The Portland daily press., 1874-02-07


relieve themselves by changing their positions
and singing. Mr. Finnegan also drew out
colored handkerchief to mop his brow, and
the bride accepted a sip from the tumber Of
fered by the gallant General. Old Brady still
smiled stupidity behind the bar and nodded
approvingly.
"As have said, resumed the Attorney,
desperately, 'it should not be entered into
lightly but reverently, discreetly, and-and-
in short, Miss Brady will you have this man
to be thy welded husband?'
Miss Brady, after an anxious look at the
Generals lady, murmured that she would.
''And you, Mr. Finne gan-wilt thou have
this woman to be thy welded wfe?''
cay" said Mr.. Finnegan, stoutly.
Again the District Attorney was hopelessly
stuck. He scowed, and pulled out his hand
kerchief once more
"And SO you both say you will, do you"
Brown asked this as il clinching some dam
aging admission of a witness.
eyes, sur" said Mr. Finnegan, with the
air of standing by his coors at all hazards
"You do?"
"Yes, we do"
Mr.. Finnegan was becoming nettled. There
was no time to lose.
Finnegan. and you, Mary Brady, do solemnly
|, wear YOU tell truth, the whole truth, nothing
but the truth. and the truth only, so help you
God?'
''Yis," gasped Mr.. Finnegan.
''Then. according to the laws Of California
and the United States, pronounce you man
and wife. And" added the District Attor-
ney, with his eyes rolled up, 'what God hath
Joined together let no man put assunder,-
Amenp'
No calm or decorous pen can describe the
extravagances of congratulation that followed
this impressive ceremony. Mr.. Brady half an
hour afterwards was carried up stairs, and
forty minutes later, the bridegroom was also
borne to his room insensible.
After these to-be-exrected prelimiDaries the
company settled down to solid enjoyment. In
| three bours after the retirement of the bride,
| every table was a roof 10 at least one deeply
sumbering Flatter, By midnight only par
| ty of four had not sIccumbed. Their employ
ment was poker General Harding had One
eyed Jim for Elsa uis. and the District At
torney sat opposite Lanky Tom. They were
playing with that selfpossessed excitement
and quick-eyed eageness, belonging to old
poker devotees.
"Bet an ounce" said the General in the
professional low tone, and reaching over to
snuff candle.
"Pm OUT said the District Attorney, so
softly as scarcely to be he I'd above the SHORES
and gasps OF the sleepers who covered the
| floor.
''So'm l." said Lanky Tom, giving sharp
| little kick to a gentleman on whom he was
warming his feet for moving.
''See your ounce and raise two," said One
| eyed Jim.
give better" quoth the General.
''See it-call."
-Four kings''
ing his revolver and putting his hand on the
| pile of gold.
''YOu lie," answered the General, and shot
him through the lead.
| 1t was done before poor One-eyed Jim
| could raise his pistol. and as the General
| would have been killed himself but for his
| promptness, nobody can blame him. Wheth
er he stole the kings is another ard irrele-
want question.
This was tue view taken of it by the Flat
next mo. ming, and as public manifestation
of confidence in the purity of the Generals
motives, every Flatter felt it duty to ask the
General to take drink. And then, poor
One-eyed Jim had not been a favorite at the
Flat. His profession had been poker, and
many of the Flatters recalled sundry losses
and had their private belief in an overriding
Providence strengthened.
But there was nothing mean about the
Flat. 1t cheerfuly voted a holiday to bury
One-eyed jim. The District Attorney was
again pressed into the service as master of
ceremonies. A patty was detailed to dig the
| grave in an old claim that had once been the
property Of the deceased.
Oneieyed Jim in life had habit of cursing
this possession as the means of driving him to
poker, for he had never seen the color of it af-
ter months ofpatient working. Another party
knocked up rough coffin for the BODY, and
then, after solemn drink all round, .he cor
tege LETT the Cosmotolitan-th coffin. on
rough bier, and General Harding following as
chief mOurner-for no one more than himself
regretted he gentleman's fortune.
The District Attorney began to think he
had mistaken his profession. Previous to the
funeral, and while at the bar with the Gen
eral, he had confided to that gentleman that
the ministry might have been a more con-
genial field. He also made a resolve to brush
up on the sacraments. We may write it to
the credit of the District Attorney, that he
made no pretense of following the burial SER
vice over the body of poor One-eyed Jim. He
spoke feelingly of the increased uncertainty
of life, and the many accidents incident pc
culiarly to this new Western civilization.
''The antleman who has been the unwilling
cause of this unfortunate fellow citizens de-
cease" said the District Attorney, looking
soberly around among the solemn crowd and
indicating the General, who stood at the head
of the grave, hat in hand, with a woe-begone
expression, Unjust, while regretting the
necessity thank God that no lower law than
the universal one of selfpreservation has"
At this instant. to the establishment of ev-
cry one, the General threw up his hat with
shout of joy and jumped into the grave. In
second he stood up with his head just above
the surface, and called aloud to the amazed
crowd. as he exhibited a half ounce nugget.
Gentlemen, give notice that I take up
the claim for sixty yards, two hundred feet
each side, with all its dips, spurs, etc., accord
ing to the laws OF the mining district of Bran
dy Flat
The body OF poor One-eyed Jim was not
buried that day, nor the next, for all Brandy
Flat was wild with tearing up the ground OF
the new diggings and taking out the chunks
of gold that have made the Flat famous.
Then the disagreeabe duty was done by the
District Attorney and Mr.. Finnegan, at night
in ground that they made sure was not auri-
ferrous.
"That marriage of Fi1negan's was lucky
speculation for me-" Mr.. Brown says, when
talking of 40, 'for, besides getting seven
hundred dollars from the bridegroom for my
services, 1 had quarrel with the rascally
General. He wasn't as quick with me as he had
been with poor Jim. SO had the satisfaction
of buryng him beside that poor fellow, two
days after, and jumped his claim and made
| my fortune.
R0ST0N lead m