The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-01

cessfuly swindcd ,he miners Of Steal
| Clearing out Of several thousands OF
| dollars and the descriptions OF the man
| ,.:ven Tailed exactly with those that every
| miner Of Silver Camp remembered as apply
! ing 70 a certain stranger who had entered
! their village several years before. The food
and the danger threatened 10 the two camps
were forgotten, and the search for the es
! capped swIndler was begun in earnest.
Hold on, boys said Bill Saunders, with
"A nervous jerk in his voice, "As the man
who has been most injured by this young
! un, I'm entitled 10 say somethin'. We must
! go bout this thing thoughtfully, We want
ter catch thrt youngster, ar we'll do II,
either by our hands or our bullets Now,
lets separate into three parties. While one
follows the river, let the other two scour the
country out thar"
"Bills right. We mustn't be hot headed
bout this here job responded Jake Whites,
with "A shake of his head. "Ee lead the
party down the river, Bill, an III take
charge o auuther tibet goes over yonder.
Cum, men, thar's no time ter be lost"
Once more the two outraged miners seemed
to renew their youthful spryness and, as they
hurried along down the river, their eyes
were as keen and their footing as sure as
they had been when they first entered Silver
Camp, nearly twenty years before Every
open glade and rocky elevation was quickly
searched, and then onward the party sped
toward another good place for concealment,
losing no time in following the trail OF their
victim.
The trail led directly toward Silver Camp,
and the tops Of the hu,s were Just visible
form Of man was seen to skulk up from the
rivers bank and to enter one Of the rude
dwelling places.
Hist, boys, hist He's gone inter one Of
the huts Wen have him now"
II was the voice Of Bill Saunders, and IL
trembled with excitement as he uttered the
words Of caution But before they could be
needed n terrible roaring noise behind the
party startled them. Faces turned white
with terror, and hearts almost ceased to
beat The river had broken loose, and was
now OVERLOOKING its bank just above Silver
Camp.
"Savs your lives men. We amt got no
time to waste shouted one OF the miners,
and setting the example, he broke forth
from the clump Of bushes, and started on a
dead run for the higher land The others did
not hesitate long Bill Saunders was the
hast one to turn and flee, and he was heard
to mutter to himself, as he hurried
through the bushes, He'll die anyhow. SO
it's all the same. But would like
Come on. Bill; come on" and Jack VIII
fes almost dragged the old man along to-
ward n ridge of rocks where safety for the
time being was promised.
A few minutes later Silver Camp was
swept out OF existence by the roaring waters
Trees, logs and powders were tumbled from
their positions, and washed along with ire
sstible force The huts were demolished III
an instant, and left floating on the bosom OF
the turbulent stream
Bill Saunders stood perched upon the
rocts looking intently at the camp, pa
tiently waiting TO see the struggling
form OF the one who had robbed him OF
his wealth. But he looked in vain, and rs the
wreck Of the village swept down stream the
old miner left his station on the rocks, and
mechanically followed it, still keeping his
eyes riveted on certain place. The other
miners did not miss his presence, and he ran
through the woods alone, muttering inartc-
ulate words to himself Once or twice he
stumbled; but, picking himself up with an
49,
again.
A mile below the river the wrecked huts
were washed close to the left bank of the
stream. A living being was clingng to one
of the logs and as the floating raft came
within twenty feet of the bank, the person
was seen to crawl rapidly across the few
planks, and with a desperate jump, sprawl
into the water within "A foot of the land.
yyn.,hnl ha until no
scrambled up the steep bank and hid himself
in small cave that overlooked the river.
Then, without word. he turned and hur
ried back to where he had left his comrades.
The miners skulked up noiselessly to the
natural den where the young swindler was
concealed, and it was surrounded before the
one within had time to escape. When the
men closed IN and commanded the hider to
come forth, there was no sound to indicate
the presence Of a person in the cave. No
one volunteered to enter the place, for such
an attempt would be a foolhardy feat
~ guess he's 'scaped afore we got here"
muttered one of the miners disconsolately.
Don't b'lieve he was ever in here, " said q
second BILLS kinder cracked on that sub
ject ever since we met them fellers from
Steal Clearin'."
Bill Saunders heard tho remark, and his
rugged old face flushed up little. He
glanced at the speaker, and then, turning to
the men, be said:
boys, this aint yer quarrel, an faint
right ye should endanger Yer lives. I'll go
inter tibet cave, an either he or nell hev ter
die. Ef he kills me, I'll leave it ter 70 to
avenge an old mans death"
Before a reply could he made the old miner
cooked his rife and fearlessly walked up to
the mouth Of the cave Slowly his form dis
appeared from sight, and the watchers out
side listened for the report Of rifle. But
none came.
Bring light, boys. It's dark in here"
With different degrees of establishment
they heard Bills voice making this request.
When they entered the dark cave in q body
they found the Old man bending over the
PROSTATE form Of the swindler He was
dead killed by internal injuries received in
the river By his side was a small package
containing $4,000 in United States gold GER
tilcates, and pinned to his breast was large
visiting card, on which was scrawled in
trembling business hand these words:
"Give this money to old Bill Saunders and
his pard meant to pay them in full what
took from them. But we have parted COM
pany forever now. hope luck will come
- Itoy