Year: 1872


A STORY OF CRIME AND RErR1Bur1oN-A MAN CHAIN


HIS ENEMY TO ROCK AND GLoATs OVER HIS DYIN,


STRUGGLES.


Before gold mines, oil wells and diamond
fields had developed their attractions and prac
ticalties for the adventurous spirits of this
country, the fur trade of the further North
west enlisted the energies of numerous specu
llative characters, among whom were two
young men of st. Louis, who, from having
been playmates in boyhood, and inseperablt
friends at college, became partners in a scheme
of Indian trading for the richer spOils of the
hunt Both were orphans-the nearest living
relative possessed by either was sister to the
elder of the twO-and there were consequent
ly no domestic ties to keep them back from the
wilds or limit their absence thither. Ascend
ing the Missouri river to the appointed trad
ing grounds, they entered upon the conjoin1
adventure in the true, all absorbed energy ol
success, and, from the first month, prospered
beyond all their expectations, and reaped
profits proportionate to early wealth. In lit
tie more than two years, indeed, the brothery
firm were rich enough to have gone back to
civilization and lived at ease for the remainder
of their lives; but, as already told, they had
no social exlgencies to call them back, and,
having contracted fondness for their new Oc-
cupation, they stayed Oh and on indefinitely.
Once year, however, they repaired to st.
Louis to sell their furs and divide and invest
the profits; and upon one of these occasions
the sister before mentioned persuaded her
brother to take her back with him to the wild
erness, that she might observe for herself the
many wonders he had so often described.


THE WOMAN IN THE CASE.


| Thus. during the ensuing year, the ranch
of the friends at the head waters of the Mis-
souri, was graced by the presence of an anna
teur "huEtress," who, when the time came for
her to return home. was reluctant to leave,
because her brother CHANGED to have a sick.
ness which prevented his departure with her.
self and his partner on the usual annual busi-
ness trip to the city. The trip must be made,
however, and it would be her only opportunity
of going for year. So, with what fortitude
was available under the circumstances. she
bade the invalid loving goodbye, and went
home in the care of the younger member of
the firm Left to himself, or with the care
of Indians only. the sick man pined until his
partners return with an unusually large divi-
dend, and an account of the young lady's safe
arrival in ST Louis gave him energy to combat
and conquer the fever of which he was the
victim.


THE REVELATION.


Thencefarth the friends traded and trapped
rs before for several months, at the end of
which time a midwinter letter from the city
to the elder of the men almost killed him with
the dreadful news that his sister had become
a maniac, and that it was his lifelong friend
who had made her such. 1t was another friend
who wrote and the words were few but to the
point. The brother happened to be alone
when reading them, aud was thus able to mas
ter his first furious impulse for immediate sig
nal revenge upon the traitor, and subdue his
frenZied feelings to the cooler deliberation of
scheme for retrbution ds perilous as the Of
fense had been. When his partner came in
he explained the pallor of his countenance by
pretending a temporary faintness, and resumed
his daily pursuits as though the message from
home had been the most ordinary of Enclosures.
His treacherous friend must die; but in dying
he must be compelled to endure agonies as lin
gering as those he had inflicted; an0 while the
selfappolnted minister of justice followed his
usual avocation he planned the revenge that
should be worthy the wrong When the next
down the river, the avenger made some ex-
cuse for brief visit to Fort Benton, where
he procured of lawyer the execution of a
will, leaving the testator's name in blank
Then returning to the ranch. he proposed that
instead of going down the river for their mar
ket, this time they should 60 overland together
Oh horseback to Fort Kearny, intercept the
boats with their stock where the river Platte
empties into the Missouri, and take the furs
up the former stream to Fort Laramie, where
they could establish kind of entrepot of their
business to probable great advantage.


JOURNEY TO DEATH.


The indea seemed so plausible to the young
er man that he approved it without hesitation,
and started Immediately with the protector on
the overland journey, accompanied only by a
pack-mue bearing provisions for the way.
Travelling many days in this style-the one
wholly unsuspicous of the others dark pur-
pose-the two men finally reached the banks
of the river Platte, down which they followed
the overland trail to place called Bernards
Ranch. on the north fork of the stream, near
the Chimney Rock, and between Julesburg
and Fort Laramie.


THE SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY.


Here they paused to rest, and here in
deep canon, walled by lofty rocks, and lonely
in immemorial, gloomy solitude, the doomed
man was persuaded to take MONDAY sleep,
from which the waking was to be more terri
BILE than the most guilty dream. Drugged by
liquor which the other had given him, in SEEM
ing cenvivial banter before he slept, the DOOM
ed traitor awoke TO find himself securely