Year: 1871




fore he went down to San Francisco for supplies,
he found curious looking stone in the hopper
of his cradle. As he was rubbing down some
Jumps of clay with one hand, while he poured
on water from dipper with the other, this stone
became very clear and seemed to have a glazed,
metallic coating, except on the side where it had
been broken. He picked it out and threw it on
the dry sand behind him, intending to take it to
his tent, 'jest for fun, loike," few minutes
later, as he sat rocking again. his eye fell on the
stone whore it lay, dry, fractured side up,
' tiashin' in the sun jest loike dimon, but
colored loike rainbow He thought it
pretty thing to keep, saved it, aud when he went
to the Bay took it along with him, and left it in
the locker of his sea-eheSt, at a miners board
iug-house on Pacific Wharf "An' moo won
der" he concluded, almost breathlossly, if it
were ma dimon' truly


Mssouri-who was in the habit of gibing
George as one ignorant man will often gibe
another more simple than himself-did not laugh
at him, nor utter any contemptuous comment
lie sat eying him in attentive silence, with the
look that taucied he may have worn when he
" turned up the belly Of an lujin on the creek"
as he had boasted one day he did lie had lived
in Oregon years before, and " thought no more
of shootin' one O. them red devils than a rattle
snake"


Peter asked how big the stone was, and George
replied that it was as big as his fist. Brandy
suggested it was fine quartz crystal. If it
were u diamond, it would be worth more than
any body could afford to pay and George might
have to remain poor, after all, for want OF pur-
chaser.


Peter gravely observed, there was no reason
why larger diamond than any yet known
might not be found ON Trinity River As they
had not found much gold, there was more room
for precious stones, and n big one could be di-
yided and sold easily enough,


George said that it was very bright. lie had
often seen it shining in his tent at night and
when he put it in the till Of his chest, it shone
there in the dark lie declared he meant to
show it to jeweler, when he went down again.
1t might be worth I" "somethiAk," if it were no
diamond.


Missouri still listened in silence and no more
was said on the subject by any one Brandy
stirred up the embels of the fire. we lit our pipes
again, smoked short time, sang "rhe Old
Folks ut Home, " and, separating for the night,
went each one to his blankets and to sleep,
while the wind roared through the pines like ~
beating surf, aud the rapids rumbled and thun-
dered through the rocky canyon of the river.


The next day Missouri said he was going up
the river, to new trading station he had learned
was recently started there, to get some tobacco
and powder As he might stay over night he
would take his blankets, aud his rifle, of course,
for that he always carried ON his shortest eXcur-
sions. lie insisted on division of the amalgam,
rs he always did when going to the store, be-
cause he was an inyeterate gambler at poker,
and every store had then its gambling table.
His partners had long since learned that it vas
useless to demonstrate with him. SO they weighed
him his dust, gave him two or three commits
sions, and of he went, whistliug The Arkan-
sas Traveller"


We never saw him again. Days passed with
out tdngs of him. We thought he must either
have fallen victim to a grizzly or to one of his
old enemies, the Indians One Of us went up to
the new store at last, and learned that he had
not stopped there, except for n drink Of whisky,
but had pushed across the mountains toward
WeaVeryille, on the road to Shasta. His abrupt
departure excited little speculation, and was
then passed over by all except George, who re-
ferred to it at intervals, and became unNccount-
ably moody and discontented One night, he
said he had made up his mind to go to San Fran
cisco he was sure there must be letters from
England. Peter tried to dissuade him from eav-
ing, and told him he could send for letters by
express from Weaverviile, at n cost Of few dol
lars. No he would go. Those Express fellows
never got any thing. Besides, he was " tired Of
these diggins" lie sold his share in the quick
silver machine, took his gold and blankets, and
started of, after II hearty hand-shaking from
each of the three men he left. We all liked the
simple-hearted fellow, and were sorry to sec
him 60 but as we had determined to prospect
the streams toward the Oregon line, which had
not then been proved to contain gold we would
not pull up and 60 with him. lie promised to
send us word if he found good mincs after his
visit to the Bay, and told US where he would
stop while there-at a house Pacific Wharf,
much ireQuented by sailors and miners, where
he had left his chest. Peter aughingly told
him to be sure and get good price for his da-
mond but he did not laugh in reply. Uuering
only some kindly words he wrung our hands
again, and we saw him disappear in the woods,
up the hill


at in tha .f.I Al
the northern streams, finding gold everywhere
But the Indians were threatening there were no
trading posts there was not time to get sup
plies Of our own from Sacramento before Winter
would set in and ut last we all concluded to re-
turn to the lower part of the State. | went rs
far as San Francisco and the next day after my
arrival, visited the place on Pacific Wharf, de-
scribed by George, to inquire after him. 1t was
a thin she'll of II house, erected at one side of
the wharf on the hulk of bark, that, after years
of brave service on the ocean, had been sunk
and abandoned at last in the dock mud Only
year old, this house yet had the appearance of
of age, weather-stained and topping was it.
Its lower story was divided into rude bar-room,
eating-hall, and kitchen. Its upper floor was
covered with what the sailors call " standee
berths," provided only with a straw mattress,
pillow, and pair of heavy dirty blankets, tn-
der many Of these berlhs sea-chests had been
left on storage by their owgxrs, mostly sailors,
who had deserted their 81 y to run off to the
mines The landlord himself was an - old salt 1"
An Englishman. asked him if he knew
George, aud could tell me what had become of
him.


" Be you friend of the Lad? ?" he inquired


assured him that was-that we had worked
by one another on Trinity River, and he had
promised to write to me.


" Well, it's a queer story" said the landlord
"A short, thick-built man, with ruddy face
who spoke his mother tongue with many eli
sons. "Ye see George came rushin' in Que
night from the steamer McKim-she as runs
tween here an Sacramento. He was down from
the mines, he said, an lad come to see ole
friends and take away his traps. | told him he
would find all there in the chest-ye can see it
under the bar ere yet, sir-all that his friend
hadn't taken awnv sTaken ovav- friend