Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-03

enemy creeping up behind me might with a
tom of the cliffs but no enemy was near,
and my hand was steady, my eye true,
and my mind clear. / could not help
smiling at the thought of what might occur
where Harold, Mauvain, and imprisoned
on this spot, with old grudges to satisfy,
and holding each other in bitter contempt
''' 1t would be a rare test of courage |
said aloud. If something most precious
depended upon life or death, how then,
Leontine: There is truth in wine they
say. So when mans soul is racked and
tempest tossed, his true nature is revealed.
The many rave and threatens the few en-
dure, and smile at fate.
Autumn flowers grew everywhere
around me; various -colored grasses waved
in the breath of light breezes insects
with gossamer- wings threw fairy shadows
over the velvet moss which carpeted the
trunk of the ancient tree. Nature is
bounteous in her gifts, and clothes the
loneliest spots with beauty.
g. Impossible to say ] said to my dog,
when, after a contemplation of these
eternal miracles, my thoughts returned to
my project, impossible to say at this
have traversed was formed by Nature or
man. II by man, there must have been
purpose in view. What purpose,
Leontine, and did his work end here {?
It is scarcely probable it was undertaken
to arrive at this barren result. Ger
family there is from this point a very
fine prospect, and one can enjoy it without
fear of observation on the part of the
islanders but that is not great advan-
tage, for the prospect is equally fine from
the top of the mountain, and one is not
likely to be disturbed by the intrusion of
his kind. What discovery might one make
in this lonely spot, more secluded even than
our mountain huts? might split open an
ancient rock and release toad, who would
not thank me for bringing it into the light !;
or spirit might guide us by safe road to
the mysterious depth in which Evangeline
and her bridegroom found their grave.
Such is life, Leontine one day smiling
and happy, the next imbedded in grief
which time alone can kill. Your eyes are
fixed on that beetle whose FURNISHED scales
reflect gorgeous colors of green and gold
aud purple. A handsome fellow, Leontine,
beyond the painters art How lovely is
the sea, with the sunlight playing on it.
An ocean of living jewels 1t stretches to
shores have trodden in pain and weari-
ness. A bitter world lies beyond these
seas; but for the matter of that there is
bitterness enough within this girdle. There
is faint in our blood, my dog. We fret
and faint with desire; we lay our heavy
hand upon the weak, and hold them down
while they suffer- 1t proves our own
righteousness, Leontine. What have you
found, dumb friend A treasure?
"Leontine was busy scratching the earth
from spot nearer even to the edge of the
precipice than the rock on which I lay,
and presently she came to my side, and in
way understood besought my assistance.
l shifted to the spot which had interested
her, and saw that she had scratched the
earth away from what looked like piece
of rusty iron. At first l regarded it with
no interest, but suddenly it flashed upon
me that if it was iron which Leontine had
partly laid bare it was an evidence of mans
work. The moment this occurred to me l
started to my feet and dug my pick into
the rock to complete the discovery the
consequence was that | almost lost my
balance, there was so little room to swing
the arm with freedom. The danger escaped,
proceeded with greater caution, and
loosening the rock and earth around and
above the metal, saw that it was part of
chain which must have lain buried for
many scores of years. My journey was not
destined to be fruitless man had been here
before me.
"My interest being now thoroughly
awakened, l went to work with will.
Link by link l forced from the rock
chain at least sixty feet in length, and CON-
ing to the last link found that it was fixed
to an iron ring which was firmly imbedded
in the rock. With all my strength l strove
to detach the ring, but could not move it,
so well had the work been done. When
l was convinced that | could not remove
the ring from the rock, blamed myself
for my folly in attempting it. Had l sue
ceeded l should have placed difficulty in
my own way ; for was it not likely that
this chain was an important step in the
discovery of secret which had been hid
den from human knowledge for genera
tons?
"It had been no light task to fix it so
firmly in the rock it was serious work,
seriously performed, with distinct and
definite motive OF what nature was this
motive?
CAS- considered, playing with the coils
of the chain with my foot, it slipped over
the rock with startling crash, and hung
sheer down. Quickly tested whether it
would bear the weight of man. There
was no doubt of it. 1t would bear the
weight of two such men as |. Without
further thought l grasped it firmly, and
commenced to descend. That there was
danger in what l was doing did not occur
to me; I was, indeed, animated by spirit
of exhilaration. / remember now, and
shall remember to the last day of my life,
the expression in Leontine's face as l
looked up and saw her peering down upon
me. The expression was almost human in
its intense sympathy with my exploit, and