THE WEST SHORE.
September.
i
the firry. One day In 185". atler an absence of a
week or more In the mountains, the Indian re
turned to the house and gave to Jewett the speci
men. Jeweit bad never wen any cinnabar, und
(lidD'l know wlmt It wu. Yet, as It was a curious
looking rock, lie put It among some other speci
mens and "finds'' be bud gut tiered, and these
were all on a shelf In the room usually assigned
to wayfarers who stopped there for meals or for
night' lodging. Early In July, IKCO, a gentle
man uu bis way from Hun Francisco to J'ortiano
verland, riding horseback from Jacksonville
m one hud to do In those days, lor the stiigo lino
had not then been pulon-atopped for dinner end
to have his horse fed, at the ferry. Awaiting the
meal, ho took a look at Jewetrs collect Ion of cu
riosities and specimens. The piece of clnnuhur
especially attracted his attention. He know what
It wus, und, niitunilty euongb, supposed his host,
the posseseor of it, also knew lis qunjiiy. J inn n
whs a very rich ore, was npparent Irom Its weight.
" Wiieredid this tuiiiw liom V" Jewell told bun
how It nuino Into his liundii-biit, "What Is It?"
was his question In turn. And after tlio uncut
hud told him Unit Hint piece of rock waselnim-
bar or quicksilver on, mid (luit a mlno of that
would lion splendid fortune to Its owner, Jewell's
yes " bugged t,m," and the thirst for gold, by
medium of quicksilver, look violent hold mm
bin). " Where could that Indian have found tills
re T" was the first puscle he addressed to 111 in
to IT; hni there flushed upon him this othcrqulte as
lmporlui.1-" What's become of tbo Indian T"
This lust Inquiry wus In a short time sutlNfled
ho wax on the Hi I el r lleNervallnn, wliltnnr he had
been taken wllh other of his trlUo. Jewell bad
then broken tlio specimen In halves und taken
one pleco to town to show II lo me and have mu
end It to Hun Krauclsco" to some safe man'
assay. Hut I was already In Hun Kranclco, und
ao bo Mil rusted the ore lo my friend to forward It
at mine. And when I relumed with the cerlifleato
of Its exceeding richness, and told him what
Juslb bad snld and wMied In reference lo the
matter, each of im Hirer, who us yet exclusively
posesKcd the secret, mid bud then made a Joint
and co-partnership ullalr of It, became equally
alive to Iko lniHiriaiice of getting hack tbo
tad luii and having htm tell us how be oame by
It, or wbero he got It, or to lead us to the sjtol In
tmsu ho knew Just where It was fouud.
( KITING DKKJ'KR I NTS ItRHTKD.
The Itov. K. K. (Jeary, now of Imne county, was
then Nuprrlnlendent of Indian A (lairs, with bis
uJflce In I'ortlmid, I was on friendly relations
Willi blin, and accordingly It was determined
among us (ho tlireu joint owners of the very
rich quicksilver in I no in prmfiretirt that I should
write to Mr. deary a request that Hie particular
Indian (his name has slipped my memory)
abould bo hI lowed lo return to Jackson county
nder the rim i go of ibo trusty messenger to
whoso bands tbo letter was confided. This wus
done, and, Unit no mistake as to tbo particular
Indian should be made, Mr. Jeweit hum
stun cd on tbo m I km Ion, hiking with him a horse
tor the fellow to ride on Die home trip. Mr. Henry
very generously ucccded lo the request; Jewell
rfpatn-d to lliu Iteservullon wlih tils authority;
Ibo Indian wus readily found ; he was glad lo
km tv tbo opportunity once more lo return to bis
wu itlchee; and lu due time he was solely lodged
it the ferry.
lit bad thought it politic on tbo way not to
tel l lie l ml lun know whul particular service was
eapected or wauled of him. e knew the buck,
ud also knew how to humor or manage him.
OinvaKuln under bis own roof, with ibo fellow
lu blliueir, be could by admit questioning and so
a nol louroitsn rltbor his cupidity ur bis suspl
Ions draw from him all that It Was vssentlal In
the cafe. Ho, lu two ur lb roe days, bo picked out
from bis culh-ctliin.as If without design, the ro
valuing half of Die specimen the Indian had
given him two years before, and In his presence
began to pick It with his knife. The Indian ob
served him a few in l miles with mall Interest,
but when Jeweit I ben put I lie ore lu the lire
where dinner was being cook ml, be betrayed a
good deal of ugliallon and started to run away as
If In great fright. IVrplexcd at this strangr ei.
duet on I ho part of the Indian, Jewell Hiked I lie
ore Irom thellivand linuti for the buck toctnue
buck. The fellow pouted, bill declined u up
arouch. Finally Jewell went to him and persim
ded hi m to return lollie house, hut he obstinately
refused to go nearlhe tire or near the kitchen.
Jewell miw at ouee that the. Indian hail nvognlitd
ltivsMH'lmen, broken as It was.uud felt sun that
their was something In eoiim-vtlon with II which
had uncommon Influence upon him. And now
Uils new and iiiicihvIihI dlnVully tiilerptiard, iu
any who are acquainted with lb average Indian
rbaraeter will appreciate. They nre very super
llllous.aiid luany but their own race lliey are
toleally reticent in all such mailers, ll was
in ui (Ml Fiiough l hut our Indian, on whom we
had already spt-ul a snug little sum, and from
whom we exptvted so much of information m
would make us all very rich, was lu mortal fear
t that rnutuieiil of ore-but only when II was
placed in th Am, (or he hod refused loeven sit
u ibo outnide strpa unlit Jewett brought and
showed him the HTlineti he had raked Irom the
tie ere ll was by It mlcvted.
HOW TIIR Lit II AM HOT US.
rra whole week suUtspiently the Indian was
kiystertous and uiuai. He n fusej to sleep under
Ilia she,) where he had been furiilihed .pisrtsrs, i
and which be h,l utilll that day of the ore and j
urn inauhniiijr o,vupled, but Insisted upon
Uklng hts blankets lo go oul In a pine nearly a
suile away on Uie site of m old rancherle. He
Was, as every ludlan usually U, mud of whlskv,
and ai this dUlant erlod, at the Hsk of bringing
imableaud prwerullou Uh.ii bis keeper ai lhal
Mae Air having done U, I am bound to My he had
Weil rurtiLhcd wilh enougli o p. htm ,m,utn
very sloge of lutuxlctmu fruin tly to dead
drunk, In order to worui out of blin by fair means
r awil the story be was wanted as urgvuiiy
eft But sober or drunk, a- tom WMIj
uardorwheeIMoresltHied ftum him on the
yaHledlarsuldeet. We begun lo despair. There
wasaumeihlug In Ilia way, lo thus alarm and
Aighlen him, mid lu seal bU lips m lightly.
Wbatwaslit Aye, that was Uie quMiiua, of all
t ben next lo thai other paramouui and moat
anxiously awaited, to which wo wanted answer.
At last It came.
TUB KEVKLATIO!.
One day, after a long spell of silence, our In
dian suddenly and of his own accord became
communicative to Jewett, who bad all Ibo time
kept watch and ward over him. As a matter of
policy the two or us in Jacksonville naa never
gone to the ferry since the day after Jewett re
turned with blrn; but we wore dally and eagerly
hoping and waiting for the wished-for word to
come that the secret had been confided and that
the rich mine could now be easily found and then
immediately located. After these preliminaries
and essentials to sound title bad been properly
attended to we each felt that we would be" fixed"
for life In the roll or the mohtuffltient-provliled,
however, tbo confouned mine shouldn't "peter
ouL" But now to the long-deferred denouement,
I give It substantially as Jewett told It
That day of revelation the ludlan called Jeweit
to the river hnnh and tlifro told to him Itio story
of the specimen, without suggestion or bint or
rcfiicHt. Ho wus ilien pant middle ago, anywliove
from lorty-fl vc to.flfiy-ftvo years old for it Is dif
ficult tocMlinnte un Indian's age by ourrulo of
looks. When he was a young brave, he said, and
long before the whiles had ;irenpnscd upon their
country, he remembered that Just before tlio time
their tribe bad set for a raid upon some- ol the
Klainittlis, with whom they were on hostile
terms, one of their warriors came In from a bunt
after an absence of two days, and his faco wus
painted with the strangest red they had ever
soon. Questioned about it by the head chief be
had told where be found It and how he came by
lu Away In the hills, und nearly a day's chase
from the rancher lo, he hudhotadeer und then
rested In the shade. He there found Bomestrango
looking ml rock, unlike, any he had ever seen.
Having built him n lire to cook some of the ven
ison bo amused himself hammering a piece of
tbo rock on a larger surface of the same. One of
the fragments lei I into the lire, and, after he had
cooked and ato of his fticul, bo observed In the
coals the brilliant particles of the burnt and dis
integrated rock. He raked them out and as he
toucjied the cooled mans wltb bis Augers he ob
served that It Imparled to Ihein the flue red which
so pleased himself and attracted the notice of
his tribe. Accordingly, he set to and painted
himself In the manner In which tbey raw hliii.
Ho then tried lo explain how ibul
TUB "PAINT-ROCK,"
as (ho Indian term might be Interpreted, when
In the (Ire and after he had daubed hi nisei 1 wilh
ll, caused a singularly slippery taste in his
mouth and peoullur sensations otherwise; but
there wus very little attention given lo that part
of his story. The brilliant rod paint was the con
spicuous object, and how lo get plenty of It the
leading wish and uppormoal thought. With It,
how the Kogue Itlvors could outshine the other
neighboring tribes I and Indluns have as much
of tho pride of udorntnent, barbaric I hough It be.
as the vainest belles of the day or the silliest of
tho coxcombs of the exclusive order.
A VIAHT AMD ITU COS8EQUIKCKS.
The old Chief was Instantly taken with an Idea.
What a grand thing it woni boytoryre ravngTng
thooiiemy.to uve ins tribe repair to the swat
" pHlnli'-k'i'rouud, and Ihere have a big lime
oi tun feasting and dancing, and last, thou kIi not
least, In putting on this newly discovered, inoit
gorgeous war paint I U should be done. The
tribe wore gathered In, commanded what lo do,
aim mo next day all started, mounted and on
Hail iiKin (he grand "paint-rock" feast and
frolic, which was lo be the prelude to the raid
upon and the certain victory over their Iiostilo
uelghburs, who little simpected exactly what was
In store for Ihein. lint In this Instance, the
rcudcrwlll find, ox In many Instances where the
most enlightened peoples ol Indo-European or
Caiiem-lau blood were Involved, the Ited Men
proposed, and Uod deposed, othmiitt.
The "paint-rock" ground was easily (bund by
the brnve who had two days before so accidentally
discovered It. The halt wus ordered, their horses
were In loose lo grnse or browse, a great tire wo
kindled, masses of the bright red rock were
broken off from the protruding ledge, und when
all was ready east Into the bed of living coals.
Feasting and dancing and the customary punde-monlum-like
orgies ol the wiir-bont savages were
Indulged in until the moon had hidden herself
al midnight, when, satluled and exhausted, they
all betook themselves to sleep, to await Hie com
ing of i he mom, when the warriors would re
paint, and then upon tho war-path sally.
Hut, very few or them slept till morning. Most
of them did not sleep nil. We need not dwell
nor dilate upon the reason why. Hueh an ludlan
camp as ihut turned out to be can hardly be Im
agined with accuracy; II cannot certainly be des-crlbcd-ln
print, i Uiwt. Everybody knows I he
peculiar property of mercury on the human sys
tem, and ll anVcls Hiilmul creatlou the same, not
excepting Indian ponies or fuiftint. It was not
the odd lhal made their teeth to shake and
shiver; nor bolls that sore anllcled their gums;
ll was noi oil, imr grease, nor slippery elm, which
caued Hut alleky ami strangely nauseous taste
and feeling in their mouth; nor was It the wild
music of ibi ir clonus and grunts which moved
them so. With the elneraled naltit-m. ih. .i
warrior had all brlliuntlv riHldenni
daubed ibelr facet aud Ihelr bodies. As Ihey did
so Ihey exultingly content plated how they would,
III their Vermillion glory and overtimr-rins-
dash upon and cause ihelr enemies to writhe and
sufler. Hut the Kate had ordered otherwise. It
was themselves lo whom this magical new paint
was moat disastrous. It overpowered l hem with
Its Irresistible quality. They alone Id body mat
spirit were tormented by the luiernal torture of
the lufr rust agent ihey had sought, with which
lo dccuraie Ihelr bodies as savages never before
were decorated. It may as well be added that
their horses suffered quite as badly as the braves
themselves,
TUB TAftLU TVRMKD.
Thus, by the Inscrutable workings at Nature,
Dial which was lo have been a source of barbarle
pride la personal adornment, aud also meant
of Inspiration lo deeds of savage warlaro again!
Hie je, was by their own act converted Into a
pa in nil agent, and, as Hie sequel will show, Die I
cause of moat mortifying disaster. Tbera was
among their number a captive Klamath, held aa
a slave, to whom had, been commuieu mid
ol bringing wood to keep up tho Are to reduce the
pulnt-rock to tho powder-like consistency they
thought essential; and having been thus com
pelled by his harsh masters to labor and to re
main further away from the Arc-pit, be bad been
affected only slightly by tbo roasting or which
had so terribly salivated and sickened the Rogue
Klver braves and tbeir horses as well. The next
morning this captive quickly enough took In the
situation. He saw that none of tho tribe could
do much more than move, and that their animals
were entirely unfitted for service. He lost but
little lime In making tho most of the circum
stances. With speed he fled from the camp of
his fated cnpiors, and by nightfall he had reached
some of bis own tribo acroxs the Siskiyou range,
to whom he gave the word to be conveyed aa fast
as they could carry It to their chiefs and warriors.
Nothing so accelerates an Indian's movement
as the Infornintlin or bo'lf flint hehinasnretyof
slnughtorand plunder beforehlm,c8peclaIlywbca
tho object of his savagery and spoliation are his
hereditary foes. Therefore the Klnmath runners
lost not a moment In their fleet Journeys, as es
lufcltes, to appriN their brethren cf the excep
tional opportiinily they hod to pounce upon their
old enemies, tho Rogue Rivers, prostrated by tho
terrible and mysterious malady, and to rout
or put them to slaughter. The morning of tho
second day after the flight of the captive Klam
ath from tbo paint-rock feast and mercurial sat
urnalia, witnessed tho starting of about a hun
dred Klamath warriors from their rancherle, in
full warlike preparation, Intent upon tho oertaln
game before tbem.
Meant line the suffering and horrified Rogue
River hod gathered their animals, and either
mouutod or'afoot had wearily rodo or In greater
misery trudged their way book to their rancherle
upon the river's bunk. All that day and until
nearly the going down of tho sun on the day fol
lowing did tho short but painfully tedious Jour
uoy continue. At last they were upon their own
Ulehae.slck and Joint and utterly dispirited, help
less almost us Infanta and with not a spark of tho
warrlorsplrlt to Inspire them. In ihelr misera
ble agony they groaned; with Insufferable pains
they writhed. Bleep was not theirs, nor rest,
much less repose. The grey dawn of early morn
ing hnd barely given tho dim light to the nice of
nature whoa the stealthy slop of the escaped
Klamath captive hud from safe points carefully
taken observation of tho condition of tho disa
bled nnd powerless llogue Rivers. Their squaws
were nil busily occupied In doing what (hoy could
U aid or comfort the stricken braves, and none
sunpectcd danger or attack from their Klnmath
fboa.
TUB OS8LAUQIIT-T1IB BUKPBI9B IS TORN.
Having returned from his scouting duly the
Into captive communicated to his chlof the situa
tion. Instantly tlio word wus given te attack.
Like snakes crawling through the grass did the
Klamuths creep through the woods and brush
Intent upon the vlclims or their savage hate and
fury. When within afcw iwts, the frightful war-
whoop was sounded, nnd then they rushed wltb
demonical glee and lust or blood and spoil upon
their unwenponed enemy or old. It was a mas
sacre unequalled wlnlo It continued; but It was
nol all that the Klamaths had contemplated.
While on their in arc h they had been discovered
by another branch or t he llogue Rivers who dwelt
nnd roamed further up that stream, and In hot
liasto ihey bad prepared for an attack upon tho
raiding trespasser. Ho quick had been their
movements that tbey arrived upon the scone of
slaughter ere half the bloody worktheKlainuths
had resolved upon was done. That which Juat
before promised to Ihj slmplya total massacre
became after alia battle between nearly equally
matched tribes. Hut the upper Rogue Rivers hail
tho best of it, and after an hour's righting the
K la m ulh's fled from the ground. They took no
prisoner j they captured uo spoils; they had
many fewer sca!pn than they hud at the outset
reckoned on; mid the number of dead Rogue
It I Vers wax less Hutu the number of tho living,
who In lime ncv red partially if not wholly
from the terrible pliy-.icul effects of tho cinnabar
roasting frolic.
A HPtiriMl N or INMAN JUSTICE.
Their first act (o -lumilixo their convalescence
was to deliberately put to death by tho most
snocKing torture ;Ii Indian who had discovered
and led the tribe to ibe place of the paint-rock.
And such was in be the certain futeor any of the
irlbe who should ever again venture near the ac
cursed locality. Tlirlrsiiperstlllon Inspired them
with the belief Hint It whs a place of the Devil's
own, forbidden to Hie approach of mortal under
tho agonising penalties themselves bad suffered,
and thai another iiitcmpt to visit I ho spot would
end In the most drvmlcd of deaths to the Indian
mind-that which would cut them loft from the
hope of the hapi bunting grounds of theQreui
HplrtL And from thai feanuliy memorable day
no ludlan bos evrr ventured within miles of the
same, nor can nny Inducement or any threat
even of death ItM lf-ooax or force one of the
Rogue Rivers lo Indicate or tell the whereabout,
or to lead the way umber. It proximate direc
tion from Rogue River, In the mountains, can be
interred or guessed only by carefully watching in
what purticulur course they n,.Ver roam or hunt
aud at what particular point the halt or turn
from when in the mountains lor game.
AN VXflVmrACTOHY BXDIXO.
U to enough to repeat, In conclusion, that
neither persuasion nor inenace.promiseofmoney
oraughlelse.coiild prevail upon tbo Indian we
bad at so much trouble and expense brought
from the HwervUon lo give us any kind or In
formation wtuui
i to the locality of the
ledge, lie hud pi0ked the specimen up near
where his Irlbe h-M come to the river on their
mournful reim n frm i be big salivation, years
after the omirn-nc, and given ll to Jeweit, and
that la all he w. uid impart In relation to It be
yond his narrative ..r thu oauutrophe which fol
lowed, as I have t.tH presented Ik After months
spent in the frum, -e.trch ror the ledge Jewett
abandoned the .; i for lu Others have since
In vain sought . r u. Rut some day it will be
found, and wb-u h -Hull, It will doublleaa be
as a Big Bonanza to Jackson county, a big thing
for Oregon, and the biggest prise of all to lta
lucky discoverers unless they too, like poor
Marshall and the. more unfortunate Comstock.
shall fall to profit by their own finding of im
mense mineral wealth. - j
. THE THUNDER STORM. .
I was nBvera man of feeble courage. There are
few scenes either of human or elemental strife,
upon which I bave not looked with an eye of dot
ing. 1 have stood iu the front of battle, when the
swords were gleamiug and circling around me like
tiery serpeuta of tbo air I have set on the moun
tain piunacle when the whirlwind was rending its
oaks from their rocky clefts and scattering them
piece-meal to the clouds. I have seen these things
with a swelling soul, that knew not. that recked
not of danger but there is something in the thun
der's voice that mikes me tremble like a child. I
have tried to overcome this unmanly weakness: I
have called pride to my aid; I have sought for moral
courage in the lesaous of philosophy but all in
vain; at the first low moaning of the distant cloud,
my heart shrinks, quivers, and dies within me.
My involuntary dread of thunder had origin in
an tncideut that occurred when I was a child of ten
years. I hod a little cousin, a girl uf the same age
with myself, who was the constant companion of
my childhood. Strange that the countenance
should be so familiar to me. I can still see that
bright young creature, hor large eyes flashing like
beautiful gems; her free looks streaming as in oy
upon the sunrise gale; aud her chetik glowing like
a ruby through a wreath of transparent suow. Her
voice had the melody and joyousness of a bird's;
and, when she boutidod over the wooded hill or the
fresh green valley, shouting a glad answer to every
voice of nature, and dapping her little hands in the
very ecstacy of young existence, she looked as if
breaking away like a freed nightingale from the
earth and going off where ail things are beautiful
and happy like her.
It was a morning in the middle of August. The
little girl had been passing soma days at my fath
er's house, aud she was now to return home. Her
path lay across the fields, and I gladly became the
companion of her walk. I never saw a Summer
morning more beautiful and still. Only one little
cloud was visible, and that seemed as pure, aud
white, an 1 peaceful, as if it hod been the incense
smoke of some burning censor of the skies. The
leaves hung silent iu the woods, and the waters of
the bay hod forgotten their undulations, the flow
ers were bendiug their beads, as if dreaming of the
rainbow and the dew, and the whole atmosphere
was of such a soft aud luxurious sweetness, that
seemed "a cloud of roses scattered down by the
hand of Peri" from the far off gardens of paradise.
The green earth aud the blue sea lay abroad in
their boundlessness, and the peaceful sky bent
over and Mossed them. The little creature at my side
was in a delirium ol happiness, and her sweet voice
came ringing on the air as often as she heard the
tones of some favorite bird or found some strange
and lovely flower in her frolio wanderings. The
unbroken and almost supernatural tranquility con- '
tiuuod until nearly noon. Then for the first time
the indication of au approaching tempest was man
ifest. Over the summit of a mountain, at the dis
tance of about a mile, the folds of a dark cloud sud
denly became visible, at the same instant, a hollow
roar came down upon the winds, as it it had been
the sound of waves in a rocky cavern. The cloud
rolled out like a banner upon the air, but still the
atmosphere was as culm and the leaves aa motion
less as before, and there was not even a quiver
upon the sleeping waters to tell of the aoming hur
ricane. To escape the tempest was impossible. As the
only resort, wo fled to an oak that stood at the foot
of a tall and rugged precipice. There we remained
and gazed almost breathlessly upon the olouds
marshaling themselves likeJWoody giants in the sky.
The thunder was not frequent but every burst was
so fearful that theyoung creature who stood beside
me shut her eyes convulsively, clung with desper
ate strength to my arm, and shrieked as if her heart
would break. A few minutes and the storm was
upon us. During the height of its fury, the little
girl sileutly raised her tliiger to the precipice tiiat
towered above us. As I looked up, an amethys
tine flame was quivering upou its grey peaks, and
the next moment the clouds opened, the rocks tot
tered to their foundations, a roar like the groan of
the universe tilled the air, and I felt myself blinded
and thrown, I knew not whither. How long I re
mained insensible I caunot tell, but, when con
sciousness returned, the violence of the tempest
was abatiug, the roar of the wiud was dying in
the distant tree-tops, aud the deep tones of the
clouds were coming in faint and fainter murmurs
from the eastern hills.
I arose ami looked tremblingly and almost dell
riously around me. She was there, the dear idol
of my infant love, stretched out upon the green wet
earth. After a moment of iircto'ution, I went and
looked upou her. The handkerchief upon her
bosom told where the pathway of death had been.
At tirst I clasped her to my breastjwith a cry of
agony, and then laid her down aud gazed upou
hor face, almost with a feeling of calmness Her
bright disheveled ringlets clustered sweetly around
her brow; the look of terror had faded from her
lips, and an infant smile was pictured beautifully
there; the red rose tinge upon her cheek was as
lovely as in life; and as I pressed it to my own, the
fountain of tears wu opened, I wept as if my head
were waters. I have but a dim recollection of
what followed. I only know that I remained
weeping and motionless till the coming on of twi
light, that I wu then taken tenderly by the band,
aud led away, where I saw the countenances of
parents and sisters.
Many years have gone by upon their wings of
light and shadow, but the scenes I have portrayed
still com a over me, at times with terrible distinct
ness. The old oak yet stand, at the base of the
precipice, but its limb, sre black and dead; and its
hollow trunk looking unward to the sky as if "call
ing to the clouds for drink," is an emblem of rapid
and the thoughts of bygone years came mournfully
back to me, thoughts of the little innocent being
who fell by my side like some beautiful tree of
Spnng rent up by the whirlwinds in the midst of
ita blossoming. But 1 remembered, and oh, there
' """ory. that she had gone where
no lightnings slumber in the folds of the rainbow
by the storm-breath of Omnipotence.
t Unless a Milwaukee girl can take a brick
in each hand and make eight feet and four
inches at a standing jump, she rarely gets
admitted into the best society.
A Minnesota sheriff caried a bullet in his
head ten years, and when they removed it
the other day he became foolish. They are
looking for some one to shoot him again.
7ft