Year: 1871

its current, but as yet have scarcely sufficient
confidence in myself to make the effort and if
should fail, my failure would be final 1t may
seem strange to you that | should survive the
life am leading for so long but have
sutution of iron, and but for that irrepressible
aching at my heart, feel as young as ever did
would be full of the fire aud energy of youth
but for the moral weakness that it brings. You
would scarcely believe the physical efforts of
which am capable. There are few hunters
who can cope with me in the chase"


"I should think, then, that an active life
would be better for you than this idle moody ex-
istence-somothing that would employ both
brain and muscle"


"Ah you don't know anything about it, In
the moment of supreme exertion, when my mus
cles and Sinews are strained to their utmost ten
sion, and nay brain is most Lceuly alert the
pressure of my calamity is most intensely felt.
In the midst of my masking with the fools down
yonder in the camp, when the bottle is passing
briskly at my expense, aud the mirh and rev.
elry are at their height, it broods over me like
funeral pail. No, you cannot conceive of it
and it is well you cannot"


made no reply, for dared not, / could not
the case. had myself felt none of
the pangs of disappointed love, and ] had been
more than half believer in the theory held by
some of my bachelor friends, that "no man ever
died of Il broken heart" Yet here WAS n man
of splendid mental and physical endowents, OF
superior capacity and culture, dead to every
thing but his grief lighted my pipe and pom
dered in silence, with great pity at my heart
for this unfortunate man, but without finding in
my philosophy or my experience any solution Of
his case. lie, too, became taciturn and thought
tul, and we soon sought our respective hunks,
our somnolcncy being assisted by u moderate
" nightcap" of Bourbon texture.


Endicou was early astir and had breakfast
smoking on the table shortly after sunrise.
Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest,
is the motto at this inn, Wilson,, said he cheer
fully, rs he announced that the meal was ready;
"and perhaps have fastened my preparations
little more because have resolved to accom-
papy you part of the way. ] can easily keep up
with you on foot until we reach the Mountain
House, where will procure horse to ride to
WeNvervio. You don't object to my company,
| hope 2"


"On the contrary, I shall be glad of it," re-
Piled "This ia rather lonely road aud al
though | get along pretty well alone, much
prefer good company"


So we journeyed together, and found him q
most entertaining travelling companion. lie
knew every inch of the way aud had nm inter-
esting anecdote to relate of every prominent
point. At Weavcrylle he found his usual re-
mttance-a check for thousand dollars
awaiting him and, after little hesitation, he
consented to the proposition had made him
while on the road and insisted upon more
stronly after we had halted, that no should ac-
company me TO San Francisco for short visit.
Suitable arrangements having been made We
pursued our jourucy thther.


Endicott's spirits seemed to rise as we pra-
gress, although he drank moro moderately than
expected him to. Our journey was made to
Sacramento on horseback and on the way he
jested, and laughed, and shouted, and sang TO
such an extent that he exprcssd his own aston
ishment thercat thought that n round of
such diversions as the city afforded would ben
eft him somewhat, but the cure seemed to have
commenced before the remedy was applied.


Arriving in Sacramento an hour too late for
the boat, we were obliged to spend a day there.
caused Endicott to take advantage of this de-
lay to exchange the rough mountaineer's garb
he still wore for one more conventional, aud
then showed him around the city as well as
could. lie appeared to he delighted, and to
have forgotten his trouble for the moment. lie
dropped his bIusk and mountain tone, and be.
came suddenly genteel and refined. | was act
ually proud Of him.


AT length the hour of the departure of the
steamers for the bay came around again, and,
getting aboard in time, soon on our
way to the Pacific metropolis. Eadicott was
eager and excited


81 feel, ," said he, Gas if some great change
were about to come over me. o, if it were only
possible that might be relieved from this bur-
den, which already seems to grow lighter l'


He stood upon the deck of the boat most Of
the afternoon, scanning the landscape as it came
into view with earnest eyes, as if looking for old
friends.


Just before sunset we came in sight of BeRc-
cia, and as neared the wharf there the up
ward bound boat pushed of from it to resume
her course, Endicott and | were standing on
the guards of our own boat watching the others
movements, when we observed her tremble from
stem to stern then she suddenly parted asun-
der with thunderous boom and fearful shrek
as the white steam rolled upward and outward,
partially covering from view the flying fragments
of the wreck and Of human beings, but seeming
to intensity the screams and roars of agony and
shouts for help which reached our ears.


Something fell near us in the water and sank,
but not so quickly but that we could make out
that 1t was woman's FORM and that it pos
sessed life. In an instant, with sudden impulse,
Endicott leaped over the taffrail and went down
after the sinking body. 1t was foolish, thought
for him to dive there, as the water was so mud
dy that it was impOsrible for hia to see any
thing under it but he had calculated his dis
tance well, or, more probably, chance had fa-
vored him for in few moments he reappeared,
holding aoft the head OF the oman. The head
way of our boat had already carried us cousd-
erably past the spot, but could see plainly the
face which emerged from the water, fair as a
painter dream, but marked with lines of suE
ferng | could render immediate aid to
them the boat was rapidly moving away from
them, and for me to have thrown myself into the
water--snce there was no other nymph convenient
to be rescued-would have only been to add one
more to the number to be picked up by the boats,
which would probably be overcrowded,
watched eagerly, however, for any chance that
might offer to go to Endicott's assistance, and
was soon rewarded by seeing a skif just as the
steamers headway was stopped, coming close
alongside where was standing.


Twenty dollars for few minutes use of
that boat ~ shouted and the boatman, catch-
ing the words, pushed close in.


H How much dye say T. said he.


Twenty dollars, for only ten or fifteen min
utes," replied aud, without waiting for him
to accept, dropped into the skif, and ordered