Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-25

and decided that her engagement should b
at once terminated. Ben bowed MS head il
agony, but it never occurred to him to d0ub
| the truth Of the matter So he contenteC
| himself with writing very sarcastic anC
mournful letter to the young lady and thei
:, left the country
SO we find him now, tramping up anC
down the gloomy course Of the barranca
trying streams, blasting rocks and assay
ing ore. One day it occurred to him tC
| check the course of small stream of lava
which fed huge bowl of the molten sub.
stance near the great lake. In pursuance
Of this plan he rolled ruge rocks int the
burning food where its channel was mar
rowest and followed them with blue CLAW.
and, finally, rocks covered with asbestos
which he found ready for him in the can
yon. There, with infinite patience and
incredible toll, he managed to drain the
pool completely. The delays and inter
ruptions, occasioned by his trip out for
game and fish, made the task very slow.
and 1t was over a month before the drain
age was complete. Then he set to work to
dig through the coating of the hardened
lava which encrusted the sides and bottom
of the basin. After two days work he
found gold, and further search convinced
him that the molten metal which had flow
ed into the basin with the lava s tide. was
sufficient to give him enormous wealth.
Day after day he worked cheerfully
bringing up each day a fair recompense
for years of toll, but always DESTROYS for
further riches; and he concluded that the
only way IN which he could limit his ava
rice was to make an oath, that in a week S
time, if his body did not fail him. he
would leave the barranca.
Two days after this, as he was coming
down the side of the barranca, he saw a
man at the foot, looking eagerly at his
hut and surrounding implements. The
demon of greed seized upon him at the
sight and, mechanically, he raised his gun
to bis shoulder and fired. The stranger
reeled and fell to the ground
Horrlfed at his own brutality Jerusha
Ben ran hastily down the descent to aid
his victim, if it were possible. Unhappi-
ly, haste i'll descending the side of bar
ranca Is perilous to an eminent degree, and
Jerusha Ben had not gone more than a
dozen steps when he slipped and fell for
ward and, III an instant, had rolled over
the brow of the cliff. Instinctiveiy. his
tossing arms bad sought support to the de-
clslve moment, and the fingers on the left
hand clurched IN a rift of the rock at the
very brow Of the cliff, and he hung sus-
pended in mid al. Jerusha Ben shudder-
ed and gasped at his peril. His late foe
and sin and remorse were nothing to him
now, for below him two hundred feet he
saw the ragged rocks, which waited TO re-
celve his fall. The cliff receded from him
and offered no support. He made at
tempts, again and again, to draw himself
back to safety; but his strength was insult
flclent although the agony of his position
nerVed him to frehzied efforts The
abrupt &c ge to which he chung cut deeply
INTO his Cienched fingers and his arm SEEM
ly tearing from its socket. With an awful
terror he realized that the tension of his
fingers was involuntarily and surely re-
lapsing. His despair warned him of bis
doom. and he tried to turn his troubled
thoughts to the last prayer.
A sudden shout made him look down,
and he saw the stranger, whom he would
have slaughtered, running toward the
side Of the barIanca. Rapidly and easily
he mounted the lodges until Jerusha Ben
could see him no longer, and soon AFTER
wards he heard his steps, rapidly advauc-
ing along the brow of low cliff from which
ne hung. The anxiety which JerusDa B en-
now endured was something frightful
Did this man come to kill or did he come
to save. Jerusha Ben forgot the tearing
of his arm and wondered whether the man
approaching would unclinch his fingers to
make him drop into the abyss or whether
he would merely draw his hunting knife
and cut off his arm at the wrist
Just then he heard a CHEEKY voice above
him call OUT
Raise your right hand, partner
Jerusha Ben raised his right hand and
Immediately it was clasped by two warm
ones, while the voice continued:
Now, heaVe, no, partner for your life,
rememberI'
All, it was d fearful contest, those two
men striving against the death which
threatened; but at last they were success
full, for men gain strength. at such mo-
ments, and Jerusha Ben lay speecbess
and altogether exhausted upon thei ledge,
while handsome, black bearded man, not
much in statute or years, knelt beside
him with wonderful solicitous expression
on the cheerful features, and chafed his
hands and comforted him.
By and by Jerusha Ben was able to
manage the descent, with the assistance of
the stranger, and when they were safely
inside his hut Jerusha Ben rolled away a
small stone from one side of the hut and
dragged forth a dozen boxes, which he
hastily opened before the stranger could
ask his meaning, and then he explained;
This is what | shot you for. Take it
all and forgive me-
why, it's only a flesh wound, man.
It. nothing, replied the stranger, as he
CrauaI octpn,chaI ol,,o,ro4,o, / h.
gold. Never mind about giving me this
gold. But you can teach me your secret
and | can get it for myself and we can be
partners. Is it agreed?'
1--WE are partners Jerusha Ben ans
wered, ''if you can forgive me-
Never mention it again. the stran-
ger replied, And now what is your
name?'
''Jerusha Ben, was the answer.
The stranger was obviously disconnected.
why on earth do they call you that?''
he blurted out
Jerusha Ben was in no way offended,
but answered apologetically that it was be-
cause he had called so often upon the name
.Jerusha when he was i'll of the fever when
first in the country. The strangers eyes
filed with sympathic tears. and he clasped
Jeruash Ben hand tenderly.
is she dead?" he asked gently.
Dead. no. She Tilted me because lost
my money! would have given my life
for her, loved her so. But the day after
failed she sent word to me that our en-
gagement was ended. | came out here be-
cause | thought could forget he
but her cursed false face is always
before me. | can never cease to love and
hate her till | die" and Jerusha Ben
sadly undone by his recent danger sobbed