Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-03-28


could not speak. and then he swooned
into entire Inconsistencies. The sun
was shining In the little window ana
through the chinks of the cabin when
the hunter for gold awoke. he started
up. and, opening the door with some
exertion, found II was full noontime.
What q long slumber he must have
had, and how beautiful everything
looked outside after the terrible storm.
The cabin had served his purpose well.
He quickly made up the fire. cooked
his breakfast and while eating 1t re-
membered q horrid. vivid dream he
must have had, and he shuddered as
he gazed about the dreary place where
such an awful vision had appeared to
him. Just then slight scratching
sound near the hearthstone arrested
his uncomfortable cogitations. What
could II bef Perhaps a field mouse
had already "snuffed entertainment,
and IL passed out of his mind for a
moment as he hurried his preparations
for his departure.
But there it was again. Scratchi
scratchl scratchl And with all the
! bravery which sunshine gives to most
people he became annoyed with this
rasping sound. Curious to learn what
caused 1t, he got down to examine the
door In the direction from which II
came, when flood OF light through
the open door revealed half effaeed
and dried spot OF human blood. He
| started. and got up. but the scratching
seemed more audible, and from under
I the blood stain on the worm eaten
planks.
"Thunderation, but I'll see what
makes that noise!' said the prospec-
tor. and he fairly tore up the boards
and commenced to dig In the earth
| close under the right side OF the
hearthstone. remembering suddenly
how the figure In his horrible dream
had pointed to that very spot. Unut-
terable was his establishment when
the stick with which he was digging
struck hard object, and then un-
covered the top of a powder keg.
which was connected with a broken
fuse. The scratching sound had now
ceased, but he was too startled TO no
tice 1t. The keg looked intact, as much
as he saw OF 1t. Suppose he dug II up
there might be an explosion. Some
demon had fured him there for his de-
struction. Then. by one OF those mys-
( Ierious movements of the mind which
are unaccOuntable to u.s. a story he
had long since heard told over camp
fires returned to him, of one Dick
Brent, who had lived somewhere in
these very Big Horn mountains, In q
cabin with other miners: that they had
great treasures of gold: had quarreled
I over its division, and then went away
AL but Brent, who was never seen
after certain time years before.
| 1t was believed that he was killed
| by his comrades, who closed the cabin
and spread the report that it contained
I gunpowder, and any one opening the
| door would come 10 Immediate grief
These miners never returned. so the
legend went, and now no one could
tell exactly where they had lived
| When Carroll Jones had recalled all
this his superstltiOus fears were gone
In a trice. He jumped to his feet.
Why. this might have been Dick
Brent's cabin! Why not? And the keg
was fun of something which II made
the palms OF his hands itch to touch.
| He ran out Of the house to see IL by
any possible chance there was living
being near II. The valley was not too
desolate for him now; the brook aud
/ the birds were only too noisy And
he laughed when he remembered, how
! ever vocal they might be. they could
not tattie or his present or quickly in
tended occupation. Running to the
brook with his cooking utensils he
/ filed them with water. which he pour
ed over the keg and the fuse. Then he
dared to unearth the keg and open II
trife. oh! the rapture which filed
his recently tortured heart For, when
ne had made hole with his jackknife
big enough to peep into 1t. there was
gold; shining gold! And now he dash.
ed open this wooden covering to lind
a mass of yellow nuggets and hand
full Of uncut gems. diamonds, emeraIds
and rubies 'of purest ray serene" oh,
the beauties! Convinced Of the great
value OF these stones. aud their purity,
he danced and leaped about the room.
stirring up the dust that had so ex-
cited his superstitious nature the pre-
vious evening. Here was joy, life, lux
ury, or the means Of getting them. and
he slowed away the precious gems
and shining gold exuitingly. In the
very bottom OF the keg was n scrap Of
paper. a part of the back of letter,
wherein, In faded, almost illegibie
writing, was an address. He carried
the paper to the sunlight. and there
read the words, "Richard Brent. Esq"
The rest of the superscription was
gone. SO he, Carroll Jones, was heir
to Dick Brent, he unused, and with
little shiver, for he thought 1t was
Dick who had stood behind him in the
night. At evening he left the valley.
He had been fortunate there. but did
not care to remain another night.
With all his reticence, rumor that
Carroll Jones had found gold seemed
to become certainty when he sud.
denly babe his friends In camp good
by for his home In the East. 1t has
also been said that Carroll Jones Is
not his real name. Possibly this is
true.
Courtship I'm Unicof County.