The herald., 1895-10-20


shoulders. The girl looked at him cur
iously, and not without some feeling
All her fear of him was gone, and vagu,
| compassion stirred in her heart. She was
almost sorry that she had undertaken h e
daring errand, half disposed to slir
quietly away, mount her horse. and b,
off down the mountain trail before he
had aroused from his reverie. Yet
singular spell; was it sympathy or curl.
osity, or that strange impulse that causes
one to linger and dwell upon the sight OF
suffering which they may not relieve,
| kept her motionless, her book still open,
her pencil still in her hand.
I'm tell you the whole story" he
saiu at length, his voice heavy and tired.
I've gone over and over it mvseli and
1T seems like the moro l study on it, the
worse snarl l make of it. You seem a
mighty peart yodng woman. Maybe you
| can see clearer than an old man."
| He looked at her with some approhen-
| sion. Perhaps his confidence was mis-
| placed. How could he tell put what the
sorry problem that weighed him down
| might be a mere Jest to her, comica
story to be recounted for the entertain
ment of frivolous young companions?
| Her grave EXPRESSION assured him.
''lt begins like most of the stories of
| men of my aga in California. he said,
| and it was noticed that as he reverted to
the past, he dropped the corruptions of
| the time and place and expressed himself
| in purer English, although his speech
| was still characterized by the soft south.
| ern draw, and now and then he made use
of phrase or word that is only learned
south of the Mason and Dixon line.
Il caughtth gold fever of 40. | had u
wife and child and comfortable proper
ty. Against the advice of all my friends.
in spite of my wife's gentle entreaties.
cold r,cf J., inn 7 had =
and leaving small sum with .ier, started
overland for California. 1t was danger
ous journey in those days. 1 don't think
{ realized how serious an undertaking 1T
was, until the day | started. | can see
my wife yet. as she looked that day, aud
the face OF my little Miriam has been
with me all these years."
Ion don't mean to say that you de-
serted your family-that you never went
back TO thcm2" exclaimed the girl.
Some people might call it so. But it
always seemed to me as if the world went
cess, all abandoned me from that NOM
ent. l reckon you've read in books or
heard old people tell what 1t meant to go
overland to the Pacific coast in those
days, Months of hardship and danger.
People and cattle dying all along the
trail. Indian massacres on the plains.
Covardly gangs of whites on the scent of
every train that was known to carry
oney. watching for a chance of pillage.
Before we reached Salt Lake our train
was robbed by a couple of rascals who
had asked for protection fifty miles back.
and l lost everything l had-my money.
my supplies, my blankets, everything but |
the horse | rode and the clothes l wore.
A friend who mad come with me was |
murd cred. The kindness of strangers
saved me from rershing from cold and |
hunger in crossing the Sierras. For three |
months after we reached Sacramento / |
lay sick with fever. When l got we'll |
the first bar up the river. 1t had been
arranged when left home that ss soon
rs | reached California I was to fix up
some kind of home and send for my
wife and little daughter. They were to
start by steamer as soon as they had word
from me. l couldn't write home and let
hem know the plight l was in. But l
lad Il heap of courage. The country was
ull of gold and men were all the while
returning from the diggings with heaps
)f dust. l would strike it rich like the
est and then send back for my wife and
,hild.
THE bar was overcrowdej, but they
ook pity on mel was a pitiable object,
weak and wasted by fever-and they let
ne stake out q claim in the richest spot.
IL the men around me were pannlng out
,wo or three ounces day. Every now
ma tnen some man took out fortune.
scarcely got color l moved on fur
her mp the river, t., new diggings. 1t
was no batter there. On again. The same
Iok followed me everywhere. When |
took hold of the most promising sort OF
l.i.-N e~~id haruly fnd pey dirt
When l gave up and moved on was
sure to hear that some other fellow had
Jumped my claim and made pile out of
t. l left the placers, and went prospect
ng for quartz. The first ledge l struck
made big show on the surface, but it
vas pockety, and | didn't dare to sink
urther for fear the ore would play out.
sold it for a song; the man who bought
t stocked it, tloated few shares. put up
! big stamp mill ana Kept on taking out
ich ore. He has million on the dump
oday. Everywhere it was the same story
With mo; never managing to keep more
han even with the world, or getting