Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1887 — RATTLERS' GULCH. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

RATTLERS' GULCH.

BY RYE JOHNSON.

ARRY and Charley Blair, aged respectively seventeen and nineteen, were sons of a small farmer living in Ohio at the time the gold excitement broke out. They became so imbued with the fever that one night they stole away, and, in company with two neighbors’ sons, made their way to St. Louis, and from thence, with a party of prospectors, to the mountains. Many and varied were

their adventures, but we have to do with but one. Fortunately for them, they fell in with an honest man, who took a great liking to Harry and Charley, and who willingly consented to their accompanying his party. They had been out for days, making their way over almost impassable walls of rock, through canyons and gulches, in search of one of the valleys or pockets where surface gold was principally found in those days. One day Andy Carter, the leader, was badly hurt by a fall, and it was soon seen that he must be left behind and some one must stay to care for him. Not a sight of the precious metal had been seen, and our boys were weary and disheartened. They at once volunteered to stay, he being the only one in the party that had troubled to be kind to the lads. They were journeying up a broad canyon when the accident happened, and the first side ravine was explored for a suitable place for a camp. It was soon found, a tiny valley a half mile away, with water and small underbrush that would do for fuel. The whole party, some twenty-two, proceeded thither at once, carefully carrying the wounded man. The “sugar bowl,” the boys at once dubbed it, and no other name would so well describe its shape. There was perhaps a quarter of an acre of land, inclosed by a high wall of rock; no outlet save the narrow ravine, through which they had entered. A fine spring bubbled and boiled from the rock upon one side, danced and sung across the valley, then disappeared in an opening in the wall of rock upon the other. Upon three sides the rock was smooth, with scarce a footing for a bird, but upon the fourth it sloped gradually upward, and was covered with a dense growth of stunted vines. Near the spring a tent was pitched for Andy, and the party robbed themselves of blankets to make him comfortable. Then leaving a generous supply of ammunition and provisions, the party went on their way, and none of them were seen again by our party for years. Andy looked blue when he saw the last one disappear, and turned himself laboriously on his blanket bed. “Well, boys, we are in for it; I’m afraid you will be sorry you stayed. There’s neither gold or glory to be gained here.” “Who knows!” cried Charley, gaily striking his spade into the earth, “we may be standing upon a mine now.” Andy laughed heartily, and hoped it was so. “But, boys, the first thing to do is to decide who is boss of this arsenal,” and he glanced smilingly at their supplies piled near. “You, of course,” cried the boys in concert. “All right,” he replied. “Then I move that you both search the wall all about for a sheltered spot to store our goods. We are too far fiom town to make it easy to procure more, if these get damaged.” “All right,” came cheerily, and the search began. The round was almost made, with no discovery, and a feeling of disappointment was beginning to be felt by the boys, when a shout from Harry, who was slightly in advance, proclaimed the desired find. “Hurrah! here it is!” And he drew aside a curtain of vines and branches of the pine, revealing a deep cavity—not a cave by any means, but a hollow deep enough for the purpose. It was very near the tent, too, which pleased Andy, as he said he could keep guard while the boys were absent, giving as his opinion that neither would be content to lie idle long. Such a thought had not occurred to the boys, and they shook their heads, but events proved the elder man’s judgment to be correct. For a few days to lie at full length upon the green grass was a luxury, but then Harry began to view the bush-grown slope askant, and wonder what lay beyond. From wondering to climbing, and * then began a series of exploring expeditions. But to the boys’ credit, be it said, they never left the wounded man alone. His hurt was in his right hip, and for some days he suffered terribly; then under the boys faithul care, under his instruction, fie began to gain rapidly. Then it was the boys began to look about. After a tedious climb many small ravines and gullies were found, through some of which bright streams of icy water sang merrily. Harry was a boy of sound sense and good judgment, while Charley was the reverse.

Impulsive and hasty, he took no thought of cons quences. So when he took his turn at prospecting, Andy and Harry were in a state of sus-peu-e, until his signal w histle mounded on his return. One night it came hoars later than usual, and both were half wild with anxiety. But he was wilder than either, and exhibited a handful of small nuggets of almost pure gold. Andy instantly shared his excitement, and nex - . day s nt Harry along, but both returned emptv handed. Charley had found the gold in a tiny pool, bat both searched the rivulet to its source, without finding another particle. All were awfully disappointed. Next day, Charley sat and looked at the gold a long time ; then, qp if some thought had suddenly occurred to him, he sprang up, and slinging his rifle aeross his back, started up the dope. He made his way directly to the spot where the spring bubbled out from beneath a mass of vines, at the foot of a huge wall of rock. For several minutes he stood looking keenly at it, then stooping, caught them in his hand and drew them to one side, revealing an opening large enough to admit a cart. A satisfied “I thought so;” then, it being light, he stepped boldly in, finding room to walk easily beside the stream. It was no cave, as Charley had expected, for only a rod or so and he came out into another ravine, narrower than the other, and piled here and there with huge rocks. Stunted pines grew along its sides, and it was so dark and gloomy that he hesitated ere entering. But only for a moment; then he slowly made his way up it, looking, always looking, for the gleam of the precious metal.

Several tiny nuggets rewarded him, and he toiled on. Half a mile up a pile of huge bowlders formed a perfect barrier to further progress. The stream bubbled from beneath them, and Charley was sure there was a valley beyond. Besting a while, he looked about. What a wild, gloomy place. The boy was half afraid. It waß fairly dusky in the ravine, but scarcely past midday outside. A horror of the place crept over him, and, springing up from his seat on a stone, he began climbing the barricade, being determined to see what lay beyond before starting back to camp. Not so difficult a climb as he had expected. Beaching the top, he saw a loDg, deep valley lying before him, and throwing an arm about a tall, slender sapling, he leaned far over to inspect the place as closely as he could. So deep, dark and hor-rible-looking was it, that he drew back in dismay. “I nover will go down there, ” he muttered. Suddenly he heard a familiar rattling sound behind him, while he still stood gazinc, fascinated by the dismal scene. With a yell of horror he turned. There, not six feet away, coiled ready for the spring, was a huge rattlesnake. An instant’s horrified inaction, then with another yell, he began “ shinning ” up the slender tree. It was too small to bear his weight, but he did not think of it until too late. “Oh, Lord !” cried poor Charley, as it bent far out over the dark valley and began to slip through his hands. Down, down, making frantic clutches at the sliopery pine branches. But all of

no avail. Down he went, but did not fall so far as he expected, and a bed of moss broke the force. There he sat in dazed surprise, gazing around. Bocks piled in inextricable confusion surrounded him on all sides. Not far away trickled the stream that had led him so far. As his gaze came to it he saw something else that brought him to his feet with a whoop of delight. One bound and he had it in his hand. A nugget of pure gold as large as a hickory nut. I am afraid Charley went mad for a few minutes. He leaped and danced and shouted until the echoes rang. Then, forgetting the fear of the gloomy valley that had possessed him, he began an excited search for more. The bed of the stream was composed of sand and fine pebbles, and the glint and sparkle of gold was everywhere. Satisfied that their fortunes were made, he hastened back to camp with his marvelous story and a number of nuggets as proof. There was a jubilee in camp that night, and the “rattler” was toasted in wildest enthusiasm; for Charley owned that he never would have dared go down if he had not fallen. As soon as Andy could possibly climb, camp was removed to “Battlers Gulch,” as the boys termed it, and ere the approach of winter drove them from the mountains each had secured a modest fortune.