey of incredible hardship.
As the Indian war continued without abate-
ment, he took passage for San FraE cisco, in
order to obtain medical advice in regard to his
health, which exposure and privation had
badly broken. Then it was that he began
the correspondence with me. 1 was in Chlca-
60 at the time.
Unexpectedly receiving news of his death
in the fall of 1859, I FASTENED to San Francis
co, and received f. ON the hands of his land
lord a little bundle of papers, among which l
found this. Read it; no explanation is re-
quired.
He handed me folded sheet of paper, on
which letter had been begun, in cramped,
ungainly, but still legibIe hand. Here it is:
SAN Francisco, CAL, Oct. 26., 1859.
DEAR COUSIN: I had hoped to see you
here before this, but the end has come sooner
than 1 expected. 1 dreamed oil that cabin,
in the wilds of Oregon, last night, and saw
poor Harry fall again before the cowardly
shots of those skulking Shastas; and think
it is nearly over. must write that intend
ed to have spoken, and endeavor to give you
such directions as will enable you to find the
cabin, for you must find it, Theodore, and
enjoy its hidden gold. The first part OF your
course is plain enough; start from Jackson
vile and keep the California road for
Here the hand of death stayed the revelat-
| ing pen, and there remained only black and
shapeless ink-blot, as fit emblem of the
mystery that wrapped the whereabouts OF
the lost cabin. turned from the paper and
| looked at Harper-for such was the name by
| which he had introduced himself to me.
"That is all I know about it, said he
"and here is my proposition; let us Jointly
purchase an outfit, and spend the SUNNI 81
in the mountains of Southern Oregon. Witt
the clew we have, verify believe that VIZ
shall find the cabin"
81 am with you," and gave him stead
fast grip.
Harper flushed with pleasure at the promp
and hearty acquiesence, and we sat talking
over the deta Is of our expedition until the
gray eye of dawn looked in. and with col:
and unsympaUhizing stare, admonished Us
that our sitting had been unnaturaly pro-
longed
II was the middle of May, when deemine
the southern mountains clear of snow. anC
the rivers passable, our final preparation:
were completed, and We were ready for the
road. .---.-sr-L
My books-consisting of little law, in
calf, and much patent-office, in muslin-wert
| consigned to a common grave in dry-gocds
| box, and the key of the Office gracefully re
signed to its owner.
We had saddle-hOrse apiece, two pack
animals, and provisions for six months
After several days of uneventtul travel W,
reached Jacksonville. This point was the
beginning and the end of the written it,
structions of James Wilson, and we looked
wonderingy toward the south, where will
derness of mountains, wales and rivers
much of it yet untrodden by the foot of civ
lized man-stretched away under the serene
| sky.
There was the ink-blot of the unfinished
letter.
We were not to be frowned back. however,
by the difficulties which stood in our wav.
and, after days rest, we again took the
California road, with the intention of follow
ing it for one day longer.
This brought us to a point where, in all
probability, the party of prospectors, headed
by the Wilson's, had borne off from the beat
en- track into the chartless regions of the
southeast. - 3
Even adopting this general direction as the
axis OF exploration, the field to be SURVEYED
was hopelessly wide. The Wilson party un.
doubleday made a considerable departure
from their intended conrse, in order to avoit
the actual theater of the Indian war; but
with this solitary concession to prudence,
! must have SOUGHT to reach that portion O
the country which both rumor and the geo
| logical outlines of the earth's surface indi
Gated as gold-bearing. Careful inquiry had
put us in possession of these latter facts, and
we, too, turned TO the southeast, but at no
great angle from the stage route
Our progress was slow, tortuous, and at
times unutterably difficult. Hewing trail
through woven thickets, scramblng over
miles Of fallen timber, lost in the twilight of
labyrlnthian canons, straining toward the
summit OF some rocky divide-here the snm-
mer sunshine burned like f1ame-acry So the
turbulent rivers, and by the still margins ot
| unknown lakes, where the great frs sh.S-
| owed themselves in sombre solitude. what
road to fortune!
We were generously armed, and had no
great fear of personal canger, for the fierce
tribes that had formerly hung upon the foot
steps of the hunter and gold-digger here, anG
had disputed the encroachments of civiliza
tion in the bright valleys far out to our right
had ceased from troubling" long since, and
were agriculturally sat rest'' upon govern
| ment reserves. .-.--.... ....
We knew, however, that few unmanage
able bands had refused to accept the arbitra
ment OF Christian rifles, and were still abroad
| somewhere-in their native haunts-from
Klamath to the sea-committing theft, arson,
and an occasi nal murder.
But our hearts were fired by ssthe accursed
lust for gold," and we were not to be de-
TERED by idle fears. We were possessed of a
| spirit that toll could not exercise, nor peri
| mall T~