Year: 1860

Of dollars they had on the table. Undel


the influence of bad whisky, and the vics


situdes of the game, they were apparently


as reckless as myself to consequences
Taking from my vest pocket q ten dollal
gold piece, which was all l had in the


world, threw it on u card at random
one on which the others were not betting
as my last stake. 1t doubled and doubled
again and again, many times, till at length
even the half-drunken miners, who were
playing for such heavy stakes, took an in
terest iu my strange luck, and the marble
faced dealer, whose attention hitherto had
been entirely devoted to them, turned bis
eyes with sinister look upon me. When
my card won for the ninth time, l took up
from the table in coin and dust S., 5,l20,
with stolid coolnesS l have since many
times wondered at and putting it in u
couple Of bags given me by one of the min.
ers, l thrust them in my pockets. As l
stepped aside to leave tue table, the deal
er, turning round to some one in the crowd,
and giving him peculiar look Of inteIi,
gence, said, with laugh:


"ThaPs heary pile to carry"


l soon found out the truth of his remark.
Not wishing to elbow my way through the
crowd directly 10 the door, passed round
behind the tables in the buck part of the
house. Lending from the room were
number Of bady-lighted passnges-one or
two were quite dark; as went by one Of
the latter, before turned round towards
the street door, man standing in the OBJ
scure light, nearly concealed behind the
door-post, beckoned me towards him, with
a mysterious gesture. Without thinking,
| stepped through the door few feet to


learn what he wished, and when within O
few yards of him, as l took another step
quicker than l can learn, the floor passed
from under my feet, and l was sinking
many feet under the waters of the bay
With the iHsInct of self-preservation,
struggled for the life had held SO cheap
At length, after what seemed long time
to me, almost suffocated and weighed down
by the fatal gold, / rose to the surface.
A light from dark lantern flashed down
from the mouth Of what appeared to be a
square well, built on the waters Of the bay
and constructed Of smooth-planed boards
In those few moments of time, by that
gastly light, mid all the despair aud hor-
rors of that scene, a whole life of thoughts
and memories were before me. Notwth-
standing all my past misery, / could not,
without struggle. die dogs death. l
could see above me, in that interval Of
time, the pale.looking facing Of two ruff
fans, gazing down. Que graSped in bis
hand long pole, armed with sharp point,
and directly opposite to me, in the well,
within foot Of my face, was the bloated,
livid face Of swollen corpse, that had, un-
known to me, served to obstruct my rising
to the surface In the Pickering light and
disturbed waters, it appeared to mock and
jeer, moving nearer and nearing. Just
then, one Of the men said to the other:


"Split his head and job him under, or be
will sing out !"


And down came the sharp spear, touch
ing my head, but not injuring me. He
then drew it up to throw il again with
more deadly purpose. The despair of death
was upon me, und from my lips the name
Of her far away arose in choking cry of
anguish.


AT that instant Of time, the report Of
pistols, shrieks Of pain mingled with the
varied sounds Of deadly conflict, came to
my ears; the desperate above me, in haste,
cast the spear, and then, with bis compau-
ion, rushed to the scene Of other murders,
doubtless feeling secure Of the victim left
in the well. The lantern hung OIL nail,
about six feet above me, and a piece of
rope had been carelessly dropped from
what appeared 10 be vertical trap, open
ing outwards on the tide waters


Bodies we're found in the bay SO frequent
ly in those days, that they excited little Gu
riosity or comment. At glance | could
see all | have described, and, although
wounded in my left arm by the spear, still,
with the desperate energy of despair, l
pushed the swollen body under my foot, and
sprang to grasp the rope. Twice l failed
aud the big drops of perSpration fell from
my forehead, as thought the murderers
would return instantly. The third attemp t
was more successful, for l seized the rope
which, luckily, had a knot at It's end
with degree Of strength | could not have
used under any other circumstances. and