, 1874-11-21

ose vIu INK Il or me It'll e' Tor 1hoa9
leolef's 7en!ufesei1o 7ile3tht - esnHIll iii lS' d
aalsashpointtHat h.pI.'n tho btoko9 hdal!li. tlo
vsntnsor, who beRant high Of lleatt apd astoug Of
l,and.. It was lottory, with torrlblo porcaut-
ago Of blat'ks nni,gor, FOYER, flood, mid tho
risks frolh wbltg otillawa and rad-akiniind tbb-
sss esss rns ss e. q ars sns 5 ss1y S re On ta tue v ;
ha s&'ds %s's sie 5 ba nss Shhs ef shs
cosetoliB, aud pt6pied Rlhh nfter lsdahj III Tic
spoken WITH n,en who in tlay iiad beon lifted rcd
trom poverty to opuence, anil lad heard them
deaoribe tho fieroo 10y, tho half-incredulous ex-
nltstioii Of that Triumphant hour. Hitherto I
Lad rcsfsted the alurottlonts of ts gold.dggers
ouce, to trav6rso tho hills lii. company With pro-
feHsfonhl prDspoctors, mon whoao RESTLESS llvoa
Wero passod In the 4ueat for buried treasure, a1l
WHO, Dc We rode aiong, 1iad potiiled out auhdry
metals. Now / waa not Naturally, OF d spbcn.
lutiyo tnrn Of ,nihd, and 1t took tho oollarae Of
my modest sclieme 10 q acquiring su9atantai IN
| come by agriculture, coupled VII, Jondtha1''
groom must 10 prepared With sao, 900 oil lilo
weddinB.d day to indutc nc to turn ny bacf On
tho regular Industry Of .tarmcr's lifo, and to
cast II my lot with t,at Of the totling thousands
hidden siched. / set to work; tuei,; mahfdlly,
| GaIlhb tho common tnlucaiucut to sustain my
| cuc1glos. and being ,young. strong, and intrnst
| to tho labors which await the eettlcr iu tho
baohwoods, mid having withni rotol.tisc ; mem
acQuantanceH had let drop, met with gteator
SUCCESS than ofton acorucs to . hcGlnner. With
ip 10 miles Of my homo al. Burnt Flat was par-
| TALLY explored region Of fnvluoe nnd gnllics.
In considerable quantities, until fashion, as po;;
tent in these wild regions ns hi Dalgrayia, had
drawn OF tho liegers md dolvora to mower
With The The aid of my hired hands built
u dam across n mountain stream, nesor
Jes known to run dry IN tho sultry. soasou,
sst up cradle y'sve .o,aa mud t9onlos t9 Sthsf
sofFe fs0sa 10 sses s b nsn Rs IL p doae
seriously to lie almost hopeleas ontorpriaa. Not
TINT my hard ekertionA--a ! worked worry lard
,9d In Iho a.ds Sy Sd Gi e9
raroly loss than Of !, occasionally Of 8. 4, or,
ounces. Twice, among the brohen Quursz-stones
Of a rect, ca1ac upon poeket q nuggets, tle
net value Of which amounted 10 sovoral hundred
mot with unexpected luinps Of virgin Sill
Yer, well worth ttin gloaping. But all lid not
50 smoothly With me, III spilo, Of tdeso happy
accidents: ,sfy dam was broached BY sudden
damago, vlieh tho tulbid Tatef ind doGe b.
tween sunEet and moonriso.,, sank two blaftss,
gold as would make . lalys wedding lihg. T"ito
| heard panther snarIlng aud whi,!ing aro9nd
prowlers Who infested myy lonely ata-
ing altefnstely. Until / drove them OF
ind Ind on ~ my VOC occasional yiiila to liz township IN
search OF provisions, was warmly greeted. bY my
well-wiHlets, aud much ENCOURAGED By Minnie,
who had tho ,npice Of ROMANCE in her liatuFo,
which is seldom, l thinlsi lacking ~ that o. ~,
suuguiuo as to lor truo lovers speedy aud cota-
plcto succcas. There wore croakors, However,
who shook their heads. and pittly remarked lhat
$50, ,00U could not like poa-nuts or cloud berries,
DO picked up eyelywllorG.
Tho prophets Ut evil, In tho long run, seemed
likely to approve themselves accui ate. for month
after month slipped by autumn gave place to
winter, winter to spring, aud was very far from
my goaL Mr.. Fairlop began to giVo ominons
and Hiram Lloyf's hntoful shadow frequently
darkoncd the door Of tho rich sctttor while
Minnso, who had learned to look on my under
taking as all but hopoloss, grow pale and thi1,
and there Was at times weird, wan t:lance in
! clloek which boded no good. Even old Fairlop
saw i, md gruflly told mo that his aaugter was
"tretting herself I'LL" aud uss'cssly; Still. lie
would not relent, neither would desist, 80 long
| oyery day grow more uuremlttng. at last l
| acknowledged to mysolf that the task was sheer
| impossblity. I Ind but short week or two
left out Of MY year Of probation, nnd little mora
Tie rest lay hidden in the rugged doptla Of
tho Sierra. Yet, tlespatrlngly, hull mecliani-
cally, 7 labored on, dcadeiiing thought by
downright bodily exhaustion, and adding, every
4 t,nr>N
tho rude hearth u my hove1. II was now aon'o
time since / had Visited either Burnt Fiat or
Faitlop'a Clearing. the torrents we're fill Of
moltod SHOWS, aud the bsdlo-roal difficult, while
! waB averao to discontinue my toil, oven for q
few hours. But three dnys romaiucd TO me, and.
unees in that brief spnce some extraordinary
stroke Of good foetune should befa1l mo, lGrowell
to all my bright day-dreanas OF happy Life with
Minnie.
had laid myaelf down to sleep. worn
wrapped in the bufTalo.robo' that did duly
for bed, my head pillowed Oh my saddle,
and nv weapona. rifle aud revolver, by my sidc.
was awakened abruptly by the sound OF my
OVID ua1ne, SO i seemed to me, uttered BY 4 fe-
nlnlo voice, unlikely al was such contingency
in that remote nook. For d monoat I thought
that tho sghing Of tho wind, or tho scream Of q
eird OF prey peruhed On tue tho cliffs above, had
deceived ny car, but no! II was q .womans
u started up, and, opening tile door ot tho hut,
beheld III tho silyery moonlight the outinea Of a
female form. MurrSing up, saw With, infinite
surprise that it VAS Minnie horsef who stood
before me. She looked strangely pale, hut very
neautifu!; her dark hair, no doubt loosened in,
tho rough and rapid ride, hung loose about her
shoulders and lier manner waa BinEularly car;
nest and excited for QUO usually go gentle and
meek.
"Thia is no time for atcopl"' she said, eager
~; "Up, up. aud be doing, l1oforo the. precious
hours are gone. Take what yon neel for dig
giug and como with me. my ognl I Layo rid;
den fast aud farto guide to wllero It awaits you."
"Wlln5, aiiunie7" / asked, much perplexcdby
her words aud manner.
ss she qour VIZ ouue oyo na
dowry. Twill be your guido"
"lou. darling" l answered, trying to take her
hand; ..you are Ill, fear, or III distress. md
-" She interrupted MO at once, shrinking
back, at the same time, 80 rs to avoid my touch.
"Erank," she aaid, with passionate. pleading
earnoBtress; "lot me hayo my Way in this;
You'll neycr Iepent il bellvo ME. Do Mimic
Fairlop's bidding, Without renonatrapco, with
nut nunatinn fnr f],iH out.o Ennle cnD1a Iylly