Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1876-09-30

that confines it. There are hundreds up
on hundreds Of them all over the sta.e
some i'm active operation, the malorHy
silent and deserted. You can easily tel
when one is being worked. The roar u
the ponderous stamps may be neard at
graat distance. and i'm the mills tnem'
Selves YOU can hardly hear your OWL
voice. 20, d.r, a.
mill is stopped. This Is done Ior the pur-
nose of .'cleaning up us IL Is called, thal
Is. of gathering from the patteries ano
s1,,;ceS from the pans and amalgamators
the amalgam from which. after it has
nassed through the reuorts, the bright
rold bullion is obtained. Every one liv-
inc i'm the immediate neighbOrhoOd of \
mill knows when it is cleaning-up day
The silence proclaims it, aud even if one
wished there could be no method OF con-
cealing it.
A few wears ago l was employed in q
mine i'm Nevada county as bOok-keeper
was then youngster OF seventeen.
had taken voyage to San Francisco De-
fore the mast, under the mistaken idea
that [ was born IL sailor. Now was
working nv way as best could, in order
to get living. 49,,
The fall and winter of that year will
long be remembered i'm that country.
Light-fingered gentry. commonly known
as ioot-pads, were more than usually
nlenty. Stages were stopped. The treas
ure-boxes were rifled. Passengers We're
relieved of their purses, watches and
iewelry. Two cripp.es. who kept toll
gate. were found murdered. their safe
opened and money gone. Travellers
were stopped on the road. and quiet pc
destrians, returning to their homes late
at night, were called upon to stand ana
deliver.
No wonder, then. that people hesitated
ahont travelling after shutdown. especially
if they had anything of value on thelr
person. oo4ohor
The mills had been running Tor Two
weeks. night and day. oil higher grade
of ore than the average. One uay' us the
superintendent left the office, he gave or
ders that the mill should be stopped be-
fore daylight, and the work OF cleaning
ND be begun Immediately, so that IL
anight be finished II possible before dark
Accordingly, as soon as the nrst rays
of light showed in the east, the engine
was slowed down. the thump. thump OF
the stamps grew slower. until they ceased
altogether, and the work began. :,
But when the superintendent arrived
at ten o'clock, the batteries were nor hall
cleahed. At noon an hour was lost wniie
the hands were ut dinner; and In the al
ternoon the foreman OF the mil was
busy ut the furnace, retortlng the ANAL
ram that had accumulated during the
week from the coppers before the oatter-
les. Work rs fast as they could, 1t was
oil
great retOrt.
When we had seen the retort put into
the furnace, the superintendent Called
me into the office and said.
II have got TO 90 to town now to at
tend TO some business, but that bullion
must come IN tonight to 20 down on to-
morrow's stage, and you must bring it.
When its realty, put it into the big bull
lion pack. and strap it on the pommel of
your saddle; take your revolver, and
when yoI start. ride like fun, and look
out tor fOOt-pads."
1t was seven o'clock and nearly dark
before the bullion was ready to be placed
In the heavy leather sack. My horse. al
ready satldled, stood at the door, and. fol
lowing Instructions, L strapped the sack
10 one pomncl of the saddle, and, having
loaded my revolver, put loot in the STIR
rup and mounted. Morton, the fore
man, shouted, Good luck!" and away
went.
The road was long and lonely one.
There were no houses upon it. Clumps
OF trees were numerous and thick patches
OF manzanita bushes. which had often
thought would give ample shelter to rob-
bers, even in the day time.
AS have before stated, | was not very
old, and had been but short time from
my quiet Eastern home. where rObberies
on the road were sometimes read abOut,
but rarely experienced. l don't think
was more of a coward than most boys of
my age. but could not drive from my
mind all hat had heard of rObberies
and murders during the past months.
did have firm intention of sticking to
the bullion under my charge. but / most
sincerely hoped that L should not be
called upon to give it up.
My horse travelled famously. 1t grew
darker and darker. l could hardly see
the road, but he kept it as though con-
fined by fences on either side. He was
going to his stable, and was impatient for
the hay and grain that he knew was wait
ing for him there.
was nearly half way to town. A few
rods more and | should be in more
open part of the country, and / shook
the reins and gave my horse touch of
the spur. AT almost the same moment
he passed a turn IN the road, and there,
not a rod before us, stood what seemed to
be man, with rifle il hand, pointed di-
rectly at me.
What followed took actually not min
ute, but to me il seemed an hour. At
the rate was going it was impossible to |
turn back; it was equally impossible to
stop; nothing was left but to 90 ahead. |
put both spurs to my horse, and at the |
same momement drew my pistol, aimed
rs well as L could and fired.
The sharp stroke OIL his sides and the |
report maddened my horse. and the rest |
OF the way l made faster time than ever |
made before or have made since. Not |
sound did hear behind me, and in less |
than ten minutes pulled up before the
express office and rid myself of my load.
dld not have much appetite for sup
per that night. went early to my room,
not having said word to any one of my
adventure. and there l sat until a late
hour thinking it over.
LII the man was not robber what was
he doing there at that hour, standing i'm
the road with gun?
Ii had not killed him, why had he not |
returned my shot? In my ignorance. l
that any one who killed anoth-
er was liable to Imprisonment if not to
death. If this man was not a robber, was
not my life certainly forfeited? Even if
he was, was | not liable to punishment
for taking the law into my own hands
These and fifty other like questions
came crowding through my mind. had
no friends in town, no one to whom /
could go for counsel and advice. went
TO bed and tried to sleep. but it was of no