"How much?"
"Suppose I can buy all you have to sell."
"Will you treat this 'ere crowd ef you can't?"
"Yes, I will, and yeou, too."
Diminutive sacks of dust were handed to the wondering host, and the coin counted out in return. By the time $2500 had exchanged hands, the landlord's $20-pieces were exhausted, and our Yankee had played the "trick" with a $250 pile still in reserve. The laugh came in then louder than the night before; and as the glasses were being filled the buyer of gold-dust remarked, irreligiously, that he would have robbed the fellow himself if he had known how he was playing him.
The business was as suitable as profitable to the man, and so well did he manage it, that his profits for the last quarter of 1854, were $1000 per month. Another success was in a novel undertaking for those golden days. He went prospecting for ice-fields, and finding a favorable situation 25 miles above Georgetown, in El Dorado County, put up 312 tons of the cool mountain product. A few months afterwards the speculation returned him eight thousand dollars.
In March, 1856, among the passengers on board the steamship Cortez, for Panama, was Mr. Horton. Soon after their arrival at the isthmus, the memorable rising of the natives took place. The mob would have had easy work in carrying out the plan of outrage and plunder, but for the prompt and courageous action of our friend and a few of his companions. Among nearly 200 people from the steamer, who were dining at the hotel where the attack was made, there were but three with fire-arms. The announcement that the rioters were coming, caused a stampede from the table to the upper rooms. On bursting into the house, the leading ruffians were halted at the stairway by Capt. Horton and his aids, and as the attempt to ascend was made, a few effective shots drove the assailants into the street. Immediately the reign of terror and bloodshed began.
"Please, sir, save my father!" was an appeal from a little boy, as he pointed to where a swarthy assassin stood taking aim at a defenceless man. The American's revolver was leveled and fired just in time to render the other's shot harmless by his own fall. Others were protected by the same faithful hand and stern purpose as they retreated towards the only place of safety—the American steamer. Arriving at the water, the crowd rushed on to a small steam-tug, and but for the quick thought and bold action of our leader, would have been overtaken by the pursuing mob. He took command, gave his orders to fasten to a lighter near at hand, transferred his passengers to the larger craft, and signalled the engineer to start for the Cortez. Fortunately, he was obeyed without question, and a more successful trip was never made by the Wild Goose and her commander on Lake Ontario! His money loss was some $10,000, but he could count untold gain in the saving of lives, and to this day he refers to his participation in those fearful scenes with satisfaction not to be calculated in coin.
On their arrival in New York, Mr. Horton was named by his fellow-passengers as the person to proceed to Washington, to make a statement of the occurrences at Panama, in response to a call from the authorities to that effect. From that time until his marriage in 1861, he made several journeys between Washington and Wisconsin, as a witness in the riot case and a claimant for damage. His testimony was important in deciding the demand for reparation made by the United States upon the Government of New Grenada. His own claim was most strenuously and successfully opposed by the Spanish commissioner. He had done too much injury to his people to have his losses repaid. All other claims were not so objectionable; and as a compromise in the final settlement, the man who deserved a General's commission for courage and strategic skill, and liberal pay for the personal risks taken in his defense of American citizens, was stricken from the list of creditors.