Year: 1867

I


"Halte la! Stand! / say, unless you
wish pullet through your bead, leu
felsbrodm hailed . hoarse German voice,
in deep cultural accents, as the car that
had brought me from the railway sta
! ton reached the entrance Of Jefferson
CITY, Missouri. The country was in q
disturbed condition, and though the
Union authorities were again in posses
sion of the greater portion of the State,
much alarm prevailed in Jefferson. For
this reason earthworks were being
thrown up, stockades erected, and par
ties of the militia stationed in all the
main thoroughfares. One of these par
ties of citizen soldiery it was whose at
tention had attracted, and hence the
imperative summons to stop, backed by
the appearance of three or four armed
men, who sailed out OF an impromptu
wooden guard-hOuse and brought their
muskets to their shoulders with me
nacing air. A brief but unsatisfactory
colloquy ensued. My pass was demand
ed in. proof of my loyalty, and as l
had not thought it necessary TO pro-
vide myself with such document, l
was grutfly desired to alight and con-
slider myself as prisoner until such time
as the field-officer, on going his rounds
at sunset, should hear my story and
decide upon my future fate. With this
vexatious order was naturally 10th TO
comply; but to argue with Germans Is
bat Il thankless office, especially with
three rifles levelled at ones breast, and
l was reluctantly getting down, when,
fortunately for me, was recognized by
young officer in the uniform OF the
regular army, who was riding past, and
who refined up his horse and extended
his hand to me, saying, with cordial
kindness, "Ah Mr.. Hepton, am glad
to see you again. Forgotten me, Have
you mott Harris-Randolph Harris
to whom YOU were so kind in Switzer-
land, years ago. But what is going on
heref hope our people are not annoy
ing you in any wayp


was very much pleased to recognize
in the smart young lieutenant OF dra.
goons an American acquaintance OF
mine whom l had met when mere
boy, travelling with his mother and Sis
ters in Switzerland. | was then en-
gagged in laying out the Neuichatel
railway, and had an opportunity OF rem
dering some trifling service to this fam.
lily OF tourists, of whose ignorance OF
the language and customs of the coun-
try q knavish roiturier had taken ad-
vantage to practice more than ordinary
extortion. However, young Randolph
Harris proved friend in need OH the
present occasion, since a word from him
was sufficient to pass me through the
guard at the gates, and the amateur
soldiers went back, somewhat sullenly,
to their pipes and lager beer. The car
rolled slowly on through the dusty
street, my opportune acquaintance rid
ing beside it to see me, as he said, to my
hotel, for fear of further annoyance.


Tomorrow / recommend you to 60
to General Schofield for pass. There's
no safety in this part of the country
without one. Do You make long stay
here ?" asked the lieutenant.


made an answer in the negative, and
finding that my friend, to whom the
sight of me probably recalled pleasant
memories of that year in Europe which
he confessed had been the happiest time
in his life, took real interest i'll my
affairs, l frankly told him what had
brought me to the wild West. / had
lately completed q professional engage
ment in Canada, and had accepted
the offer of one of the most eminent
firms in Montreal-Ward d. Jenner-
to become their mining agent in Ari-
zona. In that half explored region
the Montreal house had accepted, in
part payment of debt, the fee-simple
of certain silver mines. These mines
had not as yet been very productive,
owing to the rude and unskillfnl nature
of the working; but some specimens OF
the ore had been carefully analyzed,
and proved to be exceedingly rich in
silver. And as was known to have
had considerable experience i'll mining
affairs, u liberal salary and per centage
had been offered me for undertaking
the management of the hitherto neg
lected property.


Thus it fell out that l was on
my way to the southwestern slopes
of the Rocky Mountains, with
q toilsome and perilous journey
before me. My great hope was to
reach Jefferson in time to join the an
nual caravan for Santa Fe, rs the tedi-
ous pilgrimage across prairie aud noun
tain would be more safely performed in
company with q number of well-armed
and hardy companions, and under the
care of military guard. And l had
reason to be careful, since ! carried with
me rather q considerable sum i'll gold,
entrusted to me by my employers for
the purpose of purchasing mules,
quicksilver, fuel, and provisions, as well
as of hiring workmen to put together
the gins, water-wheels, and other ma
chinery that they had promised to
send cut to me from the north. MI.
Harris reassured me on this point. The
caravan had been delayed from starting,
in consequence of the results of QUAINT
rells raid into Kansas, and of the
butchery of number of the chief cit
izens in Lecompton. This wanton act
had led to reprisals of at least equal fe-
rocity on the part of Union men, and
thousands of guerrillas had poured into
Missouri, the border counties of which
were being laid waste with no sparing
hand. Travelling was, of course, at
tended with no SHALL danger under such
circumstances, as the civil war had
called into activity many INSCRIPTIONS
misoreants, who respected neither per.
son or property, and who merely used
the names of the opposing factions as a
pretext for robbery and outrage.


However, in two or three days the
traders will set off," said my informant:
"and if you make one of the party, We
shall be likely to see good deal of each
other, since l command the escort.
Here's your hotel-Elder Wax's house
of entertainment. Good-by for
the present. must gallop to make up
lost time, OF old Schofield will note
down my dilatoriness as new proof OF
the inferiority of the regular army"


And laughing as he wheeled his horse,
the high-spirited young man rode brisk
ly off.


found Elder Wax's hotel great bar
rack k-looking hostelry-very dirty, very
noisy, miserably bare Of furniture, aud
over-crowded with guests, chiefly to-
bacco planters from places up the river,
who had come in to sell their reserve
stores before the guerrilla's torch
should consume them. The bar, stairs,
and coffee-room were crammed with
wild, long haired men in red
shirts and Panama hats, chewing