The San Francisco call., 1907-06-09

ing place." thundered the father. Then.
confldentially, Few children would
stand this trip SO uncomplainingly.
Gee, they must be tiredi But it's good
for them"
The sounds in the back of the wagon
subsidized, the landscape darkened like
an overdeveloped film, and the small
boy on the seat crawled into my lap
and curled up as we drove through
the deserted looking streets of once
important Douglas city. Neither a dog
nor phonograph greeted us as. like
ghosts, we passed out and over the
bridge spanning Trinity river. Dark
ness fell as we gained the road leading
between high hills into broad valley.
At the end of the vista before us 4
display of heat lightning kept US in
terested and awake, then the dissi-
pated looking harvest moon rose and
paled as it lighted us over several
creek crossings and up the last and
worst bit of grade to our first camp.
1t was past IL o'clock and / thought
the man of our party sighed with relief
as he UNFINISHED the ba1ing wire REIN
forcementsl of the harness and freed
the horses. That wagon and harness.
like some couples, had not been made
for each other, but baling wire-the
friend to camper that hairpin is
securely than a contract.
Soon the children were imbedded.
Judy had ceased exchanging barks
with an Invisible dog, and the aunt.
mother and were spreading our
blankets on the earth's unyielding
bosom. when a strange man appeared
and offered us two beds in shed
next to his house, in addition to the
roomy hayloft.
We jumped at the offer, for the
children had already discovered that
the ground was springless-at least,
it had not the same kind that beds
have.
= In the morning we found ourselves
In one of the many rich little valleys
that were set like jewels in these
mountains. This one had been locally
celebrated since the ffties. when the
whole length of Browns creek, flowing
down its eastern side was mined, first
by white men, later by Chinese.
Colonel Middleton and his partner.
Ward, took up claim here and built u
cabin where a small stream flowing
down the mountains on the west emp
ties into Browns creek.
For 80 years these men lived and
mined together: then Middleton. at n
ripe old age. sickened. left the country
and died. Ward worked the claim
ested in cattle raising also.
The combination was unlucky for
one day after selling a bunch of cattle
he made the mistake of keeping more
money in the cabin than was good for
him, and he died, too. The circum-
stances were never known; by the time
he was found the dog and cat shut in
the cabin with him had obliterated the
particulars. People who knew Ward
wondered who had shut the animals in.
They had been trained to stay outside.
Equally mysterious was the disappear
ance Of the gold. 1t has not been
found yet, though during the last Is
years the whole fat has been pretty
we'll dug over. not only by the sue
cessive owners OF the place. but by
many casual treasure seeker.
AS in the old fable, the digging was
not wasted. North OF the old cabin
now storehouse-and its neighborinr
pig sty. barn and corral grows a well
nourished corn patch, beyond which al
falfa stretches to the end OF the level.
On the sloping ground to the west NAV
be seen a profusion of vegetables in
prime condition and apparently immune
to winged and crawling pests. These
grow almost to the top of the slope.
where stands the rancher's dwelling.