Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-04-16
ENNE.


The sun sinks slowly brhind Eaglo
mountain, tho twilight gathers, and Bar
toms camp is left In wintry darkness
Lights shine I'm the 90 cabins, saloons,
stores and gambling houses, but they are
soon cxtlngulshcd, savo I'm one lone shanty,
and tho inhabitants Of the camp can bo
seen vending their way 10 that particular
habltation.
IL Is nm occasion OF unusual Importance
The only girl In the camp, Castella, daugh-
ter OF Cap Woods is going 10 DO married
10 Jim Douglas and the miners have de
clared their intention to celebrate the
event proper" The parsOn from Eagle
City has been engaged To tic the knot, and
the only fiddler within round 100 miles IL
To furnish the melody for the wedding
dance. True, he possesses poor instru-
ment and discourses poorer music, but
then nc is the only musician" available,
and thoy must have music. There are
plenty of spirits on tap, and everything
looks promising for n high old time.
Promptly att o'clock the alleged violin
ist draws his bow across the strings, and
the festivities commence. The largest
room in the shanty has been reserved for
dance hall, and rs the notes Of IN old fash
loHcu Dolha I'LL tDc ulGhTliucHt hcb tHe
feet of the festive miners going tap, tap
against tho floor keeping time to the tune,
Castclla and jim begin TO whirl around
the room, followed by four miner couples,
that being all the limits Of the room will
allow. There being only one woman pres
ent, the miners, to use their own express
sion, have to stag ii, except when their
turn comes 10 dance with the prospective
bride.
Castclla Is II handsome, well built, large
eyed girl Of l8, and there Is not II miner in
the company, even among those who have
left spouscs I'm the far east, who does not
envy jim his good luck in winning tho
pride of the camp. Her father Is an cx-
captain of N New Bedford whaler, who
somehow won the heart of Boston lady
of extreme education and culture. When
the hardy captain brought his wife and
little girl to- the wild west, she OF the Pur-
itan descent had her rigid ideas of deco
rum 80 often shocked by the dreadful"
miners that she finally gave up trying to
live in such n region and peacefully died.
Castella does not take after her mother.
She likes the rough but kindly miners
and has even taken on their uncouth
speech. She loves the crude looking town.
Every shanty and every foot Of ground
that goes to make up BartOn's camp is
part and parcel of her existence. She vows
she will never leave the place, and SO she
is marryinga man who expects to linger
and grow rioh along with the camp. 1t is
her second love affair, but the first was
nearly year ago and has almost faded
from her memory. This one is serious.
The time flies swiftly. Nine o'clock, the
hour of the ceremony, is at hand. The min
ntx ,txl 81 ~
room. The parson takes his appointed
place, the happy couple join hands, and
the process of making two one begins. The
preliminaries go off smoothly. The voice
of the divine is loud and clear.
9Do you, James Douglas, take this
woman to be your lawfully wedded"-
He does not finish the sentence. The
door opens, and large, swarthy looking
individual steps hurriedly into the room.
The complexion and straight black hair Of
tho intruder betray part Indian ancestry.
His stern, set face betokens that his errand
involves important business but the greet
ing no receives Is not warm. Clearly he Is
not an invited guest.
Cheyenne Joel Well I'll be blasted!"
Tho outburst comes from Ned Belden.
"Yes, it's Cheyenne Joe. I've como
here clar from Hecla canyon and beat tho
record fer fast travelin. Tharts "a dead
horse outside. / rid him to death, but
hopes it was in n good cause"
Ho stops speaking, and the gruf voice Of
Cap Woods is heard.
"Look har, Cheyenne, you was told to
mako yourself scarce about these diggin's
not more'n n year ago, if recollects right,
and guess does. What brings you har
now? This shanty has open doors for hon
est men only"
Cheyenne calmly folds his arms, leans
back against the door and looks deniantly
at his interrogation as he answers:
"You speak of the time when the com
mittee of safety of this har camp give mo
two hours to git. They claimed that j wuz
concerned in the stage robbery at Indian
'Gulch. They bring no proofs, but they
runs me out just the same. Them's the
plain facts Of the case, but thet's got roth
in to do with my bcin har The cxplana-
tion yer hankerin fer is this: When was
har before and known as n squar' man I
made love to that gal standin thar clingin
to Jim Douglas. Shewuz sweet on rne
and swore thet as long as she lived she
would never forgit me. When you drove
me from the camp told her wuz inno-
cent, and some-day when II could prove 1t
would come back and, marry her. She
promised ito wait, and I believes she tried
10 keep her word. When, way off in Heck
In canyon, a good hundred miles to the
south, hears that my Castella wuz goin
to marry another man, ! seztto myself, my
enimies are forcin ber to befeithless. Sol
takes my korses, rides night and day, and
har am"
He stopsIs moment but as, ne one speaks
ne continues His voice rises as he pro-
ceeds:
What want to know is,whether tho
gal Is marryin Jim Douglas Of her own
free will Iwants no one else so answer
fer her. Let her stand out and speak her
own piece. IL she prefers the outcast,
stands ready to fight n negiment. Speak
up, Castellar'
The girl starts as the excited mar fairly
shouts his request. No, 1t IL not n request;
1t is demand. She hesitates