The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-11-28


drcd@ and then into thousands. They
could not tell how much they had for they
had no means of weighing it. They had
more than all of them together could
carry. The strongest man among them,
Jack Swilling, six feet and over, could
not change the gold from one place to
another without making five separate
loads it. a strong mans load in gold
is not much when valued in dollars at
the utmost, perhaps, forty thousand dol
lars-but. valued with the value men
place on it, it cannot be estimated.
AT first, the gold was stored in the
common buckskin purses that the little
party, in its most enthusiastic moments,
had never dreamed of being able TO fill
with the metal, and then it was packed in
roughly made bags OF cloth.
As Tie store of gold grew, the friend
ship that had once existed between the
Americans and the Mcxicans became
weaker and weaker. Soon they were
enemies. watching one another with
hatred that none attempted to disguise.
The Americans no longer slept together
ina little group, rs had been their custom.
Instead, each took his blanket and went
off alone, yet not so far but that he was
near the gold. While at work during the
day, they made il Il point never to group
! together. Even when = nugget larger
than the rest was picked up, they no
longer ioyouslv called To each other that
they might gather together to admire it.
They were always on their grard. Day
and night, one of their party watched the
| Mexicans. Ii they were to be killed and
robbed of the gold they had discovered,
by keeping thus separate some might
escape if they We're attacked.
Yet the Mcxicans had said or done
nothing to justify the suspicion that they
would descend to murder and robbery TO
secure the gold. They did nothing but
watch, watch, watch, day after day, as
the store of gold increased. But, as the
days went by and the pile of gold grew,
new look came into their faces, another
light into their ewes. The iips were
drawn little tighter. the forehead was
less open. There were no longer laugh
in- efforts made to tell jokes. half in
Spanish, half in English. TO amusc one
another. The old camaradc-ic was gone.
The pile of gold continued TO grow.
Bat at last it ceased. In the crcyiccs.
and cracks. and sand there was 10 longer
to be found 4 single glitter of yellow
Only the sears remained, where the
knives had cut and gougcd out the riches
Of the rock.
The Mexicans smiled with pleasure
as they saw the Americans vainlv en-
deavor to find more of the metal. and in
return the latter grew hot with anger.
though in their hearts they felt relieved
to know that they had exhausted the
lead. Already they had as much as they
could care for. Had there been more to
mine, though, they would have taken it
out rather than see any one else possess
it. 1t had grown to be- pleasure to have
it, if only to know that it was theirs, even
if they could not use it.
When the pocket was mined out the
Mcxicans no longer came up daily to
watch the Americans. Instead, they
stayed in their camp ut the foot of the
mountain. They did no work. Why
should they? What would the few ounces
they could take from their claims amount
to compared with what the Americans
had obtained:
Now that there was no longer any gold
to mine, the Americans hogan to devise
means to remove the gold they had to
where they could dispose OF it.
alt must be nearly quarter of
million. boys" said Jack Swilling-all
looked to him as to their chieftain; "wc
will have to get it out of here"
How TO do it was a question they were
always discussing, as they gathered on
the mountain-crest in little group. in
order to be able TO watch the little Mex
lean camp below.
1--WE can't carry all of it, but We
might take part and hide the rest until
We coald return for it," suggested one.
Eyes. and what we wouId leave behind
the Mexicans would get before We were
out of sight. Why don't they get up
and go. This is white mans country,
anyway said another.
mo, we can't do that" said Jack. |
I'VE will have to send to Wickenburc
for a pack-train, and two of you will
have to 90 for it. You can leave to-
night, and the three of us who STAY can
look out for the gold. Now, who will go,
is the question.
No one answered. Instead each
looked at the other, as if wishing that
his neighbor would volunteer.
There's no danger. What's the mat
ter with you? Are you afraid to trust
each other with the gold:" asked Jack. |
No one replied, yet each knew that he
did not want to go and leave the gold |
behind him. They were beginning to
distrust each other as they distrustcd the
Mcxicans.
"Well, we will draw lots, and the two |