The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-02-27

The ardtchman sank 1cith q faint cry.
ceremony that friends Of the frontier
are wont to observe, admitting the at
tenuated. tapping. dome crowned hg-
ure Of Slapjack Simms, and Dextry fell
upon him with the hunger of wolf.
1t was midnight. and over the dark
walls of the valley peered a multitude
Of stars, while away on the southern
horizon there glowed subdued efrul-
gence as though from hidden fires be-
meath the Gold Gods caldron or as
though the phosphorescence Of Berins
had spread upward into the skies. Al
though each night grew longer, it was
not yet nece, sary to light the men at
work in the cuts. There were perhaps
two hours In which it was difficult to
see at distance, but the dawn came
early: hence no provision had been
made for torches.
Five minutes before the hour the
night shift boss lowered the gates In
the dam. and as the rush from the
sluices subsided his men quit work
and climbed the bluff to the mess tent.
The dwellings Of the Midas, as has al
ready been explained, sat back from
the creek at a distance Of city block.
the workings being thus partially hid
den under the brow Of the steep bank.
It Is customary to leave watchman
In the pit during the noon and midnight
hours, not only to see that strangers
preserve q neutral attitude, but also to
watch the waste gates and water sup
ply. The night man Of the Midas had
been warned Of his responsibility and.
knowing that much gold lay In his
keeping, was disposed to gaze on the
curious minded with the sour1ess Of
suspicion. Therefore, as a man lead.
Ing a packhorse approached out Of the
gloom Of the creek trail, bis eyes were
on him from the moment he appeared.
The road wound along the gravel Of
the bars and passed In proximity to
the fumes. However, the wayfarer paid
no attention to them, and the watch.
man detected an explanatory weari-
ness In his slow gait.
Some prospector getting In from
trip" he thought.
The stranger stopped, scratched
match, and as he undertook to light
his pipe, the observer caught the ma
hogany shine Of negro's face. The
match sputtered out and then came i'm.
patient blasphemy as he searched for
another.
'Evenin', sab! You-ali oblige me with
match?" He addressed the watcher
on the bank above and, without walt
ing reply, began to climb upward.
No smoker on the trail will deny the
luxury Of light to the most humble,
80 as the negro gained his level the
man reached forth to accommodate
him. Without warning the black man
leaped forward with the ferocity Of an
animal and struck the other fearful
blow. The watchman sank with a
faint, startled cry, and the African
dragged him out Of sight over the
brow of the bank, where he rapidly
tied him hand and foot, stuf1ng gag
into his mouth. At the same moment
two other figures rounded the bend
below and approached. They were
mounted and leading third saddle
horse as we'll as other pack animals.
Reaching the workings, they dismount-
ed. Then began a strange procedure,
for one man clambered upon: the
sluices and, with pick, ripped out
the rifles. This was a matter OF only
q few seconds; then, selling shovel,
he transferred the concentrates which
lay In the bottom Of the boxes into
canvas sacks which his companion
held As each bag was filled it was
tied and dumped into the cut They
treated but four boxes in this way,
leaving the lower two-thirds OF the
hume untouched, for Anvil creek gold
Is coarse and the heart OF the clean
ND lies where it Is thrown in. Gather
ing the sacks together, they lashed
them upon the pack animals, then
mounted the second string of sluices
and began as before. Throughout 1t
ali they worked with feverish haste
and In unbroken silence, every mo-
ment flashing quick glances at the fig
ure Of the lookout who stood on the
crest above, half dimmed in the shad-
ow of a willow clump. Judging by
their rapidity and sureness, they wer'
expert miners.
GContinued next week.