The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-23

other passengers had to pay $40 each
for mule hire. with pair Of big Mexi-
can spurs thrown in for every rider, in
order to get across the isthmus. More
than one-half of the crowd already had
symptoms of the fever when they got
TO the city of Panama, and 26 poor fell
lows died there while waiting a week
for Pacific ocean ship.
Donald was stricken down almost
at once and lay for three months be-
tween life and death in the house of Fa-
ther Laporte, kind French Canadian
priest, who took good care of him and
his effects, and when he was able TO
dictate wrote for him to my father,
though neither that letter nor three
others written from different places by
Donald himself were ever received-a
quite common occurrence during the
first two years of the California excite
ment.
During the whole of his masters
illness Prince stuck close to him, though,
as Father Laporte afterward related,
nothing but the dogs own fierce courage
and fidelity had prevented him being
stolen by oovetous thieves.
cat last Donald got strong enough to
sail for San Francisco, where he arrived
after five weeks voyage and in robust
health. Here he wrote long home let
ter, and, accompanied by Prince, went
off at once to San Juan diggings. He
had good luck from the very first. and
in eight months cleared above all ex-
penses nearly 81, 900. Then, being no
longer able to bear up under that awful
homesickness which all of us are begin
ming to know so we'll, he pulled up
stakes and started for home
E<He told US that often, while on the
diggings and in the city, too, he had
been offered 90 ounces of gold for Prince,
but that so times so could not have
bought him, very fortunately for Dom
aid himself, for on his journey from the
mines to San Francisco he was waylaid
one night by two Mexican tramps and
saved from robbery and death only
through the dogs watohfulness and
courage
sit seems the vagabonds had conceal
ed themselves in clump Of chaparral
by the roadside and were in the act of
stealing out upon their intended VIC
tim when sharp eyed Prince sprang for
ward and bore one of them to the ground
then held him by the throat until Don
aid had bound him, while his villainous
comrade, seeing the game was up, dis
appeared in the bush.
Without further serious adventure
my brother had returned home by way
of Callao, thence to Panama, then across
the isthmus again, and SO by an Allan
tic steamship to New York, where he
IL l. Ill
nuggets, for SIT. 10 per ounce, that be-
ing then the highest price for California
| gold.
"While he was telling his story the
noble old dog listened intently, and,
do believe, understood every word, as
at the most striking passages he thump-
ed the floor with his great tail in token
of approval.
"You had jolly time, then, after all,
Ell, Fred9" said one of our fellows.
"Jollyl Well, should say so. Our
New Years day, which began with anx-
ious doubts and went along with forced
gayety, ended in regular jubilee"
Feeling too greatly shocked by the
tragic death of our comrades to remain
longer on the Lodden, four of us-Jack
Urquhart, Fred Ross, Joe Wells and I
started next day for Eagle Hawk
gully. Bendigo, whence, after three
weeks of profitable work, we went
across country to Jim Grow creek.
may add that Ross, Wells and I,
after many stirring adventures, got back
to America all right, and that Jack Ur-
quhart married a pretty English girl
and remained in Australia. Romance.