Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-06-29

"Ill not forget; BAT don't loose any
sleep on my account tonight"
With these half-jesting words I
passed on, not stopping to hear clearly
the reply mae by my friend whom /
thought to over-cautious.
The sun had sunk beneath the rim
of the mountains when reached the
deserted diggings, and caught sight Of
thin, blue smoke curling upward
from one of the cabins that were scat
tered about, which had once sheltered
the miners, and knew it to mark the
abode of Old Sharkey. 1t was still
some distance off, and / made my way
slowly over the ground, that much re-
semble a mole-hill; for there were
shafts, and tunnels, and piles of dirt
thrown up in every direction. Appa-
rently the claims bad not been given
up until every inch of ground had
been dug over, and every hope of
labor being repaid.
Az I passed the black, yawning
mouths of these shafts that were scat
tered plentifully on either hand, I
could hardly repress a shudder, when
I thought of the story Mason had told.
Surely, if Sharkey was the villain he
had pictured him, he could not ask for
a better place to deposit the bodies of
his victims than casting them herein,
where it would defy the sharp eyes OF
the law to ferret them out.
| I had been 30 brave in the face OF
the warning of my friend that it would
never do to turn coward now, and at
that moment catching sight of man
sitting Just outside the doorway OF the
cabin from whence the smoke was
arising, smoking his pipe and watching
my advance, | hurried up my steps
and in few minutes stood face to face
with the stranger, who, from the de-
scription I had received, knew could
be none otner than Old Sharkey him.
self.
People who had described him as i'll
favored had not done him injustice;
from the FIRST glance I had never seen
a more repulsive countenance in my
| life. His eyes were deep set and over
| hung by mass of huge, bushy eye
hrows, a forehead low, and sloping
abruptly backward, and crowned by q
nondescript article that might be called
by courtesy hat; long hook nose, a
cavernous meuth, in which a solitary
faug-like tooth alono was visible, and a
chin on which scanty beard, nearly
white, served ouly to add to his general
| i'll favor; and before he spoke / had
rapidly come to the conclusion that
people had grounds for distrust, that
| though a man with such countenance
might be honest, ten to one he was the
| villain his looks showed him to be.
He removed his pipe from his lips
as came up, and babe me good even
| ing in 8 voice rs harsh and discordant
as were his features, and motioned me
to take q seat on bench that was
standing against the side of the cabin
close beside him.
"Where from, strange22' he asked,
as he gave me rapid glance from be-
meath his huge eyebrows.
told him, and asked him if he could
accommodate me with shelter of his
cabin that night.
Certainly, stranger. There amt
much here to tempt % fellow to keep
me company, but then, perhaps its
better than camping out, and no telling
what sort of company you may have
before morning"
To this l a.sented, though l thought
as | noticed the leeT which accom- pan
led it, that could not have any worse
locking company than / was favored
with now.
81 suppose you are hungry, so come
in and we'll see what we can find to
stow away inside, and drive out the
cold. | wish we had something to drink
but just now my cabin happens to be
as dry as BONE"
The old man rose from his seat at
my replying in assent to his observa-
ton, and as | followed him into the
cabin, l could not help seeing that his
gait was about in keeping with his
face, but then without doubt both were
misfortuues. He probably could not
help his looks, and one leg seemed at
least couple of inches shorter thaa
the other; and | was forced to admit
that people in describing him had done
him no injustice.
The cabin was divided into two apart
r.ents, and in the outer one, that con-
tanned rude bed, table and few
rough benches. | took a seat, while
Old Sharkey hustled round aud soon
had quite q substantial supper placed
on the table, to which | did ample
Justice, and when, the meal was over,
| and my companion was so cheerful
like, that almost imperceptibly my dis
trust Of him began to vanish, and when
the time came for retiring, | had ar
rivel at the opinion that l had been
guilty of suspecti9g my host, and that
he had been unjustly accused of the
nigh crimes that people laid to his
charge. 1t was between nine and ten
that | expressed q wish to retire, and
was shown by my hest into the other
apartment where, setting down the
light and wishing me good night, he
left me going ont and closing the door
behind him.
| hardly knew how it was, but no
sooner was left alone, than a portion
of my suspicions were aroused, and |
remembered, with chagrin that L had
intimated to my host the nature of my
errand to town, and also that | had
been successful at the mines.
The words seemed to have escaped
my ups against NY U5tJGE Judgment,
and before | was aware that l had ad-
mitted so much. However there was
no help for il, and striving to return to
my late conclusion that had nothing
to fear, l placed my pistols carefully
beneath nay pillow, where l could lay
my hands on them at q moments no.
tee, and then throwing myself on the
bed, essayed to sleep.
The room was as dark as pitch, for
it contained no window or door, except
that through which had entered and
that Old Sharkey had carefully closed,
though not Sc closely but what ray of
light could be seen at one spot, as it
flashed out from the smoulderiug
cinders of tho fire, and | watched it
until it faded away, and no longer
heard the footsteps of my host moving
about the apartment, and | concluded
he had retired, for a few moments
longer remained awake and then
was unconscious of what was passing
around me.
How long had slept knew not. 1t
might have been one hour or it might
have been longer, when l awoke with a
start, and II sense as if some great dan
ger was impending over me. At first
hardly comprehended where was, but
shaking of my drowsiness by strong
aANrt woa Of l,af fhoro,nhl,,