The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-11-01

CHAPTER I.
A little knot of miners were gatherd
round the fire in Pat Murphy's drinking
saloon, situated in that delightful locality
known to diggers as Rattlesnake Gulch.
They were listening eagerly to the details
of a story related by Gentleman Jack, a
member of their fraternity who had re-
Gently visited San Francisco. He had gone
there with the twofold object of having
what was facetiously termed Citing, just
to relieve the monotony of existence, and
also with the intention of exchanging the
gold he had accumulated during the past six
months for notes and coin. He had likewise
in some mysterious way contrived to get rid
of the burden of his wealth, and now re-
turned almost penniless to the bosom of
his friends; but this fact in nowise dlmin-
ished the cheerfulness with which the wan
derer greeted his mates, or disturbed the
equanimity with which he recounted his
adventures since their last meeting. He
had Just ended his narration with the ac-
count of curious discovery of which he
had heard the details that morning on his
way back to the Gulch.
"a mighty queer story, anyhow" OBJ
served Pat, alias "Flash'' Murphy, as he
emptied his glass.
"Mighty queer" repeated the chorus,
following suit.
"Spin out that yarn again, mate J! de
manded a gentleman who rejoiced in the
soubriquet of Old Grizzly.
This parsonage had only entered the
'bar' in time to catch the concluding words
of the narrative.
'Iet's have it, Jack" he repeated i'm
patiently.
Thus invited or encouraged, the young
eTga rejoined carelessly.
at was nothing much, only the finding
of a man-all that was left of him at least
in place they call the Devils Panniken,
when they were blasting the rock for the
new railroad between Sandy Bar and
Frisco"
II know the place-traveled that road
years afore they ever thought of running
cars through it" interposed Old Grizzly
''But what about the man."
"Well that's the queer part of the story;
not that they found man, but that they
should have found him where they did, and
with so much gold on him, too, answered
Gentleman Jack with his slow, languid
drawl.
"Say" calculated Old Grizzly, who was
listening with curiously eager, excited
face to the indifferent, careless utterances
of the younger man. "Cut it short, mate,
and tell us how they found him"
"Well, they were blasting a big rock,
and as it broke it disclosed cave right in
the heart of the limestone; but there must
once have been an entrance to it, for the
skeleton of man lay there. All his clothes
had fallen to dust; but there was ring on
one finger, and about seventeen ounces of
gold lay in little heap under him. 1t had
evidently been in his pockets once; but the
bag that held it and the skeletons clothing
were alike heap of dry light dust. There
was nothing to identify him, nothing to
show how long he had been there. The
very ring he wore was of such a queer,
outlandish fashion that the fellows who
found him could make npthing of him."
"Was that all?" demanded the elder
man.
"All that can recolleeE Stay think
he had a rusty knife somewhere near him,
but nothing more. It's dsqueer story al
together. How he got there, if he died in
the cave, and by what means it was after
wards closed up-these are gil mysteries. y
Old Grizzly smoked in silence for some
time; and the miners had res1Amed the usual
occupation of their idle hcArs, drinking,
smoking, playing poker, anA quarreling,
which amiable amusement lad been mo-
mentarily suspended in order TO welcome
the return of the "wanderer" With due en-
pYessnsent, when suddenly the Heep voice
of Old Grizzly was heard abovR the babel
of tongues saying:
'This story of Jacks about the Devil S
Panniken and the man they foAsnd there
put me in mind of what befell Ane and 8
mate of mine when we were ridingk through
that same place one October nigAht har
upon twenty years ago. His Satanl
Majesty had a hand in that job, if Aexer |
had in anything"
"Spin us your yarn, old chapP pout
a dozen voices.
And passing the word for fresh lupl
of whiskey, they gathered closer rou ID
log-fre, filled their pipes, and prepar ID
listen with the keen interest of men \
lead an isolated and monotonous life
from the stir and life of big cities, and
therefore, ever ready aud7eager to hail
smallest incident with pleasure; whila
good story-teller is regarded with uniyer
respect. Rattlesnake Gulchl was at TIL
period comparatively new klaim, on til
very outskirts of civilization, aasFs fropE
the cities was long in reaching knizee
of this locality. lu
"What | am now going to teSNEM b1
has never crossed my lips FROM w Nd
this, and most likely never would
chNRced TO come along just MOI uaS\
was4 4oeakipe about the body tha
fogsHp tie, Devilf Panni bea,
k\poiirSs u asAlueste .su2
! ! : V >
to 'shs ou Nj G,