Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-04-17
THE BANK OF CALIFORNIA
BIZ PRENTICE MILFORD.
foos1nsssrrp II rxn AUTHOR. Az ass1ss n
sERvEDl
CHAPTER K
DEATH

Within three days Pratt and his partner, |
HillysaE, had completed their cabin. Pratt
[ saw starting out one morning with horn
md hammer. 1slnsw by these toolshe was
1ttee quartz Htlyear remained behind to
Sdskk tie hank near them, probably to make
stH4hses. 4
s8JsfS nnospecors used to carry . bit Of
cbws horn, so cut a to form an ellipticA
shaped bowl. It was better for washing pull
quartz than the larger gold pan,
Pratt took q route through the c%happaral
near the base Of the mountain on the side
where lay our s'Bank." worked a couple
Of hours In "a miserable state Of mind and
then betook myself to the "Bank," intending
there to stay all day and guard it. In inn
agination I saw Pratt already there gloating
the rich find. 1composed the words in
which I should first address him. I framed
his answer and attitude toward me. I pic
tuned our gradual working up to actual hos.
asili1tes, and them stopped in a slough 81
sYndschioa. H.
These were days when all disputes, es
pecially those regarding property, had, in
nine cases, out Of ten, but one mode Of settle
ment. That was by knife or pistol. This
was the unwritten Law Of the land and
stronger far than the written, which was
generally q Knocked at and diregarded for
mAfty. e.
Twas not a fighter. I dreaded the s.last
resort" Idespised myself as a physical COW
ard. I longed for something in my COM
position which would make me face a pistol
or so into q row with as much apparent zest
to take the chances" as l had known some
mengSto do. I admired such men for this
quality whether a real absence Of fear or in
s%ensibility to results I know not and depre-
Gated, aye, loathed myself, because I did not
have it. / saw in imagination everything
tending to such termination between my
self and Pratt. Whether he would fight
or not I never asked. Iput him up uncon-
desperate character.
of the Ann Mary Ann, and quite surprised
on occasions. But that was done on tho
aspur of the moment" Had I gone down to
fhesAip expecting such an affair, revolving
II, living it over in mind, I would not like to
have had much wagered on me as to whether
/ should have gained the to me longed-for
mood of physical combativeness.
I arrived at the ."Bank." All was silent
and undisturbed. l remained there several
hours, hearing in every sound the new pros
pector's approaching footsteps. He did not
come. I wished at times he would, and end
the waiting and suspense. I wondered where
hSmight be. Finally, my anxiety becoming
unendurablAE 4 resolved to try and find out.
Softly let myself down the mountain side
through the .chapparal toward the river.
Il had gone down about three hundred feet
and heard near by the sound of a pick.
Creeping through the brush I saw it was
Pratt. He dug TO the ledge, here but a few
inches from the surface, filed his horn with
tile red dirt and trudged down to the river to
wash it. Icrept softly after him Washing
the dirt, with what results I could not tell,
from his manner; he struck up the mountain
again and dug another horn full, about one
hundred feet to the north OF the first. The
result Of this washing seemed, Judging from
his manner, more satisfactory. He then
Travelled a thousand feet further up stream,
assembled the mountain again, dug a horn
full on a level with the first. He washed it,
and shook his head. presumed he did not
get the '%::color." He dug another horn about
two hundred feet nearer the first. The chap
paral was more open where he worked, and I
Gould plainly see him from my place Of con
.realment. Evidently this prospect did not
satisfy. him. The next, taken within one
nunutsa. !eeS Sls .ae las., seen.eu ~ yieiu
.a.nSSTA 49,. = a.s"aI ,a." ~ .nJ +aai. III.
ssMN 80 : 'Ss' ~ "o'A VA" "oA ~"
ncuie
III vas some sas,sIaction ior me 70 ina tnas
nrate mao nos nv olreceiy on tne .nank.r
fonnering over the nlattef tnat nlSnt after
nsa .euieo, uIew lor1 tine some conlo.e
IN sne nope .nat ne nllgns ol'tt ~ us VOTE
away from IT, Inns gave me SONS 1henta1
,ne< ,,.,{s1 n Enr,l ANo-ool frtN NJ 1.noA-n
resi- uhc.t d .e1u lnoo my .eauI"
new anu nus. a!aiins tasoty, ua sses, W n. ~
..o.lpns as 1ee aa. :aas u.s. t!a n .i.,,e p,os
P ~ y. H. !. Loua ~ ~..e aus y h gu
. $500 ~ ~ ~ a uas W ~ =. ho ,..a''t !, " WIZ.
:i I;I . .ts n mae.a - ~ J ass 10 + ~s sa.u u; h .nI
a,a ~ ~ e ~ ~ $3.50. liz. NV ~. "s uhS,, an -
!uu'lvl = " ny W W.. 'H 10, sno s.,.s |.
tsa MS I've 40 t"an, tha ape eUia T.,a
..p..nn al 49, = n" s.sa DE-
.t nana aiu no' eossr ,'scu stYu ~. i .tro
10Y t"e eolois "asneu IRON. !. ~ VIE e.e
uH ~ nea' anu GU -, Ssulies "o".u nIS
hs,ond q ,;,a forr nv f,vs h,,nd,od roat r.
ieno+h Outside ~ this ~ a;thar ond +ha
soii wou,I he ha,,ran If cold inside ~ that
n,n,he,. ~ foet = would 7;oid Tho oo,or 80
tbis coior' vield;ne gro,,nj would nerrosI - -
wont IN "a -no,ntstn ,,nt;i - raaohaa 49,
,aad y had., ,o,1ad f.on,Ntha fo,,,,t";, ~
ibe aRanI Ro1, y hao of shot DOWN an ;u'
clinad nlane and ro, have tho ;dao 1ha
farther the shot roll tha more will. tl,av
snread. SO With eoid rolled from INV onortz
vein on a monntein siIa Nc tha ton ~ the
+. vein.rock has rooted away and left the metal
.sfrean Pratt Was on the true scant nav
nv day. narrowing a. he went IN waa Ia
ira,k;no tho came to ;ts dan, 7 Ia .,,ar
to stav Sv the claim and watch tho enomv;,
g,od,;a, onnro.oh
NEXT mornino T Reloaded nov CT, shoo..,
n,av;onslv ar;nv tho ia cha;ras ,sh;oS 7
ses,,ad MIGHT - damn A fa~, n';n,tss IT,.