The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-05

settlement awul>o tu II ul',rnl sense 81 clcanli-
mess and TIA" finding of forgotten knives. tin
cups. and smaller camp utensils wh"r" IN"
heavy showers had washed away the debris
aud dus, heaps before the cabin doors. Indeed,
II Wa recorded in BLAZING Star that fortunate
early riser had once picked up on the highway
a solid chunk If gold quartz which IT," rain
had freed from its cucumhcrng soil and
washed into immcdat" and gittorinG pOpu-
larity. Possibly this may have been the reason
why early ri-rrs in that locality during the
rainy season adopted II thoughtful habit Of
body and seldom lifted their eyes To the riitcd
OF india ink washed skies above them.
Cas- Beard had risen early that morning,
but not with vicw.to discovery \ leak in his
cabin roof-uuitc consistent with his careless,
improvidrnt babits-had rou,od him at \. NJ.
with flooded bunk and wei blankets The
chips from his wood pile refused to kindle
fire to dry his bed clothes, and ne had recourse
o Il more pruvidcnt neighbours to supply the
deficiency. This WIS nearly opposite Mr.,
Cassius crossed the highway, and stopped sud
denly. Something Eltt"rrl in the nearest rcd
pool before him. Gold. surely! But. wonderful
10 relate not an irregular ehapclcss fragment
Of crude ore, fresh from Natures crucihlc, buta
bit Of jewellers handcraft in the form Of II
plain gold ring. Looking AT 1t more attcutiNcly,
h. saw that it bore the inscription. May to
Cass.'
Like most Of his follow gold seekers. Cas-
was superstitious. "Cassr His own name,
H. tried the ring. 1t fitted his little finger
closely. 1t was evidently II womun's ring. He
looked up and down the highway. No one was
yet stirring. Little pools of water in the red
road were beginning to glitter and grow rosy
from the far-ilushng east. but there was no
trace Of the owner of the shining waif. He
III hut hnr n,A In, a
among his few comrades in the settlement he
remembered to have seen none wearing an or
namcnt like that Again the coincidence Of the
inscription to his rather peculiar nickname
would have been Il perennial source OF playful
comment in "A camp that made no allowance for
sentimental memories. He slipped the glitter
ing little hoop into his pocket. and thoughtfully
returned to his cabin.
Two hours later. when the long struggling
procession. which every morning wcnded its
way to Blazing Star Gulch-the seat Of mining
operation in the settlemcnt--bcgan to move.
Cass saw fit to intcrrogatc his fellows. Yc
didn't none on yo happen to drop anything
round yer last night?' he asked cautiously
i dropped pOcketbook containing Gov
eminent bonds and some other securities. with
between fifty and sixty thousand dollars" re-
spondcd Peter Drummond carclcssly; but no
matter. If any man will return a few autograph
letters from foreign potcntatcs that happened
to be in it-Of no value to anybody but the owner
he can keep the money. Thnr's nothin mean
about me, he concluded languidly.
This statement. bearing every evidence Of
the grossest mendacity, was lightly passed
over. and the men walked on with the deepest
gravity.
But hev your" Cass presently asked Of
another.
Il lost my pile to Jack Hamlinat draw poker,
over at Wngdam last night returned the
other pensively. but don't calkilate to find it
lying round loose"
Forced at last by this kind of irony into more
detailed explanation. Cass conhded to them his
discovery. and produced his treasure. The
result was II dozen vague enthusiastically one
OF which seemed to be popular, and to suit the
dyspeptic dependency Of the party-a de-
spondcnry born OF hastily masticatcd fried
pork and tlapJacks. The ring was believed to
have been dropped by some passing road
agent laden with guilty spoil.
= Ef | was you" said Drummond Goomily
Il wouldn't flourish that yer ring around much
afore folks. I've seen better men nor you
strung up n tree by Tig1dn'tS for having even
less than that in their possession"
And wouldn't say much about bein' up
ID early this morning added an even
h'"'' fcHa'ih'9'lS EphI"uc' ~ HllSH' loOh pdu
pel"re Jury
WIN 'hls 'he men saiIy dispersed, leaving
the innocent LASS win the ring IN ms h"nd'
ana general IMPRESSION on nus mlhu that he
was already an object Of suspicion to his COM
rades. An impression ii is hardly necessary
to say, they fully intended should be left to
rankIe in his guileless bosom.
Notwithstanding Cass's first hopeful super
sutton, the ring dld not seem TO bring him nor
Tue camp any luck DalIy the clean up
oroueh' uie same s'aht rewards 70 thelr labpfs,
an" "e.Pehtn Tue 7aru'hlc gravity oil bIaZIhG
H'ar' bu', II Ca7s louhd Il" material result
i"" ms ue".ure, stimulated MS a@y I'M
aslha'loh' ana. aloeN dangerous ana Sc
ourliNo S'lihu"ht' al least nilcd nm out
OF thc hloh"'onou7 grooves "l ms hali-car"l"~S,
nal-sI"N,h'y' pu' Always seh-'oht'ht'd camp
me. needing inc wise cHu'Ioh 81 MS comrades.
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