The sun., 1897-12-12
UNCLE JIM and UNCLE BILLY"
BY BRET HARTE.
Copyright. 1897, bv Bret Harte.
PART II.

was convinced that Uncle Billy and Uncle Jim
had dissolved partnership. Pride had prevent
cd Uncle Billy from revealing his suspicious OF
the truth, or Of relating the events that pre-
ocded Uncle Jin'B clandestine fight, and Dick
Bullcn had eonc to Sacramento by stage coach
the same morning. Ho briefly gave out that
his partner had been called to San Francisco
on important business OF their own. that, In
deed, might noccsSitate his own removal there
later. In this ho was singularly assisted by q
letter from tho absent Jim, dated at San Fran
cisco, begging him not TO be anxious about his
success, as he had hopes of presently entering
into n profitable business, but with no further
illusions to his precipitatc departure, nor any
suggestion Of reason for 1t. For two or three
days Uncle Billy was staggered and bowl.
dercd. In his profound simplicity he wondered
n his extraordinary good fortune that night had
made him deaf to some explanation OF his part
ner's, or more terrible, II he had shown some
slow" and incredible intimation of taking his
partners extravagant bot as real and binding.
In this distress hc wrote to Uncle Jim an ap-
pealing and apologetic letter, albeit some
what incohcrent and inaccurate. and bristlng
with misspelling, camp slang, and old partner
ship jibcs But to this elaborate epistle he re-
coivcd only Uncle Jim's repeated assurances Of
his own bright prospects, and his hopes that
his old partner would be more fortunate single.
handed on tho old claim. For week OF two
Unclo Billy sulkod, but his invincible optimism
and good humor got the better Of him. md no
thought only OF his old partners good fortune.
lie wrote him regularly, but always to one ad-
dress-a box ut the San Francisco Post Office
which TO simple Unclo Billy suggested n GER
tain official Importance. To these letters Unclo
Jim responded rcGularly-but briefly.
From n certain intuitive pride in his partner
and his affection, Uncle Billy did not show these
letters openly to. the camp, although hc spoke
freely of his former partners promising future
AMI oven read them short extracts. 1t Is need
less TO say that the camp did not accept Uncle
Blly's story with unsuspecting confidence. On
the contrary, a hundred surmises humorous or
serious, but always extravagant were afioat in
Cedar camp The partners had guarrelled over
their clothes-Uncle Jim, who was taller than
Uncle Billy, had refused to wear his partner 8
trousers. They had quarreled over cards
Uncle Jim had discovered that Uncle Billy was
in possession of "cold deck" or marked pack.
They had quarrelled over Uncle Billy's careless
ness in grinding up half box Of "blious pills"
in the mornings coffee. A gloomily imagina-
tive mule driver had darkly suggested that, as
one had really seon Uncle Jim leave the
camp he was still there, and his bones would yet
be found in one of the bitches; while n still
moro credulous miner averred that whit he had
thought was tho cry of screech owl the night
have been tho agon.zed utterance. .of that muir
dered man. 1t was highly characteristic of that
camp-and, indeed of others in Caifornia-that
nobody, not even the ingenious theorists them
selves believed their story. and that no ono took
the slightest pains TO verify disprove 1t.
Happily, Unclc Billy mover knew it. and moved
all unconsciously in this atmosphere Of bur.
= lesque suspicion. And then a singular change
took place in the attitude of the camp toward
him and the disrupted partnership. Hitherto,
for no reason whatever all had agreed to put
the blame upon Billy-possibly because he was
present to receive 1t. AS days passed that
slight reticence and detection In his manner,
which they had at first attributed to remorse
and a guilty conscience, now began to tell as
absurdly in his favor. Here poor Uncle
Billy toiling In the bitches, while his selfish
partner was lolling in the lap of luxury in San
Francisco. Unclo Billys glowing accounts of
Uncle Jim's success only contributed to the
sympathy now fully given in his behalf and
their execration Of the absconding partner.
1t was proposed at Biggss store that letter ex.
pressing the Indignation of the camp over his
heartless conduct to his late partner William
Full, should be forwarded to him. Condolences
were offered to Uncle Billy and uncouth at.
tempts were made to cheer his loneliness. A
procession of half dozen men twice a week to
his cabin. carrying their own whiskey and wind.
ing up with a stag dance" before the promises
was sufficient to tighten his ccl;pscd gayety and
remind him of happier past Surprise
working parties visited his claim with spas
modic essays toward helping him, and great
good humor and hilarity prevailed. 1t was moi
an unusual thing for an honest miner to arise
from an idle gathering in some cabin and excuse
himself with the remark that he'd reckon he d
putin an hours work In Uncle Billy's tailings!'
And yet, as before. 1t was very improbable Il
any OF these reckless benefactors really believed
IN their own earncstncss or in the gravity Of the
situation. Indeed. kind of hopeful cynicism
ran through their performances. Like as moi
Uncle Billy is still in cahoots i. e.. shares
with his old pard, and is just laughin' at us a.
he's sendin' him accounts of our tomfoolin'."
And so the winter passed, and the rains. and
the days Of cloudlcss skies and chill starlight
nights began. There were still freshcts from
the snow reservoirs piled high in the Sierrar
passes, and the bar was flooded, but that
passed, too, and only the sunshine remained
Monotonous the seasons were there was
faint stirring in the camp with the stirring o.
the sap In the pines and cedars And then one
day there was strange excitement on the bar
Men were seen running hitheI and thither
but mainly gathering in a crowd on Uncle Billy
claim-that still retained the old partners names
in .'The Fall and Foster" To add to the cx
citement there was the quickly repeated repor
OF a revolver, to all appearance aimlessly ex
Oloded in the air by some one on the outskirts
Of the assemblage. AS the crowd opened Uncl'
Billy appeared. pale, hystcrcal, breathless, ant
staggering little under the back-slapping ant
handshaking OF the whole camp. For Uncl,
Billy had 'struck 1t rich"-had just discov
cred pocket" roughly estimated to be wortl
Although in that supreme moment he missed
the face of his old partner. he could not help see
ing the unaffected delight and happiness shining
in the eyes Of all who surrounded him. 1t wa
characteristic OF that sanguine but uncertain
life that success and good fortune brought nj
Jealousy nor envy to the unfortunate. but wa
rather u promis and prophecy OF the fulfllmen
of their own hopes. The gold WAS there-na
ture but yielded up her secret. There was nj
prescribed limit TO her bounty. So strong wa
this conviction that long suffering but still
hopeful miner. in the enthusiasm OF the mo
ment, stopped down and patted large boulde
with the nposrophic Good old gal"
Then followed night Of jubilee, a next morn
Ing OF hurried consult alton with mining ex
pert and speculator lured to tho camp by tn