The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-22
CARL wALDow's ADVENTURE

ounce DAY, and, for once in my life,
was quite content with my prospects.
In July of the year named took lot
OF about eight ounces of gold dust, and
went down 10 Washington, on the South
Yuba. Fall Creek is tributary of the
South Yuba, into which river it empties
but few miles above Washington, at
which town l generally procured my
provisions and other supplies.
l arrived at Washington late in the
evening, and going to the hotel got my
supper, and soon after went to bed, tell
ing the landlord to wake me early, as 1
was going to Nevada City in the morn
ing. You see, shortly after my arrival,
had concluded not to sell my dust in
Washington, but 60 on to Nevada, some
twenty miles further down, and sell to
the dealers in that place; beside, de-
sired to pay a short visit to some coun-
trymen of mine who were mining on
Deer Greek, near the town.
The next morning l took an early
start. l had my dust strapped around
my waist in buckskin belt, where it
was out of sight. Though it was rather
heavy and inconvenient, preferred
carrying it in thats way to having it in
my pockets. l never once thought of
robbers, and in the way of weapons did
not even have a knife with me. Had
thought of going to Nevada on leaving
home, would, no doubt, have belted
on my revolver.
had purposely made an early start,
and by sunrise was up the steep mount
ain trail that leads from Washington,
and was passing through the mining
town of Alpha just as the breakfast bells
were ringing at the boarding houses.
Soon l was in the dense forest of huge
sugar pines and furs, through which the
wagon-road leads, and which extends
nearly all the way to Nevada.
Not team was on the road, nor a
soul in sight. When alone in the forest
l 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 a way that quite carries me out of
and beyond the things of everyday life.
| become, indeed, in such situations,
by insensible degrees, quite absent
minded.
AS l passed along 1 merely noticed
the point where the road l was travel
ing joined that coming in from Omega,
a mining town that stands opposite Al
pha, just across Scotchman's Greek.
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.
Twas walking slowly along in the deep
shade of the great forest, with my eyes
bent upon the ground, and thoughts
far away in some of the old forests
had seen in Germany while serving as a
soldier, when there came sharp, quick
cry:
| "Halt!"
Instinctively halted, hardly realizing
that | was not still soldier, obeying
the command of superior officer. But
it was only for an incompatible fraction
of time, for on the instant a masked
man, armed with double-barreled
shotgun, stepped out from behind a
large sugar-pine, and about ten feet from
where l had halted.
"Hold up your hands!" cried the
masked man, and the shotgun was lev
eled at my head.
held up my hands.
The fellow then seemed not to know
what to do next. He stood some Sec
onds without speaking, and as if con-
sidering how to proceed.
"Take off your belt.''
elbow can take off my belt if l am
to hold up my handss" said l.
The man seemed nonplussed, and
again hesitated.
"You have no pistol?" said he.
"That is my business"
Again he hesitated and surveyed me.
Seeing no pistol belt outside my cloth
ing, he seemed treasured, and said:
You can put down your hands and
take off the belt you have about your
waist-that dust is what l want. Be
quick about it," and again the gun was
leveled.
l took my own time, nevertheless,
and as long time as possible, closely
watching the robber, who several times
for an instant glanced nervously up and
down the road. | also observed that
his hands trembled. Icould plainly see
that he was really more frightened than
| was. Having passed through many
O1oOiOo nilo VI ill ulu
not feel at all alarmed at my situation.
In moment 1 understood the whole
business. 1 knew that the man only
wanted to get my dust, and did not want
to kill me. If he had not feared COM
hitting murder he would have shot me
down without speaking-would have
taken no chances with me.
While slowly taking off my pouch of
gold dust, my mind was not inactive. l
saw that the robber was a trembling
fellow, not at all fit for the business.
A man that 1 could have cowed and
commanded in almost any situation,
had we been placed on an equal footing.
When the belt was off, the highway
man said:
clay it down and be off,"
laid it down and turned as though
to go away, but as the fellow picked up
my dust faced about and said:
"Do you know who l am-who you
are playing this trick uponP"
"No; nor do l want to know. Go
awayi" said the man.
Did you ever hear of Big George, of
Siskiyou, the stage robberP'' said 1,
moving toward him.
He made no reply, but stood trem-
bling and evidently quite bewildered.