Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-01-03
My Friend Jardin

q u IL
each other weekly for three years and
were as faithful as lovers. Up to this
time we had both been poor, depend
ing on ourselves more than Oh our IA
theirs, but now a relative died and left
me $4,000 in cash. My first letter to
Jardin after receiving the news was to
offer him Il present Of $1,000.
He replied that he was doing we'll In
the mining business and did not need
and would not accept the money, but If
l wanted to double it In six months he
would show me how and take share
of the profits. After some further cor
respOndence I started for the west with
my legacy in my pocket.
l found Jardin serving as assistant
superintendent in gold mine, and we
greeted each other rs two old friends
should. He had prOspected a bit and
made Il great find.
1t was week before we were on
the mountain where his find was To-
Gated and where my money would be
needed to make wagon roads, purchase
machinery and bring in staff of Ia
bOrers. On the forenoon Of the second
day our pack horse met with fall and
was famed. and we decided to lay by
for day to give him 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 1 spread blanket
over the pine needles and lay down
for a nap. 1t was a still, quiet day,
and was doing when the thought
suddenly flashed over me that Jardin
meant me i'll, and found myself sit
ting up before I knew 1t. l laughed
aloud at the thought. II my own
mother had been there and told me
that he meant me i'll would pot have
believed 1t. l 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 brought $4,000. He had almost
hidden me away in the mining village,
and he had insisted that take another
His excuses Mt the time seemed more
than enough, but now when began to
argue things point by point l was
stunned. Taking the case wholesale,
as you might say, believed in him as
in 10 other man. Taking 1t point by
| point, had to conclude that he had
some evil scheme on hand.
o. <rv,O and
then returned to report all quiet. I
began to watch him now, and knowing
him as we'll as l did soon saw that
he was Ill at ease. He no longer look
ed me in the eyes rs Of old. He 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 boe'lders almost
towering over us. If it 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 0
| o'clock Jardin 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 a
bed, and the night was one for sleep.
Jardin seemed to fall asleep almost at
once, but could not shut my eyes.
didn't sigh and kick about, and Jar
| din must have believed me to be sound
asleep when he finally rose up with the
utmost care, looked ut me for a mo-
ment and then, taking the crowbar
from the pack, walked toward the
powders. What on earth he was 60
ing to do was beyond me until l slyly
followed him to see with my own eyes.
| 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. l thought at
first that he was looking for gold; that
he was developing some sort of find
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
flesh all over my body.
Jafuln was working 10 rOI tuuI gam
bowlder down upon the tent and me as
| slept! 1t was matter not to be ar
gued. 1t was murder he had been con
templating 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. l did nothing but
wait and watch.
The man had worked for quarter OF
an hour in my sight, when he passed
around to the front Of the bowlder to
remove stone. He showed the crow
bar under 1t and gave a heave, at the
same time turning his face toward the
tent as If to see II was astir. The big
bowlder moved. It broke out Of its bed
Of a sudden. and Jardin jumped to es
cape It. He Jumped down hill. II
caught him up and rolled over him in q
flash and then was over the tent and
crashing through the trees until it final
ly rested far below.
ran to Jartlin as soon as could, but
found no man. I found traces Of a