The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1893-12-21

haphazard life.
He finally gave me a few items
from his own, and | learned that the
chief object of his stay in the west was
to acquire fortune, If possible, in
order to marry a young lady In the
east, who from financial point of view
was,a little above his station. I'm
fortunately for him and his friends, |
failed to learn his name and the place
he called home.
''Tne day before Christmas the
weather broke moderately and we
went TO the mine to put In good days
work. We had now quite shaft down,
with cross-cut about thirty feet long,
which we had lately started for explor-
ing purposes. We worked in the lat
ter that day, and soon encountered
formation different from anything we
bad so far discovered. The earth was
now soft, and great caution had TO be
exercised in working, to avoid cave-in,
which would have meant death to both
of us.
GAS If the same thought had moved
both of us, we took out of our pockets
the extra candles we had braught along,
and started to examine the material in
which we were working.
ITO be sure, we are not mistaken,
we had opened an immense pocket of
silver gold carbonates. The end of our
trib llations was at hand, and visions of
comfort and wealth noated before our
eyes.
81 turned around to offer my cor
CALCULATIONS to my partner and held
out my hand. A bright bit of steel was
cleaning in my face, and Jim stood be-
fore me with the look Of a maniac in
his eyes, and a drawn six-shooter in
his hands.
'He found his voice after an effort.
AT last lie said, the wealth I've
searched for is within my grasp Bill
you don't need it. You shall not leave
this place alive unless you agree and
promise to let me have this mine and
the proceeds. 1t is all mine; I brought
! yeu here, and now want it,
"What could do9 Argument was
useless. l was nnarmed, and cared
. little anyhow to take the poor fellows
| life. The sudden good fortune had
turned his brain. Jim was a raving
, his plan to murder mel
81 talked to him for long time, try
: ing to show him the injustice in his
: act, but the weapon was always leveled
S at my head, while he demanded the
deed to the claim. The prospect was
not hattering. l asked him to come
t to the camp and have the papers made
e out, but he uttered a diabolical laugh
S and declined to go. For several hours
we argued back and forth, deep under
e ground, with no light save from our
s candles. The situation became des.
! perate. The candles would soon give
e out, and then In the dark a tragedy
r might take place. did not care to be
4 murdered in cold blood oy this maniac.
e What ever transpired must come quick,
0 and l decided to disarm him. 1t was
e a risky thing, but absolutely the only
o way out of the dilemma.
II picked up the bucket rope that
9 was lying at my feet and, toying with
1t carelessly, kept talking to the lu.
, matte. Measuring the distance between
, us with glance, l leaped suddenly
| i'm
own weight. The revolver exploded
a but only inflicted flesh wound in my
left arm.
'Then ensued the most desperate
struggle in which I ever was engaged
Jim fought with the desperation and
!, superhuman strength usually developed
by maniacs. For over an hour we
struggled back and forth. had no de
sire to injure the fellow, only TO secure
him. Finally his strength gave away,
/, and ] soon had him bound hand and
foot. He cursed and begged, all to nc
purpose. l hurried to the camp for
assistance to convey Jim from the bot
tam of the mine to place of safety.
1.-The stars were commencing to peep
, through the clouds, and just as we
entered the one long street of the
, camp, the cold winter moon rose over
+ the mountain, shedding a pale light
. over the slowly moving procession.
What a home coming for Christmas
evel
t "Would he ever recover enough to
tell the names of his friends2 | told
+ the boys the story, and many rough
face was turned away, as its owner
. no doubt was thinking OF his friends at
: home,