The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-03-22
&c HisPA-"
THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE.
CHAPTER /.

I Al u 1 = l..
lu 1865 | was working on the
south fork of The Yuba, al q poia,
Two or three miles below Sierra Civ.
| was at work alone in ravine
making down into the river Half a
dezsn ether miners had cabi IS not
lar from mine, aud we're at work in
gulehes or on bars in the rivers. All
Of our cabins were on The south side
Of the river aad mine was at least
half mile further south than any Of
the others, which carried it well up
toward the main ridge or range Of
bills wslling IN The stream.
One dsy at noon | went home to
get my dinner, and on opening the
door Of my cabin saw in the middle
OF the floor a small scrap of white
paper folded in De form of a note.
1 thought this not a little curious, as
nv door was secured with a pad
lock Of peculiar construction, and no
man could have entered unless
through the cathode" at the bottum
of the door.
As took up the note | saw that
there were three spots Of blood on
1t. The note alone was sufficient TO
s,srtle me, but when | saw the blood
chill ran through nv veins, and
said: Here is some villainy afoot,
Somebody has been murdered, per-
haps," My next thought was that
some Of the boys might be playing
trick on me. Instead of al once
opening the note to read it | began
looking into all corners Of the room;
even stopped and peeped under my
bed
No one was to be seen. Ny cat,
old "Chispa,n was The only living
thing in The place he same pur-
ring about my legs, as was his habit
when | came 3ome; though often be
was Jut on bis own hook, huming
aud prospecting about Tor be was not
one of Your home-staying, lezy kind
Of cats.
After speaking q kidd word or
TWO to old "Chispa" ! opened the
noie, and a. | read began to open
my eyes. The little note-mereIy
Iae folded leaf Of sn ordinary memo
raBdum bOuk-read a. follows:
June ., 1865.
This is to Inform the person into
hose hands il may come tba- | am
in the old Maldanado shaft. By the
breaking Of ladder, fell TO the bot
tom of the shaft about three days ago
am almost starved For Gods
cake come - my assistance at once.
JACOB PRITCuARD
When | had read the nOte-scrawl-
ed with very dull lead pencil
hardly knew what to think. NJ
brain was in whirl, and | made no
b adway in trying to think As |
turned the paper IN my fingers | OBJ
served that the blood come off it and
stained ny hand; saw, in fact, that
{ was quite fresh.
This astonished me not q litlle,
for" thought |, III be fell into the
shaft three DAYS ago and hurt him.
self how does it happen that the
blood on this note il sun fresh and
almost warmtn
Ny next thought was this: ''if be
is in the bottom Of the Maldanado
shsft-more than a hundred feet be-
iow The snrfsee-as he says, how
could be leave me this note!" Clear
iy the tbins WAS improbable, and i
could make neither head nor tail OF
tie business. Who, jacob Prilchard
was did not know. ! did not re-
member having ever heard bis
name"
sat down on g stool and tried TO
think. Here" thought |, SIS man
in the bottom of shaft, where be
has been for three days, and where be
is now supposed TO be starving, who
leaves note on my cabin floor ask
ing me TO come and get him out.
There Is blood-fresh blood-on this
note, which makes things still worsel,
sat and thought and thought till
things got so mixed up in my head
that | was no more capabie of form.