CALIFORNIA GOLD-HUNTERS.
"It seems to me, Grandpop, that you have had every kind of exciting experience except a fight with Indians," said Ralph Pell.
Captain Sterling laughed. "Don't be so sure that I haven't had that kind thrown in too by way of variety, my boy," answered the old sailor.
Ralph was all agog in an instant. "There, Grandfather, I know you must have a story to tell about them, or you wouldn't answer me in that way; so please tell it, and I'll learn to box the compass backwards to-morrow to repay you," cried the eager lad.
"All right, Ralph," was the pleased rejoinder; "it's a bargain. And now for my yarn:
"When the California gold fever set the world aflame 'way back in '49, I caught the craze, and determined to dig a big fortune out of old Mother Earth in short order, instead of reefing topsails in winter gales of wind and chewing upon salt junk for a living; so I shipped in a big vessel named the San Juan, that had loaded mining-tools for a cargo, and set sail for the Golden Gate.
"Three months after leaving New York we dropped anchor off San Francisco; but it was not then the great city of to-day, with thousands of noble buildings, paved streets, and electric lights, but a town of tents and hovels thrown together on either side of rough wagon-tracks, and these streets were only here and there faintly lit up at night by the sickly glow of smoky lamps and tallow candles that shone out from the open doorways and the turned-back flaps of dirty canvas huts.
"Although all hands had considerable money due them in the way of wages, it was counted as nothing compared with the bags of gold nuggets that we confidently expected to possess later on, so we all dropped overboard one night while the officers were asleep, and swam ashore. Each man had carefully retained a portion of the advance money paid to him before sailing, in order to buy a shovel, pickaxe, and provisions, and as the miners' stores always remained open until late at night, we supplied ourselves with what we required immediately after landing, and by sunrise were well on our way into the interior, safe from pursuit and capture as deserters.
"Our outfit was the most meagre, but it had taken every cent we had to purchase it, for pickaxes and shovels were five dollars each, and the provisions, which were of the poorest quality, were paid for at a corresponding price.
"There was no mistaking the way to the gold regions, for the trail was defined clearly enough in the way of broken-down and abandoned wagons of every variety, while small straggling parties and large organized companies either passed or were passed by us every few miles. Everybody and everything was colored with the magic suggestion of gold; even the atmosphere seemed to taste of the precious yellow metal, and there was but one thought, one ambition, one incessant subject of conversation from the gray-haired man to the youngster trotting along by his side, and that was gold! gold! gold!
"At last, after many hardships, we reached the gold country, where thousands of men, representing almost every nationality, were feverishly digging into the soil, sifting the sands of river-beds, and picking into the rocky sides of mountains, extracting the wealth that had been zealously hoarded by nature since the beginning of the world.
"It would make too long a story if I attempted to tell you of our work, our hopes, disappointments, and success. From one cause or another we kept separating, some to plunge deeper into the fastnesses of the mountains, some to associate with new partners, and others to try their fortunes alone. At last I found myself paired off with a man who had been my chum on board the San Juan—a manly young fellow, as brave as he was clever, and with whom I shared all the danger, trouble, and fortune that were met with during the time that we remained in the country.
"We tried every kind of work in the way of digging, washing, and searching for pockets in the rocks, treasuring our little finds carefully, and holding on to them as long as we could; but living of the cheapest kind was expensive, and in spite of all our frugality the store of gold in the leather belt-bags that we carried strapped about us would ebb and flow about as regularly as the ocean tides. Often would we work from sunrise to sunset, and then find ourselves rewarded by only just enough gold dust to exchange at the sutler's tent for a little flour and a piece of bacon on which to make our supper, while perhaps the men on either side of us had 'struck it rich,' and before our covetous eyes would exhibit a handful of yellow lumps or a tin cup brimming to the top with golden flecks of metal.
"One night as we sat rather disconsolate on a ledge of rock just outside the cave in which we kept house, and which we had dug for ourselves in the side of a steep hill, Jim Richards, my partner, exclaimed:
"'Luck's against us here, Sterling, and I'm for cutting loose and trying it back in the mountains, where we won't find ten men to every picayune bit of metal. What do you say?'
"'That's all right about the men part of it, Richards,' I answered, 'but how about Indians? They don't trouble us down here because we're too many for them; but wouldn't they make things rather lively for us back there?'
"We talked the subject over pretty thoroughly, and at last decided to risk our scalps. In the morning we parted with our entire stock of gold in exchange for two rifles, some ammunition and provisions; then shouldering our picks, we struck out for the range of mountains off in the eastward, whose summits could be faintly seen through the blue haze that enveloped them.
"For several weeks we worked unmolested, seeing nothing of the hostile red men; and it seemed that fortune, having become tired of remaining in hiding, at last condescended to show us her fickle, smiling face, for we discovered quite a few modest pockets, from which we took varying numbers of pure golden lumps, and our weighty, bulging belts became at times the subject of our laughing complaints. But the weather had commenced to grow cold, and we were warned by it that winter was approaching and that our work must soon end. While fortune lasted, however, we were reluctant to leave, and kept postponing our departure from day to day. At last one morning Jim came creeping back within the shelter that we had made, telling me to throw off my blanket and look out. The ground was covered with a white mantle, and the flakes continued to fall. There was only one thing to do, and that was to be done quickly. Before all landmarks were gone we were to get out of the mountains, and make all haste to the mining camp twenty miles away. We left our tools behind us, and rapidly made our way down the valley that emerged into a plain, and ten miles across which our old camp was to be reached.
"As we rounded a spur of rock, Jim, who was in the lead, stopped so suddenly that I pitched up against him. There was no necessity to ask for an explanation. Not more than fifty yards ahead of us several Indian tepees were erected, and from around the poles at their tops smoke was curling, showing that the savages were keeping warm beside the fires kindled within the tents.
"We walked backward until the spur of rock was again between us and our foes, and with fast-beating hearts discussed the situation. There was no escape from the valley except through the pass in which the Indians were camped. If we turned back, it was to die of cold and want in the mountains. Jim crept forward and peered around the ledge. Finding that the redskins were yet within their tepees, we decided on the daring plan of stealing past them and gaining the plain, which we could see a short distance beyond, trusting that the snow would not allow our foot-falls to be heard.
"Holding our breath, we commenced our hazardous way through the little village. We had reached the last tepee undiscovered, when a chorus of yelps told us that the Indian dogs had at last detected our presence. As we broke into a mad run a series of savage war-whoops was all the knowledge we wanted that the fiends were after us.
"'Get out on the plain!' yelled Jim. 'It's our best chance!'
"We made the best of our little start, covering the snow-carpeted ground like hunted deer, and reached the open just as a flight of arrows struck all about us. Suddenly Jim stopped, wheeled about, and discharged his rifle, toppling over the foremost Indian. I was about to follow suit when my companion cried out to me to hold my fire until he loaded, for if the redskins knew that both guns were empty they would come on and cut us down while we were helpless, whereas being armed with bows and arrows only, they were at a disadvantage, and could be held off if we played our game skilfully.
"Never will I forget that ten-mile retreat over the field of snow, holding the bloodthirsty crew at a distance as they circled about us with cries of rage, trying every artifice known to their warfare to get us in their power. More than one reckless warrior went down in the attempts they made, and it was not until the camp was almost reached that they left us.
"'Sterling,' said Jim to me that night, as we sat as guests within the shelter of a miner's hut, 'I think I've got enough of gold-hunting. I'm going back to the States.'
"'Jim,' I replied, 'you're not going alone.'"
[A BRAVE YOUNG SCHOOL-TEACHER.]
In a town in the Rockies, a short while ago, a young girl, who taught in the little school-house of the place, performed an act of heroism worthy of the highest commendation. One of her small scholars had a pet antelope, a sweet, docile, little creature, that followed its mistress to school, remaining quietly near the door during class hours. One day it lay as usual near the door, lazily basking in the sunlight, while the children pored over their studies. Suddenly there came a light thud and a scream. There, with his fore feet crushing the little creature, crouched a big mountain-lion, savagely switching his tail from side to side, and eying the children. The little tots, screaming wildly, ran to the furthest corner, huddling there in a heap.
The teacher, although pale with fear, did not for a moment lose her nerve, but searched the room for some means of rescuing her little scholars. Hanging on the wall near the door was a shot-gun, and she determined to obtain it, although to do so she had to pass the lion. Summoning all her courage, she advanced down the room, facing the savage beast, who stopped tearing at the antelope and growled ominously. Nothing deterred in her purpose, however, she passed by him and took the gun from off the pegs. The lion turned his head, and curiously watched her as she retreated up the room again. The gun being empty, it was necessary to return to her desk to procure some shells and load it. Savage with blood, the lion left the antelope, and prepared to spring upon the group of children. He made one leap over the benches, which landed him in front of the teacher's desk, and his eyes catching sight of her, he changed his purpose, and swinging around, was about to spring upon her. Noticing this, the teacher, who had been watching for a good opportunity to shoot, instead of waiting for him to make the leap, walked quickly up to him, and before the astonished brute could recover she placed the muzzle of the gun in his ear and pulled both triggers. The recoil knocked her over, and she fell to the floor senseless. The gun did its work, however, for the lion's head was almost blown to pieces, and the brute lay a quivering heap on the floor. The children ran screaming down the road, and men hastened to the school-house, to find the brave girl recovered, but wildly trembling. After learning the circumstances, they seized a chair, and seating the girl in it, carried her, with the dead lion, through the town, cheering and praising her brave act.
[FREDDY'S FIRST-OF-APRIL RESOLUTIONS.]
"One by one our good old customs are going to the wall,"
Said little Fred, "and pretty soon we'll have none left at all;
So I'm going to keep All-Fools' day, just because I think we should
Not idly let it lapse into innocuous desuetude.
"I'm going to see that father gets a paper one year old;
The napkins I am going to pin up tight in every fold;
The sugar I shall mix with salt, and see that Bridget bakes
Some batter-covered flannel disks to serve for griddle-cakes.
"A purse upon the sidewalk then quite unobserved I'll fling,
And when folks stoop to pick it up I'll yank it with a string.
I've cut a lot of strips of cloth to pin to passers-by,
And every pompous man I see I'll make look like a guy.
"Beneath a battered ancient 'tile' I'll slyly place a brick
To stub the toes of thoughtless men who give a passing kick;
I'm going to tell the teacher a new boy has come to school,
And when he asks the pupil's name I'll call out 'April Fool!'
"I think a little nonsense of this harmless home-made kind
Is just as good for growing boys as some that's 'more refined,'
Affected by the modern race of little school-boy prigs
Who look with scorn on tag and tops and kites and Guinea pigs."
H. G. Paine.
BY GASTON V. DRAKE.
X.—FROM JACK TO BOB.
Mountain House, July —, 189-.
My Dear Bob,—We fellers had that mass-meeting to complain about the eagle-eyed head-waiter that won't let us take all the nuts and raisins we want out of the hotel dining-room, but the proprietor won't discharge him because he doesn't dare to. The trouble is the head-waiter isn't like other head-waiters you meet. Head-waiting isn't his regular business. He's a college man and he pays for his education with what he makes here in the summer-time, and as he's centre rush in his college football team the proprietor's afraid of him. I knew the minute I saw him that he was something of that sort, because his hair reaches down over his collar, and he said something about me in Latin once; and I heard him tell one of his college mates that came through here on a bicycle that the place wasn't perfect. "They haven't any nats or merskeeters," he said, "but it swarms with small boys that's worse."
He isn't so bad though when he isn't on duty. He told me a lot about things you learn studying one day when I met him coming down the road. He'd been out taking a little exercize on a bicycle. I had my wheel out too, and we rode along a little ways together, and he asked me if I was going to college. I told him of course I was, and he wanted to know where, and I told him I didn't know, but I thought I'd go to Yale if she didn't stop winning everything there was going. I want to be on the winning side, I said. That's a good idea, he said, everybody ought to want to do that, but of course everybody couldn't, because if everybody was on the winning side nobody'd be on the losing side, which would be a bad thing for the world. He's a queer fellow, the way he looks at things. He said bicycling up hill was always more fun than coasting, because when you got to the top of the hill you were glad it was over, while when you had coasted to the foot of it you were sorry it was all over. It's the same way in football, he said. There's more fun in getting beaten in a stiff game than winning in a walkover. And then he told me to always take a man of my own size.
"Why don't you?" said I. "I'm not a man of your size, but you've been fighting me about those nuts and raisins I take away."
He only laughed when I said that, and then he said he took 'em away from me because he wanted me to be a man of his size some day, which I wouldn't be if I eat so many nuts and raisins, and I guess he's right, and I told him I'd quit. When I got back to the hotel I told that Chicago boy about it, and he said he didn't take any stock in head-waiters, and he wasn't going to quit for ten of 'em, but that night he wished he had, because just to be brave as he put it, he slipped three bananas, two oranges, six bunches of raisins, two handsful of nuts, and a peach into his blouse, but the head-waiter caught him and took him straight to his Pop. His Pop turned him upside down, took him by the heels and gave him a shake, and all the things tumbled out on the floor, so that now he's not allowed to have anything of the kind at all even in the dining-room.
Sandboys likes the head-waiter very much, and says there isn't very much use in boys trying to fool him, because it hadn't been very long since he was a boy himself and he's up to all their tricks, and his game of football is the finest that ever was. One time two years ago when he was in school his team had been forced back almost to the goal line, Sandboys says, when all of a sudden he got the ball and ran half way down the field with it before he was stopped, and then, with both his own and the other eleven sitting on his back he crawled the rest of the way and made a touch-down and won a goal.
"I don't see how that could be though," I said.
"Neither do I," said Sandboys, "but that's what he did."
Unfortunately Sandboys forgot what school it was he went to, and the head-waiter when I asked him about it, only laughed and said Sandboys was a great man.
There was a slight-of-hand man here last week doing tricks in the parlor, and I tell you he was fine. He could do anything with anything. He asked if some little boy in the audience wouldn't come up on the platform and let him see if he couldn't find some money in his ears. That made everybody laugh, and I thought I'd go up, but I wish now I hadn't. If I'd only gone outside and shook my head I'd have been ten dollars in, because when I got up on the platform he grabbed hold of my ear and got ten silver dollars out of it. I never was more surprised in my life, and Pop thought he'd be smart and have fun with the man. He got up and said he recognized those ten dollars by the feathers on the eagles on the back of 'em. He said he'd left them under his pillow the night before, and he supposed that they'd slipped into my ear when I climbed over into his bed. The man said all right he could have 'em, and when Pop went up to get 'em they'd disappeared into the piano, and when he went there to get 'em they'd disappeared into Sandboys' pocket, and so on until Pop gave up chasing them, and said the prestidigitter could keep 'em for himself. Everybody thought that was a great joke on Pop, and he got very red, but later on when the man passed his hat around for people to put quarters and dimes in for him, Pop told him there was a four dollar bill in my eye he could have. This made everybody laugh, which put Pop in a better humor, and I saw him give the man two dollars and a half later on.
Besides this there hasn't been anything going on here that's worth writing about. I asked Sandboys to give me some kind of an idea about what to tell you that would be interesting, and he asked me why I didn't tell you about the fourteen-pound pickerel I caught in a lake last week. Why, I said, I didn't catch any fourteen-pound pickerel. What difference does that make? he asked. You can tell him about the one you would have caught if you'd caught it, which I think was rather funny. Somehow or other I'm beginning to believe that Sandboys has lots of things happen to him that never happened, and I'm going to be careful about what I believe. I asked the proprietor about that bear story he told, and the Colonel said he'd never heard of it, and all the satisfaction I could get out of Sandboys later was that the Colonel was like all very prosperous personages. His memory was short.
Give my love to anybody you think would like to have it, and if you meet any Kings or Queens don't forget to talk right up to 'em like a real American.
Yours affectionately,
Jack.
R. W. MOORE.
There was not much record-breaking at the Interscholastic Games in the Madison Square Garden a week ago Saturday night, doubtless on account of the heavy track; but there was good sport and plenty of it, and better in-door games than these have never been seen in New York. Not only did the local schools turn out in full force, entering their strongest teams, but the winners of the recent B.A.A. games came down from Boston, and the leagues of Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island, and Philadelphia sent some of their best men—men who proved so clever that the New-Yorkers managed to secure only five firsts out of the thirteen events, and but 49 points out of a possible 117. With such an aggregation the games became truly representative of school athletics, in the East at least, and they foreshadow a brilliant success for the National Games next June. If we can get as representative a gathering on that occasion, there need be no fear for the future of the Association.
St. Paul's School has good reason to feel pride in the achievement of her team, for it was as a team that the lads of Garden City won success rather than as individuals. The development of track athletics at St. Paul's during the present year is really worthy of note. At the Long Island League games last May, the Garden City team ranked fourth with 20 points, the winner of the day being Adelphi Academy with 39. At the Inter-City games the week following, St. Paul's held eighth place with 6 points—Barnard leading with 21. At the recent in-door games of the Long Island League in Brooklyn, St. Paul's showed her newly developed strength by ranking third, and her team took the same place at the Berkeley games a week later, Berkeley and Barnard being ahead of her in both instances. But St. Paul's has fewer stars and a better general average than these two New York schools, and for this reason was able to roll up 19 points, and take first place at the New Manhattan Athletic Club games, the athletes from out of town robbing both Berkeley and Barnard of several firsts which they can usually count upon in local contests.
W. S. HIPPLE.
Beers of De La Salle is the only man who scored a double win at the Garden, and he deserves praise for his work. He won his heat in the hurdles in 7-3/5 sec., and then took the final after a hot race with Bien of Berkeley over a course that was far from ideal for hurdling. In the broad jump he displayed the best form of any of the contestants. This may not sound very complimentary to those who saw the display of form that evening, for it was wretched; but Beers's performance gave evidence of his having done systematic work. The box was doubtless responsible for a good deal of the floundering that the jumpers indulged in when they landed, and the runway no doubt had little spring; but neither of these disadvantages can account for some of the marvellous mid-air gyrations that most of them executed in their flights.
Broad-jumping is an event that we seldom have at in-door meets, and the performances in the Garden on this occasion showed very well why this event has to be abandoned. It is impossible, of course, to jump on a board floor. At the N.M.A.C. games the board floor had been covered with a pretty heavy layer of clay and dirt, but as soon as a man landed in the jumping box where this layer had been turned over, he slid, and in nine cases out of ten fell backward. This could not be helped, and was just as great an obstacle for the success of one man as it was for another, and consequently Beers's performance of 19 ft. 2½ in. is most creditable. The N.Y.I.S.A.A. out-door record, made by Pell in 1891, is little better, being 21 feet 5 inches.