Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-06-27

were covered with them. Between the
trees figures glanced to and fro, as
patches of red or flashes of light reflected
from polished metal. White claim stakes
sprang, mushroom-like, in thick punches
Of four. In the canyon was the gleam
of fires. the smell Of wood smoke and of
bacon broiling was in the air; white lean
toS shone among the bare bushes and
SaplingS. Horses were feeding eagerly
on the half-frOZen grasses and the browse
of trees, raising their heads as the creak
of wheels further down the draw told of
still newcomers.
Peter looked with excited satisfaction.
This meant prosperity. This meant that
on the morrow new town would de-
serve q place on the map. This meant,
above all, that Peters claims would
have value, that he could sell them out
at a price, and that he could grow old
happily in 4 country itself as old as his
distant youth He wandered restlessly
from one of his four claims to the other.
He told himself that this time he would
make careful bargain. The need was
imminent in the light of this discovery of
gray hairs. 1t had never seemed so be-
fore. He began to forestall difficulties
in his mind. 1t should be spot cash,
nothing else. Peter knew just what his
claims were worth, and he knew what
be by deed, legally, this for that Then
he would &c East at once.
He cast in review the technicalities of
mining law. He had staked the claims
correctly; he had done the proper assess
ment work on each. Perhaps it would
have been better if he had had them re-
corded. At once he made q tour of his
property to see if all the notices were in
place. It had never occurred to him be-
fore that someone might Jump him.
Peter began to think it might have been
wiser to have brought the purchaser in
here quietly, without agitating a boom.
PerpleXed and tortured with doubts and
anxieties, he spent the remainder of the
day III going from claim TO claim.
His accustomed aspect of gentle i'm
passivity had left him. His eye became
shifty and suspicious. His hands worked
nervously. In his breast there fermcnted
an excitement which would not let him
rest even for an instant. For Peter re
allied that this was the last chance
Heretofore he had had the consciousness
of youth to encourage him. Failure had
meant only delay. Now it meant fnalty.
There was left to him no more time. He
saw that before he could again dig his
shafts and blast his tunnels old age
would have banished his dreams and his
hopes together.
He passed in feverish review the three
occasions wherein he had been swindleG
The San Francisco man had given MIN
worthless paper, and had reSOld 1T once
The Denver sharpers had merely taken
possession and had refused to pay. The
st. Louis men had pretended that the
property was not as represented and had
compromised at a ridiculously low fig
ure. Peter might have fought the thing
successfully. but in his great diffidence
of mind he had been too easily persuaded
Of the justice Of the others position. He
would never be caught so again; out
these men bewildered and puzzled him
always, and he confessed to himself a
great fear of their unknown wiles. At
the thought that they might cheat him
in some new way he went into a panic
He made another tour of the claims. 1t
was now dark. At dawn he went over
the ground again. He had not slept all
night, and had eaten nothing since the
noon of the preceding day.
On returning to his cabin he placed
the miniature and the square mirror
side by side on the table and looked at
them intently for long time. Then he
kicked his chair over backward and
went out to his claims once more. The
first Corners Of the stampeders had fin
ished stalking out, and We're now wan
dering about the hills. Peter found a
small group Of them on one Of his claims
They were reading his notice and were
laughing idly. Peter knew two of them.
11dpp. CdiIeI one, Oh CATCH
ing sight of him. ''what do you call
this?' He winked at the rest. The his
tory of Peters losses was well known
to all. He was pointing to the weather
beaten notice.
WHAT" asked Peter, strangely.
you amt got this readin' right. She
says 1900 feet The law says she
oughter read 1900 linear feet Yore
claim is n. g. I'm goin' t jump her on
YOU. The statement was ridiculous.
Everybody knew it, and prepared to
laugh, loud-mouthed.
Peter, without word. shot the man
through the heart. Men said at his trial
that it was the most brutal and unpro-
yoked murder they had ever known
The ArgOnaut.