Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-06-02

sThis ought to make . good veneering,"
Howard remarked, as they carried In tue
ore. Il worked hard enough packing Is
up here from old Smiths select dump
! At last, each holding lantern, they
stood near the face of the tansel aud care
/ fully SURVEYED the work. The face, ana
for several feet, the sides and crown Of tho
tunnel were thickly studded with pieces
of rich tree gold quartz, drmly set ia's
every crevice and crack, and loose orokea
niles of the same glittering ore lay on the
door ofthe tunnel near tie face. ~ taoug"
blown down by the last blast.
at will do" Howard said hnsilJ'
"Now 60 home and prepare to be sur
prised soon after daylight"
He had not long to walt. Already the
stars were vanished by the rose-clsd eour-
iers of his tight, sent by the conquerins
sun to where
"Tbe nrst baby peaks we're peepfns
From under their bedeiothes Of snow"
| Along the line Of the western horizon .
vivid green WAS darting up from between
the great, grand domes OF the Sierra; dart
/ ing up to meet the richer hues OF the east-
ern sky, and add It's brightness to the
candy carnival Of color which ushered IN
that mountain day. The sun came anu
warmed into life the little camp OF sniai-
lv,s Spur. Threads OF smoke wound oas
from cabin .tove-pipes; frowsy miners
broke the thin Ice Oh tho stores ot water
in pals and buckets, and performed al
fresco toilets in front OF cabin doors, OF
sliced the universal bacon wherewith tho
mstutinal meal was TO DO favored.
The Smally cabin, Of all that dotted tho
hollow Mt the foot OF the spur, alone
showed no signs Of life. Old Smaiiy st'ii
slept. his sold.liusd pillow giving cslor
TO his dreams. Suddenly he awoke Win
a startled cry hugged tho pillow IN MS
shaking arms, and glarsd In confused, un-
reasoning terror at Howard, who stoes
before him, dishevelsd, painting, and ap-
pareutly laboring under the most intense
excitement.
"What is IL man! Can't you spoak!
Does White refuse to pay! Refuse to give
me tho $50, ,OOOl I'll have it from him.
tell YOU |" shrisked the old man, jumping
from his bed and feebly stamping tho
| floor.
"why don't you speak! tell you he
must pay! I'll tear IL from his heart, bus
III have 1t !" and the wretched old mi'er
fell back upon tho bed in impotent rage,
rocking tho golL-lined pillow and moan
Ing.
Howard let him recover somewhat Dc
fore he said In low tone, speaking ho~-
ly: "Wish rather that he will refuse 70
pay"
"what." cried the old man, jampinE
up again. "Have we struck itf'
$50 up and see for yourself what tho
last blast the men fired last evening amer
we left has thrown down."
"They struck It rich and told him. anu
he came here and cheated me into signing
the PAPERS. It's q fraud! / won't be
bound by it. It's fraud, tell you"
Curslug and crying, old Smally hurried
on some clothes and went with Howard 70
the tunnel. When the light Of the Ian
tern fell sn the glittering masses OF ore he
almost sobbcd out: "No, no, no! he Cant
have It! See the face is almost SOLID
goldu, In his rage and terror and despair,
his insane lust cheated his eyes and the
tiny speck, OF free gold danced before his
uncertain sight thousandfold imaginsd.
OTIS all cheat fraud! Tho miners told
him and he has swindled mo. This 10 all
mine! It's worth million, million! He
can't have Ill"
Howard did not interrupt his ravlnEs,
but silently returned with him to the cab
I'm. There old Smally finally became ra-
tional enough to beg Howard to 20 ana
see what could be done with White. Ho
returned I'm about M hour from his mis-
sion and simply said: "white may hsvs
been told about this, but he does net sp-
prsci.te the strike a. you do. He agrees
to return the memorandum for . bonus OF
100000"
"Twenty thousand dollsr!', cried she
old man. THAT is all have-just all
have. 1t is In the bank In San Francisco.
ri not give it; I'll fight this out"
"Do you think Zinc Barnes and the rest
of the men would stand by your How
ard asked. at seems that Barnes saw
an old acquaintance Of yours, Parson Tai
bot, down at the Bay, and has been talk
ing about him. There was something
about twenty thousand in that story, toe,
and II this goes the same way you might
not fare so well. Besides, you say tho
mine Ia worth million"
AT the mention Of Parson Tslbot's nane
old Smally, after quick, frightened look
at Howard, buried his face la his hands
and then rocked himself and moaned and
trembled miserably. "a millien-twsnty
thousand. He must not have It. must
buy him off, A million, million, a NIL
lion :" lie became perfectly quiet after =
long while, and then, at last, without .
WORD, mutterIng no more, he cut open the
pillow, took out n pockct-booS; and from
that draft for s20, 1000. Not even trsm-
bling he indorsed II, and gave it To How
! ard, saying:
"when White gives you back that Menu
orandum give him this; It's payabls In
gold at wsII's-Fargo's bank In San Fran
cisco. Go. I'm too weak now 70 walk 70
him. Twenty Thousands million"
An hour after the stage rolled downsho
steeo grade from the SPUR, Zinc Barnes