Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-07


ago. Nugent merely inclined his head
and the other went on:
''About twenty-five years ago youns
man was sitting on pile OF lumber ans
swinging his legs over the water of Sal
Francisco harbor. He was a might,
wretched young fellow as he sat there
and perhaps he was thinking that ~
harm would be done to himself or any
one else if he were TO tumble in and le
the waters close over his head for goos
and all. You see the young man wa
hungry :, he was thirsty, he had no none.
! aud no work, besides which he was jus
| getting over the effects of the prolonged
spree which had emptied his pockets 81
effectuallY.
''While he sat there, the picture o.
dependency and misery, he was APP
preached by man Of about his own age
but of very different appearance; for ht
was we'll, if not richly, dressed, anc
seemed on good terms with himself an6
the world. He noticed the woe-begone
| figure with blood-shot eyes and shabbilI
| dirty clothing sitting on the lumber pile
| and spoke TO him kindly and gently
| They were the first kind words the poor
| wretch had heard for many a day, and
| his nerves being in poor condition any
|
| cried like child. Then, encouraged by
his new friend, John Jones-as we may
call him-he told his story bit by bit.
There was nothing original about it, and
it was such as might have been told by
any impecunious foolish young man with
out strength of mind enough to free him
self from bad habits and worse compan-
ions. Such as it was the stranger heard
it in grave silence and then offered the
young scamp another chance.
''He was himself, he said, a stranger
IN Frisco, but had made up his mind to
spend a rowing life for the next few
years. If Jones cared to make fresh
start in life he might come with him and
share his adventures and fortunes. l
need not say that Jones hesitated not a
moment, and two weeks later the young
men set out from the city equipped with
all that was necessary for the life they
were going to lead.
sfYou will notice, - continued Strange,
who told his story with an evident en-
joyment of the manner in which he made
his points, but somehow with the sugges-
ton of a schoolboy repeating a lesson
learned by rote, ''you will notice
that the rich young man, whom
for the sake of argument l will
christen Smith, found the other in
a condition of absolute destitu-
ton, characterless and starving. He
took him at first, intending to make a
servant of him; even that was charity of
a high order, but he went further-he
made of him friend and companion, TO
sit at the same board, and on more than
one occasion literally to sleep in the same
bed. He got, it is true, the value of
Jones?) experience of the country and of
life, but practically he gave with both
hands and with no thought of exacting
any recompense. What was his return?
will tell you.
'fShortly after setting out the pros
pectors heard the first mutterings of the
war burst which was soon TO overwhelm
the land, aud naturally the adventure
seeking Smith-who had told his COM
panion he had left the East only because
his domestic relations were so unhappy
that life had become insupportable-de-
sired nothing better than active service.
Jones was not so much in love with mar
tial glory, but he followed where the
other led. For four years they marched,
fought and underwent the ordinary yicis
STUDIES of q soldiers life side by side,
Smith more than once stepping in be-
tween his eomrade and death, and then
they returned to the wild, free life of
early California days.
"They had hard time Of 1t for some
months, these two young men, young in
years, but prematurely aged, as were all
their generation by that strife of brother
against brother, but at last their turn in
life IS lottery came. Worn out with many
days fruitless prospecting they were lying
down on the banks of a stream almost
broad and rapid enough to be dignified
by the name of river. Their fare had
been somewhat stinted of late, for Jones,
who carried the one gun they owned be-
tween them, an old army musket, had
had poor luck for days past and had
missed more than he had hit. AS they
lay there supinely stretched out, Jones,
who was the grumbler Of the twain ours
ing their stars that they had been fools
enough to think that speck of gold
could be found within hundred miles Of
where they now were. Suddenly Smith,
who was lying on his back listening to
the others diatribe with a gently cynical
smile, spranG to his feet, seIzed the old
musket, turned quickly around and fred
at the cliff directly behind him. AS the
echoes of the shot went HURTING down the |
ran a frightened bird fed with them and |
a mass Of shattered rock fell Gathering !
down instead of the dinner the sports |
man had hoped to gain,
''There was an oath from his compau- |
ion, pettIsh exclamation Of disgust |
from himself, followed by n cry of aston
ishment as he bent over a lump of frae-
tured quartz at his feet. sour fortune /
has come at last, he quietly said as he /
finished his examination, and so it had |
Smith g lucky shot had lost them a din
ner, but gained them gold mine Run
ming through the cliff was rich ledge of /
auriferous quartz, and there was enough
in sight to render the working OF the rest !
no predetermined venture. Though by 1
right of discovery the mine belonged TO
Smith, he hesitated not moment, but
made his comrade an equal sharer and
partner.
''Thus from first to last Jones owed |
even life itself, to Smith, |
and now 1 III tell you how he discharged
the debt. It will not take many words
He murdered his benefactor while he
slept and threw the body into the swift
running stream, he journeyed to San
Francisco alone and, arrived there, drew
out of the bank the last remnants of his
friend IS store, rigidly kept intact for