The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-10
but was refreshed by my rest. was nlsc
madp ,lcspcrate by nv surroundings

but I was refreshed by my rest. ! was ais
made desperate by my surroundings
had known from the first that this old de
cayed seam Of quartz was n gold bcarin
vein; but there was nothing new or Of spccia
interest in that; for had gallopcd my hors
many time over mountains of gold, an,
never had once cared to get down and picl
| itup.
| Gold was abundant here all up and dowr
this PERCEPTIONS vein. l could see it in seam
wherever turned my eyes could feel II
with hands rs | climbed. IL has softer
touch than stone, and seems smooth and oily
At last, when almost ready to abandon al
hope, when almost ready to let go my hold
and fall to the dark deep waters under me,
found another little resting place had not
gone far this last effort Yet was entirely
exhausted. And how far to the summit now!
| was in utter despair, The place where |
rested was almost PERCEPTIONS, and could
not rest long here. Besides being 80 very
steep, IL was very slippery from the smooth
oily gold, made more smooth and oily by the
little rivulet that trickled down under my
feet.
| should certainly slip and fall if l re-
NAMED But could go on. 1 attempted it,
and few feet further on found my way
literally barred with bars of gold that
crossed the groove! The quartz had de
cayed and fallen away, and tho waters had
washed and rounded and smoothcd these
bars of gold while they decpened the narrow
little vein where the decayed rock had been
These dreadful prison bar, of gold had only
been washed smooth and beautiful and
.,sl,,, for
ever These bars and cords OF gold were
stretched across like the golden cords and
strings Of some mighty mountain harp Of
gold
And now | knew that must fall Nor
did dispair even now of life. In fact re-
member perfectly we'll how precise and how
careful 1 was III my calculations. ! estl-
mated the distance, the depth of the cold
dark waters below, where | should strike in
my fall, how deep would sink, how soon
should rise, how far should have to swim,
and all the terrible details We think very
fast at such times.
had laid hold Of the two strongest and
longest bars of gold which blocked my
progress. l felt certain that they could not
be very firmly fixed in the narrow vein Of
rotten quartz. l shook ut them as | had
shaken at my prison bars when in terrible
prison. felt them surely begin 70 yield!
Cool, calm and deliberate, decided not to
attempt to leap. but to hold on fast 10 the
bars of gold which | felt were gradually Civ
ing way My feet were slipping from under
me- This would throw my whole weight on
tho bars of gold They were surely, GER
tainly, fast giving way. When they no
longer held me should drop; down, down,
down,
had decided to hold my hands straight
and hard and fast and firmly above my head,
as was holding them at that moment.
This would keep my body stiff and straight
in the descent. l should pierce the water be-
low like an arrow.
When once deep and far down in the waters
! should le; so the gold, dart up like n cork
to the surface and he saved did not have
long 10 wait. ! did not have 10 wait ten SOC
onds. The bars Of gold gave way. could
not save myself, Down, downl down! The
stars looked me IN the face, full and tranquil,
as fell
struck the water straight as Il shot. !
felt the cool, sweet waves in my face.
heard the waters crash above my head as
went down, down. down. with my gold
l RETAINED my senses. am perfectly Ger
tain Of that. did all things just a, had
decided to do
Nay, dhu all things rs ! had intended to
do, except Just one thing. Ana that was my
fatal mistake. | did not like to let go Of my
gold would not, could not let go of my
gold. And so was drowned. Joaquin Mil
Ter in The Golden Era.