The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-11-14


ly EfIerd JarllI
Ee16 1,.HllIil and lad been
eether nine years yFlen we SEP
be 70 eosiyest ff6 an uncle una g
enter law once At home
each other weekly for three = ears s.s
were as faithful as lovers VI 20 TINS
time we had both Been poor, eepe-llsl-
Ing, on ourselves more thftn on our IA
fi5ers INIT now 4 relative died and left
me $4,000 In cash. AIy hEst letter 70
,4ardin after receiving the news was 70
ofHer him q present Of 5000
He replied that he was doing wei IN
tie mining business and did not need
and would not accept the money, but u
V1anfed to double It In SIX months he
would show me how and take share
Jof the profits. After some further cor
respondence started for the west with
my legacy In my pocket
found JardIn serving as assistant
superintendent in gold mine, and we
greeted each other as two old friends
should. he had prOspected a bit and
mnde great ind.
the mountain where his find was To-
Gated and where my money would be
needed to make wagon roads, purchase
machinery and bring in a stan of Ia
borers. on the forenoon of the second
day our pack horse met with fan and
was famed, and we decided to lay by
for a day TO give him a chance to re
cover.
at 3 O'Clock in the afternoon Jardin
started out to scout around the camp
and over the trail we were to follow
the next day, and I spread blanket
over the pine needles and lay down
for nap. It was still, quiet day
and was DOING when the thought
suddenly flashed over me that Jardin
meant me Ill, and found myself sit
ting up before knew it. laughed
aloud at the thought. If my own
mother had been there and told me
that he meant me III would not have
believed It. I lay down again, and
then 1t struck me that he had acted
rather queer and constrained since
starting. He had written me to bring
gold from Denver he had made sure
that I brought SOS, 600. He had almost
hidden me away in the mining village.
and he had insisted that take another
name and conceal my home address.
His excuses at the time seemed more
than enough. but now when began to
argue things point by point was
stunned. Taking the case wholesale,
as you might say, believed in him as
in no other man. Taking it point by
point, I had to conclude that he had
some evil scheme on hand
Jardin was absent for two hours and
then returned to report all quiet.
I,n-,,,, II, +cl1 him T1nTg and knowing
him rs we'll as did soon saw that
he was i'll at ease. BE no longer look
ed me in the eyes as of old. BE was
nervous and furtive. found dozen
reasons for suspectinG him.
To the west of our camp the side OF
the mountain rose sharply, and there
were several great powders almost
towering over us. If 1t had been the
rainy season should have feared that
some of them might have become loos-
ened and fallen down on us. AFTER
supper we smoked, talked OF old times
and cared for the horses, and about D
o'clock Iartlin suggested that we turn
in so as to get an early start in the
morning. We had pitched our small
tent and gathered pine needles for
bed, and the night was one for sleep.
Jardin seemed to fall asleep almost at
once, but I could not shut my eyes.
/ didn't SIGH and kick about, aud Jar
din must have believed me to be sound
asleep when he fiuaIly rose up with the
utmost care, looked at me for mo-
ment and then, taking the crovoar
from the pack, walked toward the
powders. What on earth he was go
ing to do was beyond me until siyly
followed him to see with my own eyes.
1 found him digging and prying be-
hind the biggest bOwlder. and that
bowlder was right In line with the tent
and only fifty feet away. thought ut
first that he was looking for gold; that
he was developing some sort of ind
to show me In the morning. l held TO
this idea for three or four minutes and
was about to address him and give him
the laugh when another idea entered
my head and brought out the goose
fesh all over my body.
Jardin was working to roll that giant
bowlder down upon the tent and me as
/ slept! 1t was matter not to he ar
gued 1t was murder he had been con-
tempIating ever since he had written
me to come west! Some men might
have acted differently IN my place.
They might have made their presence
known, exposed him. played the hypo-
critic or what not. did nothing but
wait and watch.
The man had worked for quarter of
nm hour In my sight, when he passed
around to the front of the bowlder to
remove a stone. He showed the crow
bar under Il and gave a hsave, at the
same time turning his face toward the
tent as II to see II was astir. The big