Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-04-25
CHAPTER Y.

Broener could get my letter and return
CHAPTER Y
DEATH,
Within three days Pratt and his partner,
Hillvear, had completed their cabin. Pratt
| saw starting out one morning with horn
and hammer. | knew by these tools he wa,
after quartz Hillyear remained behind 10
work the bank near them, probably to make
expenses.
Quartz prn>pectors used to carry bit Of
cows horn, 80 cut rs to form an elliptica!
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 Law our Bank | worked a couple
of hours in miserable state of mind and
then hetook mvself to the Bank" intending
there 10 stay all day and guard it In i'm
agination | saw Pratt already there glOating
over the rich find. | composed the words in
which should first address him l framed
his answer and attitude toward me- / pic
tured our gradual working up to actual hos
Utilities, and then-l stopped in slough OF
indeCiSiOn
These were davs when all disputes, es-
pecially thc~' regarding property, had, in
nine CASTS cut of ten, hut 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 diregarded for
maIitv.
was not fighter. dreaded the last
resort" | deepi,od myself a. a physical COW
arI l,p,,sl for bipsy my
position which would make me face pistol
or 20 into Il row with as much apparent zest
To take the chances" As had known some
men to do. | admired such men for this
quality whether real absence Of fear OF in
Senihility to results | know not and depre
Gated aye, loathed myself. because did not
have 1t. saw in imagination everything
tending to such termination between my
self ami Pratt. Whether he would fight
or not | never asked | put him up uncon-
sciouSy a man who was "on the shoot'-a
desperate character.
True. had struck PeIl. the second officer
of the Ann Mary Ann. and quite surprised
and even gratitird 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
have had much wagered on me a. TO whether
| should have gained the to r.e lOnged-for
mood of physical comhativeneSs.
! arrived at the Bank All was silent
and undi>turhed 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
the waiting and suspense wondered where
h.. -,
uncomfortable. resolved 10 try and find out
Softly let myself down the mountain side
through the chapparal toward the river.
had 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 filed his horn with
the red dirt and tIudged down to the river to
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
hundrt-l feet to the north of the first. The
result of this washing seemed, Judging from
his manner, more satisfactory. He then
Travelled thousand feet further up stream
aScended the mountain again, dug a horn
full on a level with the first He washed it.
ana SHOOK MS heah. pFtSuiii'u NE uld not
get the color. lie dug another horn about
TWO hundred ieet nearer the Iltst- Inc chaP-
paral was more open where ne worked and
could plainly see MN from my place "t con
cealment. Evidently this prospect dld not
satisfy him. lhe next, taken within one
hundred feet OF the last, seemed 10 yield
something. The afternoon was now far ad-
vanced. Pratt ceased work and TOOK MS
way home. =" dld L
1t was some satisfaction for me to find that
Pratt had not lit" directly on the Bank
POndering over the matter that night after
hIh retired, drew for "A time some comfort
in the hope that he might drift in his work
away from it. This gave me some mental
rest until a tend dropped into my head-a
new and most alarming theory, based on his
motions as seen that day. fratt 5 httle pros
Pe't holes, n"tlceh' were aug over an area
broad at the base "i the mountain out mar
rowing more ana more HS Ne went up W hat
did that mean: In naSh saw "hat' and
Juml%i out "t my blankets win the shock Oh
The discovery. lie was morning goa "hlch
mad washed down if"h the hahh- ne
bank dld not cover much ground froo-
ahly the c"l"rs washed from II py the ele
mental wear ana Tear "t centuries would not
oe Iouhd al 'ht 'R'>e "i the mountain hiuth
"eyond line four or nve hundred feet IN