Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-20
HEIRESS QF,eGOLDEN FALLS.
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From Chambers, Journal.

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From chambers;, Journal.
The ramshaclsle sscoach, whose only claim
to dignity lay in the fact that 1t carried the
United States mails. pulled up with a jerk
in front of the hotel" The place was well
come as the fist Habitatlon we had passed
for miles; otharwise, II didn't amount to
much. So far ms | could see In the gray
gloom of scarcbbrSA<en dawn, Il consisted OF
a log cabia, With nm inverted hogshead set
in the doorway as an nj fresco bar, round
which some haH-,spzen miners were cluster,
ed for a morning dram.
While l was wondering whether n cup of
decent coffee was within the capabilities OF
the hostelry. tho guard cnme TO the door
and addressed me; III you're bound for
Golden Falls Judge" ho said. there's two
ways open for You, Some OF the boys have
come In from there with load Of dust for
us to take TO the bank at Parsons City.
You can either 80 back with them in the
mule-cart-a matter of fifteen miie-or you
can go in the coach. and We'll drop you at
Blackman's Corner. From there It's a
roughish tramp of ten mile to Golden Falls"
Without a moments hesitation 1 decided
to go on IN the coach. and walk the ten
miles. 1 merely changed my position from
the inside, where had spent the night as
sole passenger, to the box seat next the
driver. This would be preferable, l thought,
to fifteen-mile drive in a jolting mule-cart,
in the company Of roughish strangers, who
were showing an inclination to celebrate the
dispatch of their precious earnings by fire.
quent rounds Of rye whisky.
The boxes of gold dust were soon hoisted
into the coach, and amid cheers from the
assembled miners. We started on our lonely
road again. The route lay for few miles
through rugged. boulder-strewn country,
thickly interspersed with pine trees. At
spot called Blackmans Corner 1t debouched
into an open plain, and it was at this juno
ture of the rocky ground with the prairie
that l was to be set down. The one-eyed
guard, with whom was. by this time, pref
ty friendly. had just announced our APP
proaoh to the corner, and was rummaging
for my valise. with u view to departure,
when two masked men stepped quietly out
of the rocks, one on either side of the road.
and, with rifles leveled, shouted the dreaded
cry of bends lp."
Road agents by thunder" said the
guard, holding his arms high above his
head. It's no so, Mike" he called to the
driver. They've got the fair drop on us;
better pull up ana save our skins"
The horses were pulled almost on to their
lcveled AT the driver head, while the other
advanced to the side of the coach and shout
ed: Now, guard. look alive and hand out
the dust-siNtcen packages. You see, I've
got the office straight. so it's no good your
trying TO come the bluff"
IF L hadn't laid down my gun to help
the passenger with mis- baggage. you'd
never have got The drop on u.s. | guess"
said the guard, rGefUily But he did as
he was bid, and one by one the sixteen
little oilskih packages We're thrown
the ground in front of The robber. He
gathered them INTO Il sack while the other
rohber kept his rifle ready. There was no
chance fer any of as to get to.our pistols
though 1 saw the guards fingers twitching
and the whites Of his eyes glisten as his
glance turned down aard TO his belt. 1t was
all over in no tinft and the SICK was re
moved 10 the rqadsidr. 1 was beginning to
conSra tulate myself that / vas not person
ally to be victim, when the nan who had
hlle1 the sack returned to the coach ana
dspeilcd my illttsinn by saying Now mis-
ter. your DELAYS. Tiease. Don't put me to
the trouble of coming up there to 60 through
you"
There li0thiHa else fur it but 10 sub
NIT. l took out ron of notes and handed
them down. There was 10 use in trying to
conceal al y OF them with that pair of sharp
eyes searching me from the Sits in the
mask. But the p?tGree ling had the effect of
leaving me practically pennilcss in a
strarge land, Nwor thousand miles from a
friend. With The exception Of a ten-dollar
Dlll, winch L renEsEDefSa was i'll waist
coat pocket, haaNo resources nearer than
New York.
Better help ourselves to a nag apiece.
BILL said the more active of the two to
the one at the horses heads. See here:
keep your shooting iron handy while / do
the trick
In a moment the TWO leaders--one a dap
pied gray and the other a bald-facel chest
nut-wera detached from the team. The
sack was ttung On the back Of one OF them
and the two horses were led away behind a
BLUM. They were no sooner out of sight
than the other man, who had watched us
the while, began to retreat ba edward in the
direction his companion had taken. lie, too,
disappeared, ana tlea for the first time for
ten minutes We knew what ii was to exist
without the sensation ~ a loaded Winches-
ter threatening us at point Biank range.
The driver ami The guard set about adapt
ing he cut harness to iae two remaining
horses which done, the Numbering vehicle
started at a crawl II return 10 the hotel
to replace the stolen sJceds, leaving ne
alone to make the best Of my way to Gold
en- Falls. The guards directions were very
simple: Point your nose u the west and
keep right on till You git thar
And while | am taking my lonely tramp
it may he we'll to explain now it was that
!, Arthur SaltmarShc, a Young English bar
rister. came 80 lind myself in the wilds of
the Black Hills, where road agents" and
Shooting irons were quite commonplace
affairs. Just before the commencement of
that long vacation ! had seen an adver-
informed the next OF kin of the late Leon
ard SaltmarShc of New York that he would
hear of something TO his advantage by
applying to wilkins & Crowdy, attorneys
at-law, in that city. To the best of my be-
lief / was that Individual Leonard Salt
marshe having been my fathers only broth.
er. We had never heard of his marriage
and. 10 the day of his death. my ia Their had
asserted that his brother Leonard would
nave a pile TO leave behind him some day
All / knew of my uncle was that he was
an eccentric young man. who had gone to
America years before was born. NY faith
er and ne seid ON communicated.
/ wrote at once to Wilkins 4 Crowdy
and by return mail received a civil reply
TO the effect that my uncle had died sud
denly without will, leaving property to
the amount of S2,GO.OOO behind him
They were quite prepared to entertain my
claim, in the absence of any other appli-
cant; all they wanted was to be furnished
with the necessary proofs; and they hintel
that considering the amount at stake II
would be worth my while to run across to
New York in person. The idea of spending
the vacation in this way pleased me- My
father had left me we'll off; so, whether
the inheritance proved to be mine or no, [
could we'll afford the holiday jaunt. l took
the next Cunard boat and, on landing
went straight to the offices of the ATTORNEYS