Iron County register., 1891-06-04

| must say it went slightly against the
grain to shift the unfortunate skeleton
as we did. But it was just possible we
might learn something of its identity
when alive by hauling it up. And so
we made moose and dropped it about
the ribs, tightened the cord and then
brought the whole framework of bones
to the summit as if it had been bucket
in well. 1t was :. framework of
bones and nothing more. The teeth
alone remained, strong and white and
even. in proof that the poor creature
was in the prime of life when he slipped
of a sudden into the jaws of death.
There was clog of ice about the feet,
which told of the temperature in the
dreadful hole, and suggested that be-
fore dying the poor fellow must have
suffered other agonies as well as those
of starvation. and cramp, and a gradual
loss of the hope OF rescue.
We We're locking at the skeleton and
conf jecturing about it, when the Indian
broke out into an exclamation and
pointed down the pit. did not catch
his words, but the Barkerville man
did. He, too. strained his eyes into the
depths of the fssure: then he turned
round toward me. The fellow is
right" he said. There is little bag
a sort of satchel, you know-and
some bits of stuff like rags. Anyway,
we may as well get the bag out"
But it was not an easy business.
Again and again we tried to moose it,
and always in vain. The Me go down,
boss" of the Indian came as well
haI n
time to spare if we were to be back in
Barkcrville by nightfal.
We hitched the rope fast to rock
and let it hang into the hole. The
Indian was soon down, and, having cut
the bag out of the ice and looked
about to see if there was anything else
worth moving, but in vain, he came to
the surface again, by no means with
the ease he had descended.
The bag was initiated u. F." It was
heavy and swollen. | suppose, there
fore, no one of us was surprised when
we opened it to find it crammed with
gold dust There was, further, piece
of paper with some faint writing upon
it, the Interpretation of which was be-
yond us, both thcn and when we were
back in the settlement.
We buried the poor fellow in another
and much shallower shaft" which we
had no difficulty afterward in half fill
ing with loose soil. Then we made all
haste homewards. 1t was weary work
elm bing and descending the mountains
again; but we felt the fatigue 4 good
deal less with such subject for con-
lecture among us.
rnent in Barkerville. Every male adult
in the place had heard the news, and
crowded into the tavern for his share
of information and the spoil. By right
of possession we three might have kept
the others at a distance from the bag OF
gold dust, had we so chosen. But. for
wonder my friend was not very
avaricious; and the Indian was likely
to be overruled. There was hundred
and twenty-seven ounces of dust in the
bag, which We're valued roughly at be-
tween four and five hundred pounds.
The saloon keeper did rafting busi-
ness that evening, on the strength of
this contribution to the towns fl
nances. 1t was observed, however, that
while the other men We're SO jovial and
excited, the old fellow whom l have al
ready mentioned sat apart, with an eX-
preston on his face as if he were think
ing profoundly. He had examined the
bag closely at the first, and now and
again he continued to look at it. Of
this the others did not take much no.
tice. until they began to play cards.
Then one of them, with a strong word
or two, remarked that old Pete was
L, 49,, IL IL ~
Old Pete heard the words. At the
same moment, however, he slapped his
thigh heavily with one hand and said:
Il have it. l thought l remembered
something to do with J. F.
Lets have it, cried several of the
others.
He was knitted, and his name was
John Ferguson; and they missed his
ounces afterwards, so it was put down
as murder"
Then this stuff began one of the
others, and then stopped; while dole
ful ''Oh" sounded from several pair of
lungs.
Hang sentiment.' exclaimed one
man bolder than the others. ''Or, bet
ter still, get the parson to bless it for
us-that1l make it all right; and here
he comes
The tale was soon told to my friend,
the missionary. 1t was really quite inn
pressive to mark the eagerness on the
faces of these rough and ready fellows
while awaiting what he would say in
the matter. The fact that it was Ox-eye
canyon gold had much to do with their
superstitious self restraint
The missionary yyaS |,,,i+a to
give the gold his benediction: but be-
fore doing so he reminded the Barker
vile people so eloquently about Ger
tain vague promises they had made him
to build a mission church that it was
very clear he did not mean them to
have the gold all to themselves.
In effect, half of it was devoted to
the church, and the remainder, duly
consecrated, was divided among the
townSmen. The share | received I
wear to this day in the form of some
what massive fiat locket, with por-
trait in it.
AS for the Ox-eye canyon voice, very
little wit was necessary to explain
this The luckleSs fellow who had
first murdered John Ferguson and then
fallen into the shaft in his attempt
to get away scot-free, would be likely
now and then to shout for help while
life remained in him. The sides of his
grave and the adjacent rock-walls no
doubt made his voice seem most in
human: and the sound of it would drift
up or down the canyon like cry shout
ed into a tube until the very echoes
had died away completely. Cham bers'