The Penn's Grove record., 1884-09-27
a THRILLING STORY.

The winter of '4S-9 was not severe in
the DRY Diggin's." The population
was made up of English-speak1ng peo-
pie, Sandwich Islanders, old Californ-
ians and such as could get there before
the tide of 40 set in. Miners from the
forks of the American rivers had made
their winter quarters there. and there
was, no doubt, a pile of gold dust big
enough to tempt the cupidity of enter
prising highwaymen. The log cabins
of the men lay along both sides of the
main rayine and its branches, and these
were usually divided into two rooms.
the berths or sleeping cribs being built
up, one above another, on both sides of
this partition, which was usually cover
ed with white muslin, but the logs did
not come close together, and they who
lay in bed ON the one side might hear
much of that which WIS spoken, ever
in a low tone of voice, ON the other
side.
1t so fell out that one night al
American, lying awake upon II side,
became interestested IN what was
transpiring in the house of his neigh
bors, who were Frenchmen. 1t seems
that there vas a visiting party of three
c%ountrymen there and the entire COM
pany had passed the evening playing,
somebody losing heavily. The occu-
pants of the house had retired to their
berths, and one of the visiting party
proceeded to rifle the chest, while the
other two stood with drawn dirks by the
beds, threatening instant death if
either of the sleepers moved. AL of
this was overheard by our friend
Nutter, who understood French. The
end of the cabin occupied by his com
p1ny was next below, and only a few
yards distant from the half in which
we lived, and for which we paid the
modest little sum of S5O0-$lO0 each
the other half of our house being OWN
ed by a Martin. who with his wife and
two children lived there.
Now it so happened that in the long
evenings and rainy days our little room
was made to subserve the interest of a
spelling circle, debating, court of judi
cature for the trial Of imaginary often
ses, and a court of equity for the settle
ment of differences between friends.
1t bad fallen to my lot to preside, and
to this date matters had been arranged
so as that all felt that even-handed
justice had been dealt out.
Very naturally Nutter, the Ameri-
can, made his appearance early next
morning, seeking advice. T ere was
no justice of the peace there, for the
laws of the United States had not been
extended over this region. There was
no alealde except in the old settlements
and missions. 1t was a case requiring
prompt despatch. The villains might
already be moving off with their stolen
gold-dust, or what was even worse, per-
haps dOmiciled in our very midst, like a
lion in his hair, ready to pounce upon
tAh bNAIA uhhdA9 INV ttNult VI
an conference vas that Nutter was
appointed to act as sheriff, give these
neighbors a call and ask for informa-
ton concerning those visitors who
came ami went in the pitchy darkness.
The Frenchmen refused from fear Of
vengeance, until, upon a second visit
they were notified that they themselves
would be arrested as co~nfederates unless
they revealed what they knew. There
was a cabin standing at a distance off,
say, a quarter of d mile from all others,
out on a lonely %ravine, past which men
from the forks usually came with their
treasure. How it came there, when it
came, who lived there, what they did
was all a mystery, One old man was
sometimes seen, but he was busy,
appearing to notice nothing but his
work. Nevertheless, suspicion had