The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-11-08

was . TAN, broad.s6ouldsrsd fellow
with . great shock Of red hair, and
Q close cropped beard . pair ol
small, fsrrstliks eyes that seemed
10 vanish beneath his shaggy eye
brows when any one sddresssd him
and au expression that showed him
10 be the reverse Of . quiet and res-
pectsble fellow.
I'm due course Of time Ne arrived
st Melbourne. n was then . mere
collection Of wooden houses, and
hastily thrown-up shaotiss, and VA
peopled BY representatives from
nearly all civilized nations on the
face Of the earth. Twenty Of us
formed . party, bought some tools,
and proceeded TO the diggings on
f,ot, Arriving there We bought
claims and Get 10 work 10 unearth
the long talked Of gold. Ny chum
was . steady going fellow, called
Sandy, Q Scotchman. We dug q
shaft, hauled mp the gold-bearing
earth, and washed il in Q large boz
with plates full Of holes. The water
washed away the earth, leaving the
gold in the form Of nuggets and
dust on the plates. For the 6rsi
week We found little or nothing, and
my golden dreams began to wane
Then. one morning Sandy gave q
shout OF Joy, and, hastily ascending
the shaft, I saw in the cradle several
nuggets Of pure gold. was bali
mad With delight, and for the resi-
Of the day worked with the energy
Of two men. Before nightfall we
had more then twenty ounces ol
small nuggets and dust. We stitch
cd il up in small canvas bags, and
hid it for safety in the floor Of the
tent.-We went on in this way fol
months. then our claim began tc
give ont.
"Just about this tim o q convo,
was going to Melbourne to take
some gold to the bank there. We
therefore agreed to send some ol
ours to be deposited in the bank,
and get notes in exchange. When
We got to the place ofstarting, I was
surprised TO see among the mounted
troopers forming the escort, my
sbock-headed fellow-voyager.
mentioned my distrust Of him to my
chum and, in consequence. We only
sent half Of the intended quantity.
The fellow evidently knew distrust-
I'd him, for when I went up with our
parcel be gave me Q malicious look
that boded me no good. The escort
numbered about ten or fifteen we'll
armed troopers, with . four.
wagon, and they left early In th
morning for their dasl;ssgn' W
gave them three riF r. r. q 'neers q
the boundaries Of sa VEP, an
wished them q safe IvsuInT sns. ! had
singular foreboding A...e Asnet , I had see,
tho last of my gold, GSs mentioned
my fears to none but Ry cnum.
"Ths day following I went TO Mat
Durp's drinking hut--a place fre-
quented by the lucky finders aud,,
loafers Ito hear tho days news. b,
saloon was fall Of digger stc
Some were discussing the vdav',
finds [; others were playing poLsr
the stakes being nuggets or dust
the majority were standing n The
bar drinking or smoking. fcalled
for q drink, filed the short cutty,
and took q seat among the card play.
ers.
"Well, Tom, how's your luck T.
said Q broad-shouldered Yorkshire-
man, who had come over With me-.
"Very poor ct present." replied.
'Have . hand then, man wins
ming dust at poker, is bettsr than
digging"
Il joined the game, and played
for . while. At last ono Of the
players threw up his hand, and said
be was cleaned out 60, thinking il
might be my turn soon, I stopped.
! finished my glass and prepared to
leave the room. Just - got 70 the
door, . burly digger, came rushing
10, almost upsstting me, and utter.
ing The most frightful oaths. The
entire saloon Was in an uproar in an
instant. Revolvsrs and knives were
drawn, and . dossn voices shouted
out "What ID the matter r +
"Matter enough r. replied the In.
vading digger, with anothsr vollsy
of ezpletives. ~rhs escorts been
attacked. and The golds gone !"
"Words fail 70 describe the soAne
hat ensued. Men swore. tore their
aair, danced, and rsved like mad
nen. When the tumult had some-
What subsidized. ] managed to make
,ut that the wagon had been attack
I'd in the dead Of night by = party Of
'rmed rangera A Aght had taken
,lsce, but . troopsr had been killed,
md the gold had been taken. The
'ttack had evidently been pre-ar-
suged, for half the troopers had
'sen found drugged, and were CON.
unable TO fight Three Of
hem we're reported missing. Wrap
'ing Bill amongst the number. ] |
vent off to our tent, and told Sandy. |
You're right about the villain, bat
ve1l b even with him yet"
1--WE went back 10 the saloon,
vhsrs We found nearly I'll The dig.
Isrs assembled. listsning 10 an %
ount II The affair from one of the |
roopsrs. II appeared. that shortly
,Fkne L. ~3ar, Aha n~svv Al 81 A..