Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1916 — GOLD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOLD

By STEWART EDWARD WHITE

SYNOPSIS Talbot Ward’s challenge to Frank Munroe to a personal encounter to determine whether ilunroe is tit to make a trip to California in search of gold is accepted. Munrce gets a hammerlock on Ward and wins the boirt Arriving at Chagres, Talbot Ward’s knowledge of Spanish' and his firm treatment of the native boatmen help wonderfully.' The party enters a tropical forest They reach Gatun, and, after passing through several villages where Ward always diplomatically handles the natives, they arrive in Panama. Ward forces steamship agent to refund passage money because ship isn’t available. Tank has provided accommodations for all on board a sailing ship. They arrive in San Francisco. Ward puts it up to each man to get $220 in one day. Munroe makes $25 as a laborer. Johnny gambles and gets $220. Ward astounds the party by telling how, by shrewd business deals in one day in the Golden City, he accumulated several thousand dollars.

CHAPTER Xf. Off For Sutter's Fort. TWO days later Yank, Johnny and I embarked aboard a small bluff bowed sailboat, waved our farewells to Talbot, standing on the shore, and laid our course to cross the blue bay behind an island called Alcatraz. Our boatman was a short, swarthy man with curly hair and gold rings in his ears. He handled his boat well, but spoke not at all. After a dozen attempts to get something more than monosyllables out of him we gave it up anti settled ourselves to the solid enjoyment of a new adventure. The breeze was strong and drove even our rather clumsy craft at considerable speed. The blue waters of the bay flashed in the sun and riffled under the squalls. Spray dashed away from our bows. Archill racer in from the open Pacific, diluting the sunlight. After a journey of several days we came into a wide bottom land country with oaks. The distant blue bills had grown and had become slate gray. At noon we discerned ahead of us a low bluff, and a fork In the river, and among the oak trees the gleam of tents, and before them a tracery of masts where the boats and small ships lay moored to the trees. This was the embarcadero of Sutter’s Fort beyond, or the new city of Sacramento, whichever you pleased. Here our boat journey ended, and we set out to cover the three or fonr miles to Sutter’s Fort.

Sutter’s Fort was situated at the edge of the live oak park. We found it to resemble a real fort, with high walls, bastions and a single gate at each end through which one entered to a large inclosed square, perhaps a hundred and fifty yards long by fifty wide. The walls were not pierced for guns, and the defense seemed to depend entirely on the jutting bastions. The walls were double and about twenty-five feet apart. Thus by roofing over this space and dividing it with partitions Sutter bad made up his bdrracks, blacksmith shop, bakery, and the like. Later in our investigations we even ran across a woolen factory. a distillery, a billiard room and a bowling alley! At the southern end of this long space stood a two story Loose. Directly opposite the two story house and at the other end of the inol s:ire was an adobe corral.

The place was crowded with people. A hundred or so miners rushed here and there on apparently very important business or loafed contentedly against th ? posts % or the sun warmth of ad .be walls. In this latter occupation they were aided and abetted by a number of the native Californians. Pei haps a hundred Indians were leading horses, carrying burdens or engaged in some other heavy toil.. They were the first we had seen, and we examined them with considerable curiosity. A good iA of them were nearly naked, bxm some had on portions of batters civilized apparel. Yew few could make up a full suit of clothes, but contented themselves with either a coat, or a shirt, or a pair of pa:.taloons, or even with only a hat, as the case might be. They were very swarthy, squat, villainous looking savages, with big heads, low foreheads, coarse hair and beady little eyes.

V.'e stopped for some time near the sentry box at the entrance, accustoming ourselves to the whirl and movement. Then we set out to find McClellan. He was almost immediately pointed oat to us, a short, square, businesslike man, with a hard gray Dace, dealing competently with the pressure. A score of men suVrounded him, each eager fbr his attention. While we hovered. awaiting oar chance, two men, walked in through the gate. * They were accorded the compliment of almost a complete silence on the part of those who caught sight of them. The first was a Californian about thirty-five or forty years of age, a man of lofty, stem bearing, swarthy skin, glossy side whiskers and bright superclllooa eves. He wore a light blue

short jacket trimmed with scarlet and with silver buttons, a striped silk sash, breeches of crimson velvet, met below by long embroidered deerskin boots. A black kerchief was bound crosswise on his hepd, entirely concealing the and a flat crowned, wide, gray hat heavily ornamented with sliver completed this gorgeous costume. He moved with the assured air of the aristocrat. The splendor of his apparel, the beanty of his face and figure and the grace of his movements attracted the first glance from all eyes. Then Immediately he was passed over in favor of his companion. The latter was a shorter, heavier man, of more mature years. In fact, his side whiskers were beginning to turn gray. His costume was plain, but exquisitely neat, and a strange blend of the civil and the military. The jacket, for example, had been cut In the trim military fashion, but was worn open to exhibit the snowy cascade of the linen beneath. But nobody paid much attention to the man’s dress. The dignity and assured calm of his face and eye at once Impressed one with conviction of unusual quality. Johnriy stdred for a moment, his brows knit: then, with an exclamation, he sprang forward. “Captain Sutter!” he cried.

Sutter turned slowly to look Johnny squarely in the face, his attitude one of cold but courteous Inquiry. Johnny was approaching hat in hand. I confess he astonished me. We had known him intimately for some months and always as the haruip-scarum, impulsive, hail fellow, Rubbling, irresponsible. Now a new Johnny stepped forward, quiet, highbred, courteous, self

contained: Before he hail spoken a word Captain Sutter’s aloof expression had relaxed.

“I beg your pardon for addressing you so abruptly,” Johnny was saying. “The surprise of the moment must excuse me. Ten years ago, sir, I had the pleasure of meeting you at the time you visited my father in Virginia.” “My dear boy!” cried Sutter. “You are of course the son of Colonel Fairfax. But ten years ago you were a very young man.” “A small boy, rather,” laughed Johnny. They chatted for a few moments, exchanging news, I suppose, though they had drawn beyond our earshot. In a few moments we were, summoned and presented, first to Colonel Sutter, then to Don Caspar Martinez. The latter talked English welk Yank and I, both somewhat silent and embarrassed before all this splendor of manner, trailed the triumphal progress like two small boys. We were glad to trail, however. Captain Sutter took us about, showing us in turn all the many industries of the place. Don Caspar here excused himself on the ground of business, promising to rejoin us later. We walked back through the inclosure. Our companion was greeted on all sides with the greatest respect and affection. To all he responded with benign but unapproachable dignity. From the vociferating group-he called the trader McClellan, to whom he introduced us, all three, with urbane formality. “These young men,” he told McClellan, who listened to him intently, his brows knit, “are more than acquaintances; they are very especial friends of mine. I wish to bespeak your good offices for what they may require. They are on their way to the mines. And now, gentlemen, I repeat, I am delighted to have had this opportunity. I wish you the best of luck, and I sincerely hope you may be able to visit me at Feather River, where you are always sure of a hearty welcome. Freht them well, McClellan."

“You know, cap’n, friends of your’n are friends of mine,” said McClell&n briefly. At.the end of half an hour we found ourselves in possession of two pack horses and saddles and a’load of provisions.

“Look out for hoss thieves,” advised McClellan. “These yere Greasers will follow you for days, waitin' for a chance to git your stock. Don’t picket with rawhide rope, or the coyotes are likely to gnaw yore -animiles loose. Better buy a couple of ha’r ropes from the nearest Mex. Take care of yoreselves. Goodby.” He was immediately immersed In his flood of business'. We loaded our pack horses and set off next morning early on the trail up the American river. At last, it seemed to us, we were really under way; as though our long Joumeyings and many experiences had been but a preparation for this start. Our spirits were

high, and we'laughed and joked Vnd sang extravagantly. Even Yank woke up and acted like a frisky colt Such early wayfarers as we met we hailed with shouts and chaffing; nor were we In the least abashed by an occasional surly response, or the not infrequent attempts to discourage our hopes. For when one man said there was. no gold another was confident that the diggings were not even scratched. Yank turned the two horses out Into a grass meadow and sat, his back against an oak tree, smoking bis pipe and watching them. Johnny and I unrolled the beds, sorted out the simple cooking utensils, and started to cook. Occasional travelers on the road just above us shouted out friendly greetings. They were a miscellaneous lot. Most were headed toward the mountains. These journeyed in various ways. Some walked afoot and unencumbered, some carried apparently all their belongings on their backs; one outfit comprising three men had three saddle horses and four packs—a princely caravan. Near sundown two horsemen turned off the trail and rode down to our little trickle of water. When they drew near we recognized in one of them Don Caspar Martinez, Ho wore still his gorgeous apparel of the day before, with only the addition of a pair of heavy silver ornamented spurs on his heels and. a brace of pistols in his sash. His horse, a magnificent chestnut, was harnessed in equal gorgeousness, with silvered broad bit, silver chains jangling therefrom, a plaited rawhide bridle and reins, a carved leather, High pommelled saddle, also silver ornamented, and a bright colored, woven saddle blanket beneath. The animal stepped daintily and proudly, lifting his little feet and planting them among the stones as though fastidiously. The man who rode with Don Gaspar was evidently of a lower class. He was, however, a straight, handsome young fellow enough, with a dark clear complexion, a small mustache and a pleasant smile. His dress and accoutrements were on the same general order as those of Don Gaspar, but of quieter color and more serviceable material. His horse, however, was of the same high bred type. A third animal followed, unled, packed with two cowhide boxes.

The Spaniard rode up to us and saluted courteously; then his eye lit with recognition. “Ah,” said he, “the good friends of our Captain Sutter! This is to be well met. If it is not too much I would beg the favor of to camp.” “By all means, Don Gaspar,” said Johnny, rising. “The pleasure is, of course, our own.” Again saluting us, Don Gaspar and his companion withdrew a short distance up the little meadow. There the Spaniard sat down beneath a bush and proceeded to smoke a cigaretto, while his companion unsaddled the horses, turned them loose to graze, stacked up their saddles and made simple camping arrangements. “Old Flush Pants doesn’t Intend to do any work if he catches sight of it first,” observed Johnny. “Probably the other man is a servant?" I suggested.

“More likely a sect of dependent,” amended Johnny. “They run a kind of patriarchal establishment, I’ve been told.” “Don’t use them big words, Johnny,” complained Yank, coming up with the horses. “I meant they make the poor relations and kid brothers do the hustling,” said Johnny. “Now I understand you,” said Yank. “I w r ish I could see what they do with ( their bosses nights. I bet they know how. And if I was a boss thief I’d surely take a long chance for that chestnut gelding.”

“You might wander over later and find out,” I suggested. “And get my system full of leadsure,” said Yank. The two camps did not exchange visits. We caught the flicker of their little fire, but we were really too tired to be curious, and we turned in early, our two animals tied fast to small trees at our feet

The next day lifted us into the mountains. Big green peaks, across which hung a bluish haze, showed themselves between the hills. The latter were more precipitous, and the brush had now given way to pines of better size and quality than those seen lower down. (To be continued.)

With an Exclamation He Sprang Forward.