The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-12-04

nothing further, concluded I was mis-
taken, and went down into the shaft.
filled tho bucket with very heavy ore
climbed up and had it about half raised
when a man came walking up the creek
bed toward me. Then | knew I was
right before.
lie was an ugly-looking customer,
Dig ana brawny, with a fiat, Scandi.
navlan face, and carried Winchester
on his arm. had little stick that |
slipped into the windlass handle near
the axle to keep it from turning back
ward, and, leaving the bucket Just
where it was, suspended half way up I
started toward the cabin to get nv
arms. lie covered me with his repeat
ing rifle, and ordered me to halt.
What are you doing on my clamp
he said.
II reckon you can see,' replied, put
ting as good a face on it as l possibly
could
You mean you've jumped it, you
cursed thief?'
No, don't There wasn't enough
work on it to hold it, and it was as much
mine as any body's.'
"'You lie.'
HE looked at me over the sights with
his wicked, greenish eyes for a full min
ute. Then he said:
So Did you ever pray?'
Yes, faltered.
Then pray now. I'll give you two
minutes to do it,.
by that time my mind was clear
enough to take in the whole situation.
and l had no doubt that he intended to
murder me then and there. With me
out of the way there would be no one to
testify to the insufficient work, and I
would simply be regarded, if the story
OF my death was ever told, as a claim
jumper who had been justly dealt with.
felt my knees begin to tremble and
tried another tack.
III you kill me- / said, my partner
will be back and see that you hang for
it,
"Tll fix your partner the same way,
you aim-jumping cur
true enough. Nothing would be
easier than to assassinate Burke on his
return, and we had so jealousy guarded
the secret OF our trip that no one would
know where to search for us. Wewould
simply disappear, as hundreds of pros
pectors do, never to be seen by men
again and speedily to be forgotten.
had no hope of mercy from the instant
looked into that mans cruel face. felt
with a sickening qualm and wild
drumming in my ears that my time had
come.
"'Oh, for Heavens sake, don't murder
me! cried. i will CO.
THE man made no reply. For mo.
ment my head swan, and then, with
sudden return of vision that was excru-
clating in its clearness, I saw him stoop
rest the gun-barrel over the
windlass handle, and marked even that
slight contraction of the eyelid that Just
precedes shot The next moment there
was crash, an explosion and cry all
mingled into one. l saw the man turn
ing heels over head down the embank-
ment, the Winchester flying through a
cloud OF smoke up into the air. and all
the while heard loud, monotonous,
whirring noise that was like some gigan-
tic clock running down.
IL did not realize it at the time. but
this is what happened: When he rested
his gun across the windlass he dropped
the barrel right across the little stick /
had thrust in to prevent it from turning,
and knocked it out. 1 suppose the
bucket of ore weighed one hundred and
fifty pounds, and the great iron handle,
swinging clear around, gained such ter
rltic momentum that when it struck him
fair in the face, which it did, it lifted
him off his feet like cannon-ball. The
gun was discharged by the shock, but
The bullet went nowhere near me. Be-
lore | regained my senses I heard the
bucket strike the bottom with smash.
"When picked up the man he was
unconscious, but moaning little, and
'he blood trickled out of his ears. He |
ay at the cabin for week or two, and |
liter Charley got back we managed to
ret him to Silver City. There the doc
ors put his face in a sort of plaster of
paris cast, but although the wound
lealed he was out of his head and event
tally died. The night before he passed
way he motioned for a little slate he
lsed to write on, for he couldn't speak.
ie was very weak, and it took him some
ime, but at last he scrawled:
"'Who hit me?'
'But before we could tell him he
ainted away. The mine? Oh, the
nine pinched out after awhile, and dis
ppointed us. rsold my interest to
'urke, and / think after working it
ear he gave up in disgust and moved
y D.nx, L.