Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-05-27

n 1870 " - M4M48& 8E@4 10 MSA4
Of Fall Greek in this county. ] hsd :
cIsim that was paying me over IN Ounee
day. and, Tor once. in nny liIs, was
quite eomienl with my pEoapecls. Ia
| July Of the year named took . lot 81
about eight ounces of gold dust, snl
went down "a w Ashingfon, On the SonthI
Yuba. Fall Greek n tributary oi the
S0alh Yuba. into which river i empsiesl
but few miles sb0ye Washinef.sr. =
which toHn genssalIy pFocnfsN nv
| pr0sisinns and other suppl.es.
arrived 81 Washington late in The
evening, and going to The hotel got my
supper. and soon after went 10 bed tell
lng The landlord 10 wake me early, as /
was going TO Nevada City in the morn
ing. You see, shortly after my arrival.
bad concluded not 10 sell nv dust in
Washington, but 90 on TO Nevada some
twenty miles fsFther down, and cell to
the dealers IN that place; beside, Ide-
sired to pay short visit to some coun-
Itrymen Of mine who were mining on
Deer Greek, near the town.
The next morning took an early
start. / had my dust strapped around
my waIst in buckskin belt, where il
Twas out Of sight. Though it was rather
heavy and inconvenient, 4 preferred
carrying IL in that way to having Il in
my pockets. never once thought of
robbers, and in the way of weapons did
moi even have knife with me- Had
I thought of going TO Nevada on leav-
| ing home, Twould, no doubt, have belted
on my revolver.
I had purposely made an early start.
and by sunrise was up the steep noun
tain trail that leads from. Washington.
and was passing through the mining
town Of Alpha just rs the breakfast bells
were ringing at the boarding houses.
Soon was in the dense forest OF huge
sugar pines and fiirs, through which the
wagon-road leads, and which extends
nearly all the way TO Nevada.
Not team was On the road, nor a
soul m sight. When alone ia the forest
| am always overcome and awed by the
solemn stiffness, and in spite of myself,
fall TO musing upon the wonders and
mysteries of the world and The Creator
in way that qaite carries me out OF
and beyond the things of everyday life.
| become, indeed, in such situations,
by inscnsible degvees, quite absent
minded.
As I passed along merely noticed
The point where the road was travel
ing Joined that coming in from Omega,
. mining town that stands opposite Al
pha, Just across Scotchman's Greek. i
merely glanced down along this road
and saw that there was no living or
moving thing on it. when again fell
into the deep. dreamy mood from which
| had only been partially aroused.
was walking slowly along in the
deep shade Of .he great forest, with my
eyes behtupon the ground. and thoughts
far away in some Of the old forests /
had seen in Germany while serving as
soldier, when there came Q sharp,
quick cry: s.e - e.ss,,s... 4 4,
"HaltP' 5ss
Instinctively Thalted, hardly realizing
that / was not still . soldier, cbeying
the command of. a superior officer. But
1t was only for an incompatible fraction
OF time, for on The instant q masked
man.. armed with q double-barreIed
shotgun, stepped out from behind a
large sugar-pine, and about ten feet
from where / had halted. 81 Z,
"Hold up your handsl" cried the
masked man, and the shotgun was lev
eled al my head. sss sYa4
held up my hands. y as
The fellow then seemed not 10 know
what to do next. He stood some see
onds wishoutspeaking, and as If consid-.
eung how to proceed. R-@
Take of your belt.'' q srss
''How can take of my belt IL | am
to hold up my hands ~ sand I. s.as
The man seemed nonpIusssed, and
again hesitated.
"You have no pistol Pa said he.
"That is my business" ~
Again be hesitaied and surveyed me.
Seeing no pistol belt outside my cloth
ing, he semed reassured, and said:
You can put down your hands and
take of the belt you have about your
waist-that dust is what / want. Be
quick about IL !" aad agaia The gun was
Ieveled.
Itook my own. CINE. nevertheless,
and Is long time as possible, closely
watching TIE robber, who several timfs
for an instant glanced nervonsly up and
down the road. I also observed that
his hands trembled. could plainly
see that he was really more frightened
than was. Having passed through
many battles and dangers OF all kinds.
/ did not feel at all alarmed at nv Sit
uation. In a. moment. understood the
whole business. I knew that the man
only wanted to get my dust, and did
not want TO kill me. II he had not
feared committing murder he would
have shot me down without speaking
would have taken no chances with
me.
While slowly taking of my pouch Of
gold dust, my mind was not inactive. /
saw that the robber was = trembling
fellow, not at all sc for the business
A man that cogIld have eowed and
commanded in almost any situation. !.
bad We been placed On an equal foot
ing. ' l
When the bell was Of. the highway
man said:
...Lay Il down ana be oiE.''
! laid i down and turned as though
to 60 away. but is the fellow picked up
my dust faced about and said
= DO ron know who an1-who you
are playing this trick upons"