The Ottawa free trader., 1886-05-15
CHAPTER x


after quartz Hillyear remained behind to
work the bank near them, probably to make
expenses,
Quartz prospectors used TO carry bit Of
cows horn, SO cut as to form an elliptical
shaped bowl 1t was better for washing pull
verized quartz than the larger gold pan.
Pratt took route through the chapparal
near the base OF the mountain on the side
where lay our Bank" i worked n couple
of hours in miserable state of mind and
then betook my.elf to tho "Bank," intending
there to stay all day and guard it. In i'm
-ayinaton ] saw Pratt already there gloating
sVer the rich iud ! composed the wonk in
which should first address him i framed
his answer and attitude toward me. ! pic
tured our gradual working up to actual hos
tilities, and then-I stopped in slough OF
indecision.
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 a Knocked at and dircgarded for
mality.
was not fighter dreaded the ''last
4
ard | longCd for something IN my com
position which would make me face a pistol
or 20 into a row with as much apparent zest
TO take the chances as had known some
men to DO | admired such men for this
quality whether a real absence of fear or in
seusibility to results | know not and dcpre
Gated, aye loathed myself because did not
have it. | saw in Imagination everything
Jiftr IA ttsb lat nv
self AMI Pratt Whether no would fight
or not never asked. put him up uncon-
sgiously as n man who was ION the shOot'a
desperate character.
True | had struck Pcll, the second officer
Of the Ann Mary Ann, AMI quite surprised
and even gratified was to find could strike
on occasions But that was done on the
spur of the moment" Had gone down TO
the ship expecting such an affair, revolving
it, living it over in mind would not like to
have Lad much wagcred on me as TO whether
| should have gained the to me longed-foI
mood of physical combativeness.
| arrived at the Bank All was silent
and undsturled. ] remained there several
hours, hearing in every sound the new pros
pector's approaching footsteps. He did not
come wished at times he would and end
he might be- Finally, my anxiety becoming
uncomfortable, resolved TO try and find out.
Softly let myself down the mountain side
through the chapparal toward the river.
| bad gone down about three hundred feet
and heard near by the sound of pick
Creeping through the brush | saw it was
Pratt He dug to the ledge, here but few
inches from the surface, filled h9 horn with
4; tl,.,, 30,
wash IT, | crept softly after him. Washing
the dirt, with what results | 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
traycl,d thousand feet further up stream,
assembled the mountain again, dug horn
full on a level with the first He washed it,
hnd SHOOT; his head Iprcsumed he did not
set the ''color." He dug another horn about
two hundred feet nearer the first The chap
paral was more open where he worked, and
could plainly sec him from my place of con
coalmrnt Evidently this prospect did not
satisfy him. The next, taken within one
hundred feet of the last, seemed to yield
something The afternoon was now far ad
vrnced. Pratt ceased work and took his
way home SO did l.
/, was some satisfaction for me to find that
Pratt had not lit directly on the Bank
PuulaIiug over the matter that night after |
had retired, drew for time some comfort
IN the hope that he might drift in his work
away from it. This gave me some mental
res, until Gend dropped into my head-a
npw AMI most alarming theory, based on his |
mo ions as seen that day. Pratts little pros
recl holes, noticed, wero dug over an area
broad at the base Of the mountain, but mar
rowing more and more as he went up What
tl hat mean; In a Cash | saw what, and
uIal out of my blankets with the shock of
the discovery He was horning gold which |
hnd washed down from the Bank" The
"Hauh" did not cover much ground. Prob !
ally ihe coors washed from it 10y the cle
u.u'a, wear aud tear of centuries would not
be- i.Hul at the base Of the mountain much |
beyond n tine four or five hundred feet II
length Outside Of this at either end the
sr. would he barren Of gold Inside of that
ruG of feet it would YiCld the color, aud
tl. .',0r-yielding ground would nnlTowas it |
went ug the mountain until It reached the |
lead j, had rolled from the fountain head !
the "lalk' Roll Lag of shot down an in
cl.ucl plane aud you have the idea The
farther the shot roll the more will they
,rr,ad. So with gold rolled from any quart
vein on mountain side rs the top OF the
vein rock has rotted away and left The metal
"frcn.' Pratt was on the true scent Day
by dny, narrowing as he went up, was he
tracking The game to it, dcnl ! had, then,
Co sta, by the claim and watch the cnemys
gradual approach
Next morning | reloaded my six-shootcr,
pre-, Dusly firing the old charges, which |
feared might be damp. A few minutes after
! heard Pratt banging away, obviously SINH
iary occupied. prepared my weapon for
coming possibilities with a very faint heart,
] did 50, only because il was the thing TO do
The custom of the country. felt the whole
moral influence Of the time or immoral, ii
you please,) forcing me thus 10 prepare FOR
war. while was sick OF war aud all that ap-
ler'ained to it.
BY ten O'Clock J was on guard again,
watching Pratt. The enemy was gradually
advancing and converging on our works.
lie was already one hundred feet higher up
and 20 much nearer the Bank" His pros
poct holes now covered only an area of three
hundred feet.
By noon he had left off the drudging ascents
and descents Of the mountain to the river TO