The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-07-06
CALIFORNIAN SKETCHES.
FINDING 4 NUGGET.

much to be pitied Ever man of sense
works hard in some way or other. As
for me, l am in comfortable circum.
stances, Cor | was smitten by the gold
fcvor, and went to the diggings, where
| discovered nugget, one that has
never wasted or grown less, but given
me good interest year by year.
But / will tell you how | found my
nugget. \ party of six started for the
far-of land, after laying out our little
cash IN the necessaries of outfit. need
not tell of the long voyage out, nor yet
of our pilgrimage to the wild, rugged
place, dotted with tents and shanties
where men shaved and strived, up to
their waist in water, for many hours a
day; some drawing prizes in that great
earth lottery, picking out the gold
from the earth in their claims y while
others sickened of the place aud died
slckened, and strayed off into the scrub
to be heard Of no morc-Or sickened,
and tramped, pack and packageless.
back to the big town, beggars. The
storekeepers were the real gold get
ters they did not dig. but tool, it from
the hungry men to whom they sup
piled food. and what they need not
have supplied-that which was the
cause of most of the fights and outrages
in the camp, while the other part was
due to the lust of gold by those who
were unsuccessful. or TO idle TO work.
am talking OF the early days of the
gold fever. when robbery. rapine and
violence ruled supreme. 4 hundred
times over l would gladly have been
back home; but l recalled the old say
ing about lying upon the bed | had
made myself, and took part in the dig
ging and washing for gold-sometimes
with more, sometimes with less success;
but in the months average it always
came To this-that. work as hard as we
would at our claims, we could only OBJ
tain enough TO keep Us in provisions,
so heavy was the charge for everything
at that time. Every now and then
some fortunate individual would make
a lucky hit, which was enough To set
the whole camp tiercely to work again ;
but after some month of toll, it came to
my being guardian of a leather bag
containing the tiny bits of gold, as l
lay in the little tent, day after day
sick of kind of ague fever, which
never seemed 10 loosen me from its
clutches.
/ have known what 1t is to be low
spirited, often and often, but | never
knew anything to compare with my
feelings-lying, untended almost, in
baf Ia i
for hours through the long nights,
listening at the carousing. quarrelling
and fighting. while my companions
slept the sleep of fatigue. They were
kind enough to me in their rough way;
but what they wanted was help. not to
be burdened with sick man.
At last, one day, after week of
good success, lay with the
heavy leather bag beneath me, as |
tried to sleep and get rid of the hor
rible, half-delirious f4ncies that hung
about my brain. was just sen
sible enough to know that full half of
the distorted images that met my gaze
were not real While the heat of the
place was insutferable. All at once it
seemed TO me that the canvas at the
back of the tent was lifted. and lower
ed. This was repeated again and
again; and l lay In dreamy way,
wondering whether it was fancy, or
one of the many wondering dogs on an
expedition of food
| lay perfectly still then, for this
movement in the canvas interested me
though l was watching it with half
closed eyes, expecting to see the move
ment begin in another part of the ten;
or some strange monster would glide
across the place, as l had seen again
and again in my fever first. Then |
closed my eyes for q few moments;
opened them again, and looking Ian
guidly toward the spot, there was a
hand passed beneath, and to me it
seemed that the fingers WAS beck
oning. Now" | said to myself
"the arm will come next, then the head
and body, and at last the whole figure
will appear, and then 60 slowly back"
and then | smiled and lay calmly
watching, till, rs expected an arm
and then head appeared; when
feeling satisfied, | closed my eyes and
lay perfectly quiet, while hot iron
ring seemed to be bound around my
head, and to grow hotter and hotter
All at once felt that / was being
gently lifted, a sensation | had often
before experienced. previous to feel
ing that was waited through space
burning. fiery space-where knew no
rest But could not understand the
jerk received, and turning my head,
/ encountered the gaze of heavily
bearded face. while at the same mo-
ment a hand was laid across my mouth
This must be real thought; but |
lay motionless. and still overcome by
the dreamy sensation which made me
half close my eyes once more; when the
hand was removed, the jerk repeated,
and. as | looked. saw the figure
slowly rise with knife in one hand
and bag in the other. 1t seemed So
real that | cotAd not help feeling inter-
ested: when suddenly it WAS as though
n light flashed upon my intellect, aud,
leapinc up. | was next moment strng-
Cling furiously with a pow ertul man.
Fortunately for me, my onslaught
was so fierce in the dread that tue
gold left in my charge should be stolen,
that the knife was dropped; bot
blow aimed at my head with the heavy
leather bag only took effect upon my
shoulder, while. desperate as mad
man. clung to my adversary, so that
we swayed To and fro; ami at last
q h a