The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-29
Continued From Yesterday.

Fold their tentS ike tne Arabs
And as silently steal away.
We three now fall back on our old claim,
working the banks OF the creek, each man
for himself
After working this way for month,
making about five dollars per day the
other boys become dissatisfied and want
Co move.
1--WE are going over on the other river,
will you go, Mosey' said they one day.
when work out this claim I've sank,
] answered.
Taking some provisions but leaving
their rides they started, promising To
follow the next Sunday.
AT the end of the week, had turned out
about thirty five dollars, the last straggler
mad now vanished and l. lone sentinel
in the deserted camp paced back ana torth
before my tent evenings until time 10
turn In.
According to agreement bright and early
Sunday morning 1 left TO find my part
ners travelling ten miles through the
woods before arriving at the place deslg-
mated only 70 find they had gone ten or
fifteen miles farther on.
Had left everything behind, so returned
hungry and pretty we'll shacked out.
With what they had lett l now had pro-
visions enough 10 last thres weeks
In that time Twas entirely alone, not
living thing To be seen.
the tent, which looked small walled In as
IL was by chaparal and mazernita wood.
The sun did not make her appearance
until twelve, and was gone again at
o'clock.
In spite of this solitude made up my
mind / had thrown time enough away,
going from place TO place. so would remain
here until obliged To go elsewhere.
The nearest white people were aJ
Smiths rapch and at Todd's Valley, each
eight miles distant Found out later there
were some five hundred Indians three
miles from me- who would have cleaned
me out had they known of my advent
among them, but "I'm monarch of all
survey" while
''rhe sound of the church-going bell.
These valleys and rocks never heard. F"
Often when the stiffness weighed
heavily upon me- I'd send up loud halo !
for II never hear the sweet music of
speech" and was answered only by the
echoes.
The days were never shut too long but
when the darkness shut down and the
distant bark OF the coyotes was heard
there was nothing for me to do but u
pace back and forth before my tent, until
weary enough to bunk into lie awake
sometimes until the lonesome sound OF
the morning doves were. heard in the early
morning.
one night when awakened by the howl
ing of some wild animal arose, and plao-
ing my rife near at hand was soon Sleep
ing the sleep of the Just.
Being out Of provisions l started one
morning for Smiths leaving everything
as il stood-tent opened ana about two
hundred dollars in gold dust in an old
sardine box under the bed.
Finding the cook anxious to make a trip
to the city agreed to take his place for
three days which lengthened into ten be-
fore his return.
The cooking was plaao, the pill OF fare
being meat vegetables, ,,'paked beans and
hard bread.
The largest number of boarders had at
one meal was twenty at two dollars per
meal
The Ranch, log cabin thirty feet
in diameter, was used for the dining
room, while at the end Of this n canvas
one thirty feet long, and fifteen feet wide,
contained the bar and the store room AT
opposite ends.
Flour sold at sixteen dollars a sack and
liquor fifty cents drink.
Boys going to the mines tuckercd out
and Without money L gave meals, but 10
them returning with plenty of dust tho
prices were set high.
Three men from New York who had
worked on the middle fork the year te-
fore, asked me IL l would tell them OF a
place where they could make four or five
dollars a day.
''Yes, down to the creek I've got tont
and other things which you can use, and
you'll find the digging fairly good.
There's some dust buried under the
bed. look out for 1t and IN be with you in
few days.
/ marked out trail for them and
taking thoir provisions they started well
pleased.
awakened by the barking Of the dog.
Getting out of my berth and pulling
aside the canvas looked out
The moon was al its full so j could see
plainly the surrounding country.
About thirty feet from me was what |
first took to be mule, and twenty yards
farther on another.
Stepping inside called the other three
men who wero spending the night at the
ranch.
Turn out boys, IL you want to see
two of the biggest mules YOU over S. en
in your life.
Halo, grizzlies =, they exclaim as they
watched them moving about slowly,
cracking the bones they found lying
round.
One of our party reached for his rifle
and loading IL with slug ball, stepped
outside.
The nearest was then about hundred
yards down the gulch. Putting the gun
10 his shoulder he took aim for the BUSHES
into which Bruln was now disappearing
A half growi ana half roGr that miRHt
have becn heard three miles. Immediately
followed the report of tho gun.
LETS follow him up said the man
with the rifle.
"Hold on, said l. looking for a con-
venicnt tree, he may follow us up
Concluding we had letter retreat wo
left the battlefield.
Returning the next morning found the
ground considerably torn up. blood scat
tered about on the rocks and ono great
paw lying on the ground " here Ee must
have stood when the SHOT Was fired.
The men sald these bolrs must have
weighed sixteen hundred pounds.
Although I've often seen their tracks
as they prowled abuut at night. never
again caught glimpse Of ono while IN
California.
Two days later my man arrived from
Sacramento end released me with the
payment OF forty dollars.
Taking with me a sack OF -four Zone
eighth OF barrel), for which paiu six.
ten dollars, returned TO my old quar-
terR