The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-10-23


cep, 10 the world. We've cold oil our
goods and worked 10 The mine soseshr
this mouth. Jepnics lsid ihs dtili while
l druv it, cant ses pcund ol powder
bu, the holes are oil sss 70 The face rady
Something tells me THE time !. sll.ioueh
gold. can fssl Il just shssd I've ie's
il al along. bot pou Ne sish. thar. with
ia reach Of one more blast tell you.
Riley. ! knov is's thai
You're cfsss, wssh.
Riley. you've got money. Give me one
keg of po~der and III make you rich
man. III give you hsll ws taks out. You
don't know how I've worked this year.
I've ham mered from dsylishs 10 dark,
gone hupsry aud slept cold. snd fell
dosn ia : dead iain. time and time over.
Pa, ycur hand thail He seized the -
Ioonkeepsr's hand and hsld !, on biz
breast The man ielt Wsah's heart sway
several inches., % IL II he'd torn loose from
lis place, aud i,s wild. loud throbbing vas
ike The beating Of mighty engine. TbsE,
said wssh. you ses sin's for long. That
mites ior my wife. She's stayed with Il
and With me. ought to have dropped Il
and put my pride down long ago. but nov
rs too late. Riley, will you let me bare
the powdetg
No.
Wash looked at bis old enemy aud turn.
ed away.
No one 10 sll that camp understood
tie proud, uny ielding soul that had set
itself to wresile with nature and her SO
cret. The afternoon wore on into night,
and night into morning, and morning.
noon and afternoon built up another day,
Wash did not come back.
Some boys climbed the hill and went
into the tunnel. There lay Wssh; dead,
st the further end Of the tunnel. bis PICK
in his hand. He bad gone back 10 break
his own wsy into the treasure house. but
his heart had burst 10 the midst Of giant
stroke, and be had fallen across his own
weapon. There his wife had found him,
and she, too, weak and sick and heartbrok
On, lay in faint over bis body.
Ophir camp woke with start to some
dim sense Of its crime. Tender hands car
ried Wash and his wife out Of the tunnel,
and did oil that could be done for the poor
woman.
A dozen men went back into the tunnel
from which they had taken the desd man,
and looked q the place where his last
fslteriug shock bad glanced oil the fiinty
rock.
Boys. ssid one I'll never forget that !
told Wash be couldn't have any more pow
der, not II be died in his tunnel. Well
set of them last blast holes jest ss be
wanted, and then we'll bury him in there
where be dropped.
There was plenty Of blasting powder
now to be bad for the asking, and 10 .
few minutes the face Of tho drift was
ready for tho blast, the fuses set and light
ed, word had got round the camp and
every man was gathered A the mouth Of
the tunnel. A few women we're IN the old
cabin caring for the dying wife. A long
silence followed the lighting Of the fuse.
and suddenly the dull noise OF the shock
and the fall Of heavier masses OF rock
than usual startled the miners outside.
They ran into the tunnel with sheli
lights. The blast had opened . vide path
into an irregular cavern cleaning with
gold. Above, below and on oil sides VA
the shining. precious metal. The lss'
blast for which Wash had struggled st
bravely had revealed fortune. The ex
cited miners rushed out again with awild
shout. A woman met them With flushed
and frightened face.
How can you make such . noises sh'
said. The poor things gone, crying hA'
a baby for her dead man.
The miners drew close together. asham
ed and profoundly affected. After iit'l'
= few OF them went back 10 the tunne
and secured washs pickaIe. which hat
been lying sesinst tho wall.
We can't bury them here, now. said one
the niue will be worked again. The.
must lie on the hillside. where oil hi
old friends Of twenty years sgo are LAID
Wash bad no relatives. His wife's bro
tber came up and took possession OF th
claim. which the miners bad protecte
against oil intruders. 10 few weeks
became generally understood in the reeio
that the wealth OF the Blue Junists's las
| and greatest pocket" was estimated .
conservative miners st . quarter Of mil
lion.
But from the dsy that Wash fell dea
| IN hi. tunnel . blight seemed TO fall o
| the little camp Of Opbir. Mine Alter min
0sve ont; miner sfier miner moved avs!
| 4 land .lide swept fl the cabin wheI
Wash bad lived. aud though. - ha'
| ..,d. the "Biue Juniais' yielded oil tb'
was EXPECTED. aud wen more. and round
ed cne OF the erea, Pacific coast for'une
none Of it's treasures brought happine'
10 those who worked il. Today y
camp is deserted and ih very name
memory.
IA -~-----------e.