Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-31
TEE MYSTERY.

The Fraternity" mine was situated on
treeless upland near little draw that
ran down from the Caballo mountains 1t
had been taken W in first claim by Lon
Howard and Crib" Lewis, two proposes
ing men who came from the East" as the
phrase ran. Mauger the fact that the pre-
vailing mining fever made a granite ledge
seem scarcely an irrational site for pros
pect holes, the proprietors We're ridicuIed
no little for their choice of location during
their occasional visits, for supplies or other
business, to the neighboring mountain
towns 1t was assumed that they had in
dependent sources of income, since the
mine certainly would not yield them the
necessaries OF life.
"She wouldn't buy her own fuse, let
alone blasting powder" said one mining
sharp. soi-iist;int. Such tenderfeet could
not locate graveyard for me. They'd
better cut their shaft into three-foot sec
lions and peddIe it to the new telegraph
company for post holes The partners
were retccnt about their business, and
bore we'll this attempted righteousness.
At last there was the inevitable gratiticd
lutter of fulfilled prediction among the
prophets when Crib Lewis came to
make his abode in town, with the an
nouncement Of his partners departure for
their former home.
Lon was not fitted for rough life like
that" he said, in casual explanation
ii ii h.
might have STAYED with ii for awhile But
how he did hate this part OF the world
! miss him, of course" Lewis, left to
himself, changed most untavorably, and
settled through lower and lower social
strata, until the most deprayed and yiciou,
OF the camp were his chosen associates iii
the wild debauch for which, without labor,
he had always ample funds.
1t was at this time that my father, COM
ing home 10 our late dinner, announced
the arrival On the evening coach Of tel-
ow-Caliioruian and an old time neighbor
Of our family. Mr. Walter made one or
B. brief expeditions into the outlying
regions. and then quietly stated to Us the
conclusion OF negotiations by which the
- Fraternity mine became the property Of
wealthy California company. as whose
agent our friend had come hither. The
terms Of the sale were 50 considerable as 10
give the transaction an Importance beyond
any other that had taken place in the dis
trict for tweiyemonth Therefore, Mr..
Walter experimenting rush Of claimants
t. "the extension thought it expedienJ
to fix accurately the boundaries of the
original mine before knowledge Of the I'M
expected purchase should generally trans
pre- For this purpose the expert, my
father and Il young surveyor prepared to
drive out to the niue. and Mr.. W alter
suggested that ! should go along. We
reached the mine a little before night. Ii
was too late 10 view the place-certainly
Is well rs might be like any preconceiyed
idea of valuable mine. 4 little draw
running down from the low mountains, a
league away, with only an occasional scrub
by tree dotting il, arid border. A small
tent on the slope near the run, and some
rods distant, half way up the incline of the
mound-like hill, primitive windIaSs in
no wise different, save in point Of massive
ness. from the apparatus al the well in
many an old-fashioned tarm-yard.
We retired for the night. 4 bed was
made for me within the carriage, with its
movable cushions, and my father spread
lis blankets between the wheels. l heard
him speaking to our companion after | had
settled to repose.
What's the matter? Don't you like
the teut?'
We cannot both sleep on the narrow
cot" the Young surveyor answered, land
they've tried to level the floor and left it
like a new-plowed field lie moved on to
spread their Joint pallet on the ground
Mr.. Walter came and stood by the ear
rage. There Is something oppressive in
that tent" he said, 81 could not sleep
there possibly a chill struck me the mo-
ment | entered. 1t was Just so when we
looked in at the stores this afternoon.
What can he the cause ??
- band Of Apaches may have looked in
and left their blood-curdlng faint on the
atmosphere my father icered They
were seen through here few weeks ago
! awakened, started. shudder.ug with
the horror of--what was 1t 2 The lugubri-
Gus, long-drawn howl OF a pack of wolves
drawn hither by the scent of our food
But in this section even the skulking coy
ote was rare in the extreme. Was it, then,
the dcspairing cry Of a waytarer. belated,
who had fallen upon some unknown peril,
or had A band OF marauding Apaches
slipped down upon Us?
- lsador! my father softly called. As !
cooked my ready revolver-for on the
frontier a woman learns the duty Of self
defense. In another moment we were
grouped beneath the carriage. preparing As
we could for what might come. The long
rifles rested across the spokes, and the re-
serve pistols lay close at hand. No sight,
no further sound The night was opaquely
dark " The horses y | whispered with a
sudden recollection, and in another mo-
ment young Hande was noisety gliding
with q snakes sinuous movement TO the
tree where his two bays were tcthercd
He slipped in among Us again calm and
wary.
"Cub and BABY are there he said, "but
trembling to the hoof. They scent mis-
chief
Look at the mine cried Alfred thrill
ing.
From the mouth of the shaft streamed
spward-what? luminous mist, a palely,
phosphorescent cloud, electric, glowing,
vague and dim, but unmistakable Ii in
creased in volume, and it deepened in in
tensity, hanging an amorphous body Of
cold incandescence in relief against the
gloom. Then began distinct movement
among It's particles.
Gradually the mysterious substance den
siied about its center With many way-