The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-24

upon having fair share of the spoil.
This led to a fierce dispute, and the
mulatto seized the bag Of gems, swear
ing that he would hold them until the
treasure was fairly shared. Gibbings.
beside himself with rage and disap.
pointed cupidity, forget himself so
Tar as to strike the negro, when the
latter, with single blow, felled him
to the earth.
Foaming with passion, the overseer
regalned his feet, seized a heavy
machete used for cutting canes, which
was lying in the corner, and before the
giant could oppose him had dealt him
blow which splintered his skull.
The two men rolled on the floor in
death grapple, which Gibbings ended
by driving the weapon, on whose
handle he had retained his hold, by
main force, between his antagonists
ribs. Ell Buey's life was reached by
the stroke, and he expired with hol-
low groan.
The noise of the struggle had
drawn Rangoon's wife. a pretty
Hindoo girl Of fourteen, to the scene,
and when Gibbings staggered to his
feet and supported himself, painting
Tor breath, against the rude table upon
which the treasure lay in the full light
OF couple of candles, he found his
secret in the keeping of another. Ran
COON who had taken refuge from the
struggle in a corner, was no sooner
aware of his wife's presence than he
barred the door by which she had en-
tered, and dragging her to the body of
the mulatto, forced her to wet her lips
with the blood yelling from his
wounds, and swear the Hindoo oath.
the wrath of Vishnur, not to reveal
the secret of the murder, nor of the
treasure. The trembling girl took the
required oath. That night the body
OF the murdered man was thrown into
dense thicket in lonely forest of
cocoanut palms short distance from
the hut, and the treasure buried in one
corner to await the new division which
was to take place the next night.
Gibbings lodged, in common with
the other overseers, in a wing of the
managers house, and roomed with
another, the junior overseer of the
estate, a young Cumberland man
named DAYTON. When he reached his
room, after thoroughly removing the
signs OF the late conflict from his per-
son, it was after midnight, and his
companion was already asleep in his
hammock, Gibbings, in a maze of
doubt, horror, and fear of the conse-
quences Of the act of which he had
been guilty, dared not sleep at first.
but after tossing about upon his cot
for a long time at last fell into a
troubled slumber.
When he awoke it was broad day.
At first he thought he was alone, but
a second glance about the room dis
closed DAYTON standing by the win.
dow examining some object in the
palm of his hand intently. Upon the
table lay an object, the sight OF which
brought Gibbings to his feet, as if he
had been shoot.
''In hell's name where did you get
this - he demanded hoarsely.
"On the foor,'' returned DAYTON,
sis it yours!''
''Mine? No-of course-how can it
be- b, -, How dared you open it. Where
''Aha It is yours then - DAYTON
wheeled quickly about, holding the
diamond which he had been examin-
ing in his hand. II thought as much
when found it lying under the chair
on which you threw your clothes.''
Gibbings fell back upon the bed
with a hollow groan. TO his guilty
mind he was already betrayed, and
the meaning glance of his companion,
the presence of the gems, so much be-
You'd anything likely to be honestly in
possession of a poor West Indian over
seer, but most of all the bag, which
he had Wrested mechanically from the
dead man S hands, soaked as it was with
his blood, all conspired against him.
DAYTON on his part noted the advan-
tage he had gained, and did not scruple
to use it. He was about to push the
question upon his affrightened room
mate, when his notice was called to a
little crowd approaching the house
from the direction of the coolie settle.
ment, carrying something heavy
among them.
"What is it p he called to one of the
passers by.
Eel Buey, massa. Him dead.''
''Dead! How?''
''Dunno, pom sho, Mass DAYTON.
Find UNI pile out in UNI cocoa bush.
Fob, God, him cut bad.''
The story of the bloody bag was
told in the white face of Gibbings, who
had heard every word. Was his crime
come home to him already? If Daw-
ton betrayed him, it was ; and his only
plan was to take him entirely into his
confidence and give him share of his
spoil. The Cumbeland man, shrewed,