The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-02-24
Select Story.
TIL MvTRDERERS ORDEAL
by CLARENCE MOWBRAY.

L was always lOut VI llC aClcnCc VI
physiognomy. From my youth up was
noted for my proclivIty for reading the
character of man from his face and
finally became such an adept in the art,
that | could occasionally guess the very
thoughts of the individual whose coun-
tenance was studying.
Soon after the gold fever broke out, |
went to California and there, | must
confess, among what else there was to in.
terest me, had grand opportunity for
exercising my skill upon all sorts of faces,
seen under all sorts of circumstances,
from the highest triumph of success to
the deepest despair Of failure. l first
tried my luck at digging gold myself,
but soon tired of that and believing |
could make money faster and with less
labor, opened kind of a grocery and pro
vision store, and went regularly into the
business of trade, buying most of my ar
ticles at Sacramento, getting them hauled
to my quarters, and disposing of them at
a fair advance to the miners and others.
My store, as | dignifed my place OF
trade, consisted of a rnde skeleton OF
poles, with suilieiency of cheap muslin
drawn over them and pinned down to
the earth, and was 'tocled only with the
most salabe articles-of which flour,
pork and whiskey found the most ready
markct-especially whiskey, In the dry
season it was very dusty, and everybody
seemed to be dry with a thirst which
mere water would not quench, Ii a man
was successful he wanted whl>key to
bring his body up to the altitude OF his
spirits if unsuccessful. he wanted W his
key to bring his spirits up to the altitude
of his body; if il CHANGED to be a little
was very hot, he wanted whskey to cool
cool, he wanted whiskey to warm him; it ii
him: he needed whiskey in the morningto
make him bright and active; he needed
whiskey at night TO rest him and make
him sleep well he wanted it when he
bought, and when he sold when he won,
and when he lost when he stood up,and
when he sat down i'm short, whlSkcy
was the great rrgulatorof all human feel
ing the genuine ''riXirNiIe'-and con
scqucn,ly did an immchsc business in
whiskey.
Now ,his,,hough somewhat irrelevant,
brings me to my story.
Ny store being the headquarters OF
that locality for wiiSkcy and provisions,
| WAS brought in contact with nearly
every specimen Of the genus honao that
venture, Il into that region; and such ali.
other c,nglom,ration If white, back and
rcd-such another mixture "f gentlemen
laborers, moun,aincers, gamblers, thieNe.
and aSsassins it would he hard to find
outside the limits of California Oh
course had chance to study all sorts
of faces to my hearts contents but hav,
iug, aS have said, become an adept in
the art, an ordinary Gu otendnre, or
man govcrcd by ordinary passions
whether gentle or british, did not inter
est me, ! wanted to get hold Of what Is
termed II charactcr-or one whose eNter
nal would give no indication Of hiS.inter
nal to any but a connoiSScur-or one that
would really puzzle you to tell what tc
think of him.
Among the many, such one | II
length found. AT first did not notice
him-did not think of him. AT casua
glance there was nothing to distinguish
him from the herd, lie came in quiet
ly, unobtrusivcly, purchased a quantit,
of flour pork and tea, paid for the sam'
in gold dust and went ont about his bust
ness He repeated his visits ut dilferen
intervals, perhaps some half dozen times
b.fore he attracted my attention 20 any
thing peculiar in his appearance, an'
then should have been al II loss to Sa,
what saw more in him ut last than n
first.
lie was apparently about twcnty-tiv,
years of age, of medium height and slen
der figure, of dark complexion, regula
features, with dark, straight hair darl
ewes, aud n beard that covered the lowe
part of his face-n all of which ther
was nothing arkabc-nothing strik
ing. lie was quiet, not talkatiye-ha'
nothing to say except about the busines
he camCon-got what he wanted when
was disengaged paid for what he got lik
IA gentleman, and generally retired wit
an ordinary "good-day,' or some s,m,la
ciylity,
Aud yet, as | have said, he began t
attract my attention at last, aud | bega
to wonder why. Was it becausche wa
so quiet, reserved aud gentlemanly, AM
did not purchase whiskey like the res
and occasionally get excited and bolster
Gus or was it because there was somC
thing about him ! could not readily fatl
omi At all events, he began to intcre,
me in some way and the very fact, pei
haps, that | c,uld not tell how or VIII,
led me into closer scrutiny, deep,
study, of the man.
After this prolonged his visits d
| mnch as [ rnnll Miihnnl rnnsinn linn [