Year: 1872

| had the "blues." For already had
become satisfied that the young metropo-
lis of the Northwest, which Hope, with
the typical vermillion finger, had pointed
out to me as the city among ten thous-
and where crowding cases and flowing
fees would overwhelm the ambitious dis
ciple of Blackstone, had really more
claw " than it could conveniently carry
with any prospect Of municipal progress.
Had every inhabitant of the place given
himself up entirely to the spirit of acri-
monious and implacable litigation, the
felicitous equpois Of demand and supply
would not yet have been restored ; on the
contrary, gaunt forest Of legal " limbs "
would have remained idle and unappro-
priated-waving bleakly in the Winter
of inevitable decay. A "heart Of oak"
supposing it to have been in the law bust
ness, could not, under these circumstances,
have been joyously imponderable; and
it was no wonder that my own, be-
ing of very common timber, weighed
heavily on this April night, and dragged
spondency. What was | to do when the
few hundred dollars brought with me
had wasted utterly away? This inter
rogatory rose upon me again and again
with sphinx-like emphasis that was ap-
palling. While amusing myself with
reveries of this cheerful nature, some one
raped at my officedoor, and, in response
to my Come in," not uttered in the
gentlest of tones, a tall young man, of
dark complexion and habited in suit Of
heavy brown cloth, entered. | recog
nized him, after the usual salutations had
passed, as a person who had, for several
weeks, been sojourning at my hotel, the
c. House. Taking the chair prof
fered, he seated himself near the stove,
and, bending npon me from under pair
of heavy, black eyebrows, glance gilt
tering and keen with scrutiny, said, Its
nasty night tor April !"


at is, indeed" | replied, STOPPING to
replenish the stove "and you seem to
have had the benefit Of it,"


Yes; had some difficulty in finding
your office-and that reminds me that
did not come here to discuss the weather,
but to talk business"


He bent his head for moment, as if to
reflect, and l fixed myself in an attitude
of respectful attention, my first fee being
the idea which was uppermost in my
mind.


care you satisfied with this?" and, as
he spoke, he waved his hand satirically
toward the single Falstafiian column of
law books, largely recruited from the
Patent Office Department, on shelf
against the wall opposite.


smiled, and, without waiting for fur
ther answers, he proceeded:


"If you succeed at all in the practice
of the law in Portland, it will be after
years of patience, persistent labor, and a
life of hideous economy and privation. l
believe that you realize this yourself,
and for that reason | have come here to-
night to share with you valuable Sc
cret, and to solicit your assistance in a
project which, if successfully prosecuted,
will enrich us both"


A suspicion of double barreled burglary
flashed across me, and suppose he must
have seen something of the kind in my
face, for he resumed Immediately, with
an impatient gesture, may, it is honor
able and all | ask of you in return for
the confidence / am about to repose in
you, is pledge of secresy in the event
that you do not join me in the project to
which have alluded"


Having received every assurance OF
good faith on my part, he drew his chair
closer to mine, and then looking toward
the door, suggested that had better
lock it. | got up to attend to that, and
when resumed my seat beside him, he
had lighted a cigar, and was evidently
going to be comfortable. He held his
cigar-case toward me, and asked


"Did you ever hear the story of The
Lost Cabin?"


| never had.


"No? L will tell it to you now. In
the Spring of 1856, while the southern
border of Oregon was ringing with the
battles of that memorable war between
the heroic settlers of the Territory and
the Shasta and Rogue River Indians, two
brothers by the name of Wilson-James
and Henry-arrived at jacksonville and,
getting together small party of hardy
and experienced miners, set out fully
armed, to prospect for gold along the riv-
ers and among the broken ranges OF
mountains southwark of that then pros
porous mining-town. The party had
been out for several weeks, meeting with
but little success, and had just lost one OF
their number in skirmish with the In
dians, when a council was called, and all
but the Wilson brothers concurred in the
opinion that it was best to return to Jack
sonville, and wait for the conclusion of
the war.


"The Wilson's were of a naughty, OBJ
stinate spirit, thorough in mountain craft,
and brave to recklessness. With them