Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-10-19

charge O anuther 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 huts were just visible
above the surrounding underbrush when the
form of a man was seen to skulk up from the
rivers bank and to enter one of the rude
dwelling places.
"Hist, boys, histi He's gone inter one of
the huts. Wen have him now"
1t was the voice of Bill Saunders, and it
trembled with excitement as he uttered the
words of caution. But before they could be
needed 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.
''Save 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
last 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'-
'sColne ON, Bill come on" and Jack Wifi
fes almost dragged the old man along to-
ward 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
sistible force The huts were demolished in
an instant, and left floating on the bosom of
the turbulent stream.
Bill Saunders stood perched upon the
rocks 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 as 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, nuttering inartic-
ulate words to himself. Once or twice he
stumbled; but, picking himself up with an
exclamation of Impotence, he hurried on
again.
A mile below the river the wrecked huts
were washed close to the left bank of the
stream. A living being was clinging 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 desperate jump, sprawl
into the water within foot of the land
Bill Saunders watched the man until he
scrambled up the steep bank and hid himself
in a 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
II guess he's escaped afore we got here"
muttered one of the miners disconsolately.
''Don't b'lieve he was ever in here,n said a
ject ever since we met them fellers from
Steal Clearin'"
Bill Saunders heard the remark, and his
rugged old face flushed up little. He
glanced at the speaker, and then, turning to
the men, he said:
''Boys, this amt yer quarrel, an faint
right ye should endanger yer lives. I'll go
inter tibet cave, an either he or nell hev ter
die. Eff he kills me, I'll leave it ter ye to
avenge an old mans death"
Before reply could be made the old miner
cooked his rifle 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 a 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 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 small package
containing 1000 in United States gold GER
tifcates, and pinned to his breast was a large
visiting card, on which was scrawled in a
trembling business hand these words:
solve this money to old Bill Saunders and
his pard. I meant to pay them in full what
1 took from them. But we have parted COM
pany forever now. hope luck will come
to the miners of Silver Camp. William
Swinton, gambler, swindler, land grabber
and gentleman of leisure"
'''Tain't bad O him wishin' us good LUCK"
laconically commented one of the miners.
"No," grinned another, pointing towards
the river, ''seeing that there amt no more
Silver Camp"
''Still, boys, I've heerd it said, interrupted
Sandy Tip, the prophet of the camp, ''thet
what's one mans loss is anuther mans gain.
So who knows but we will hev better luck
arter this?'
And they did. When the waters subsidized,
the miners returned to the old place of their
homes, and erected another village of huts.
Gold was found on the surface of the ground
where the water had washed it up, and the
diggings yielded good profits the first day
they were worked The flood had been a
blessing to the men, for it brought the long
looked for luck to Silver Camp.
By the unanimous consent OF the miners it
was agreed that the new village should be
christened Golden Camp, and the name Of
Silver Camp gradually fell into disuse.-
George Ethelbert Walsh in The Epoch.
Vassar Girls at Play.
Every girl in the college salies forth dur
ing the early days OF the term, card case in
hand, to call on the freshmen in her corri-
dor. If the freshman is out card is left; If
in, the acquaintance is formed; but in either
case the call must be returned within a week.
After this calls and visits are more informal
and parties given. Each girl is expected to
give party in her room once in the year.
These are invariably held after 10 o'clock, at
which hour lights should be put out; but
with closed doors carefully shrouded in
shawls and waterproof cloaks, the night
Waterman gets no hint of the designations
being INDUCED in within. When three girls
share a sitting room, with bedroom apiece
opening out of it flor most of these rooms
are in groups of this kind, they combine in
the giving of their entertainments, thus saw
ing no small amount of trouble and expense.
Some lucky ones are assigned sitting room
and bedroom of which they are the sole mis-
tresses; and there is large parlor 1--WE should
say drawing room which is handed over
each year to the senior class, who appoint
committee from their number to fit it up and
furnish it according to prevailing taste and
the latest crazes in decorative art.
Besides the individual parties, or ''spreads,"
there are the legitimate class parties. The