The sun., 1883-12-23

before: II seemed TO him two years
He looked curiously ut his reflection
in one OF tho broad pools OF overflow
and fancied he looked older He watched the
rush and outset OF tho turbd current hurrying
TO moet tho South Fork. ana to eventually lose
Itself In tho yellow Sacramento. Even In his
preoccupation he was impressed with n like
ness to himself and his companions in this Hood
that had burst It's peaceful boundaries. In the
drifting fragments OF one OF their forgotten
fumes washed from tho bank. he fancied he
saw an omen OF the disintcgration and decay
csthe Lone Star claim.
The strange hush in the air that he had no.
tlced before-a calm 30 inconsistent with that
hour and the senson as to seem portentous-
became more marked In contrast to the feversh
rush OIL oturbulont watercourse. A few clouds
lazlly huddled In the wost apparently had gone to
rest with tho sun on beds OF somnolent poppies
Thcro was gleam as Of golden water every
where along the horizon. washing out the cold
snow pcnks. and drowning even the rising
moon. Tho creek caught It hore and there
until. In grim irony. It seemed to boar their
broken slulce boxes and useless engines on the
very Pactolian stream thev had been hopefully
created to direct and carry But by some pe-
culiar trick Of the atmosphere. the perfect
plenttude OF that golden sunset glory was Law
| ished on tho rugged sides and tangled crest OF
the Lone Star Mountain. That isolated peak
tho landmark OF their claim. the caunt monu-
ment OF their folly. translgured in the evening
splendor kept it's radiance unqucnched. long
after the glow had fallen from the eucom-
passing Skies and when at last the rising
moon. step by step. put out the fires along tho
winding valley and plains. and crept up the
bosky sidos OF the canon. the vanishing sunset
was lost only to rosppear as golden crown.
The eyes OF the young man were flxed upon
| 1t with moro than u momentary picturesque
interest. 1t had been the fayorte ground OF
| his prospecting exploits. it's lowest flank had
been Scared in the old enthusiastic days with
hydraulic engines. or pierced with shafts. but
| Its central position in the claim md its su-
perior height. Ind always given 1t command
| Ing Wow OF the extent OF their valley and its
approaches. and 1t was this practical pre-
| eminence that alone attracted him ut that mo-
| ment He knew that from its crest he would
be able to distinguish tho figures OF his COM
pantons as they crossed the valley near the
cabin In the growing moonlight. Thus he
could avoid encountering them on his way to
the high road. and yet 500 them. perhaps. for
the last time. Even In his sense OF injury there
was strange satisfaction in the thought.
The ascent was toilsome but familiar All
along the dim trail he WAS accompanied by
| Centler memories Of the past. that seemed like
|
| grasses wet with the rain and crushed bene ath
his ascending tread. to exhne the sweeter per-
fumo In his effort to subdue or rise above them.
| There was the thicket OF mRnzanita whero they
| had broken MONDAY broad together; here was
the rock beside their maiden shaft. where they
had poured wild libation in boylsh enthu-
siasm OF success; and here the ledge where
their first flag-a red shirt hcroically sacrificed
was displayed from n long handled shovel to
| tho gaze of admirers below. When he at last
reached the summit the mysterious hush was
stilln tho air. as II in breathless sympathy with
his expedition. In the west. the plain was family
illuminated. but disclosed no moving figures
He turned toward the rising moon and moved
| slowly to tho eastern edge. Suddenly he
stopped. Another step would have been his
last! lIe stood upon tho crumbling edge OF a
precipico landslip had taken place on the
eastern flank. leaving the gaunt ribs and flosh-
less bones of Lone Star Mountain bare in the
moonlight. He understood now the strange
rumble and reverberation he had heard; be
understood now the strange hush OF bird and
beast in brake and thickot!
Although single rapid glance convinced
him that the slide had tnkon place in an unfre-
Quented part OF the mountain. above an mac
cessible canon pnd reflection assured him his
companions cdsid mot have reached that dis.
tanco when 1t took place. a fevorish impulse
led him to descend few rods In the track oil
the avalanche. Tho frequent recurrence oil
outcrop and angle made this comparatively
easy. Here he called aloud; tho feeble echo
Of his own voice seemed only q dull imperti.
nence to the significant silence. Ho turned tc
reascend the furrowcd flank of the mountain
before him lay full in the moonlight To his
excited fancy dozen luminous star-like
points in tho rocky crevices started into life MS
J ha fura hat ,,;n 4, 81,
ledge above him. he supported himself for q
moment by what appeared to be projection
OF the solid rock. 1t trembled slightly. AS he
raised himself to its level his heart stopped
beating. 1t was simply a fragment detached
from tho outcrop lying loosely on the ledge
but upholding him by its o,cn ,reigh only He
examined 1t with trembling fingers; the en-
cumbering soil foil from its sides. and loft Its
smoothed and worn protuberances gisteninl
in the moonlight. 1t was virgin gold
Looking back upon that moment afterward
he remembered that he was not dazed. dazzled
nor startled. 1t did not come to him us dis
covery or an accident. stroke OF chance or
caprice OF fortune. He saw II all In thai
supreme moment nature had worked out theil
poor deduction. What their feeble engines
had essayed spasmodically and helplessly
against tho curtain OF soil that hid the treasure
the elements had achieved with mightier bu
more patient forces. Tho slow sapplng OF the
winter rains had loosened tho soil from the
aurferous rock. even while the swollen stream
was carrying their impotent and shattered
engines to the sea. What mattered that hi
single arm could not lift the treasure he hat
found what mattered that to unfix those gilt
tering stars would still tax both skill ant
patiencel The work was done-the goal was
reached-evon his boysh impatience was con
tent with that. He rose slowly to his feet. un
strapped his long-handled shovel from his
back. secured 1t in the crevice and quietly re
gained the summit.
1t was all his own. His own by right OF dis
covery under the law OF the land. and withou
accepting favor from Mem He recalled evaI
the fact that 1t was his prospecting on th'
mountain that first suggested the existence o
gold in the outcrop and the use OF thu
hydraulic. lie had never abandoned that be
lief. whatever the others had done. He dwell
somewhat Indignantly to himself on this cir
) cumstance. and half unconsciously faced de
hantly toward the plain below But II wa