THE LONE CABIN.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2525, 15 September 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE LONE CABIN.

BY KATE DANTON LESLIE.

It happened that in June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven, my intimate friend, Henry Ellis, left Carson City to cross the Sierra Nevada mountains by a round-about way—in fact, ho intended to do a little, private prospecting on his own account, while looking after the mining interests of the company for which he was general agent.

Among the interesting incidents of that journey he told me the following story, which I will relate as accurately as possible.

Bill Simmons accompanied him as guide, cook, and adviser, and faithhilly he performed his treble duty.

One day, as the sun was sinking in the west, and they were thinking of a lodging place for the night, they came to an old, deserted mining camp, desolate in its weird loneliness, that told the fickleness of mankind in silent, solemn language.

A'ot twenty years before the deserted place was alive with eager, excited gold seekers, who left it at the brilliant promise of something better yet further on.

" This 'ere is all that's left of the Lodestar Camp. Fifteen years ago it wag the lodestar of this , 'ere section, sir. One of these cabins was built 'pon honor, an'l miss my guess if thare ain't enufl.' of it standin' ter kiver our heads ternight."

Accordingly Ellis followed him up a narrow, rocky path to a shanty, apart from the others, that stood close to the rocky wall, and had a plot of green grass in front. This building was in bettor order than the others.

Outside it had simpiy the look of any deserted lint, inside everything was covered with a tliiek mantle of dust, but the tin dishes still stood upon the shelves; the wide bunk was covered by ragged, moth-eaten blankets, which fell into dust at the slightest touch, the rude, stone fireplace, built against the rocky wall, was filled with half-burned brands ; stools, that served the purpose of chairs, were placed neatly against the wall, and two or three books, one of them a bible, lay on the deal table. Everything was as though its owners had just gone to their daily work, except for the mantle of dust that covered all, and told of years o£ silence and decay. The setting sun shone in at the dustcovered windows with a sickly light, as if striving to brighten the gloom.

" Jest as it looked that mornin'," muttered Bill, as he glanced around

in it half-scared way, until his gaze rested upon the bunk, and a shudder ran over his frame.

"What is this mystery, Bill? Why is this cabin left unmolested while the others are stripped of everything of any value 1 What is the story, man 1 I am sure there is some reason for it all," demanded Ellis.

" Lord bless yc, sir ! The miners never coins s here now, an' tharo ain't an Injun this side of the Rocky Mountains as would tech a thing /we," answered Bill, with a short, nervous laugh—" But you're right! There iii a story, an , quite

true 'tis too. Let's tether the animals, an' hov sum supper, then, if you wanter listen, I'll tell ye the tale of our babes in the woods. Quite a story 'tis ter me as saw i'; all, and kuowed 'cm, but mebbe 'twon't be much lor you, a stranger." Ellis well knew that Bill was '•'sot as the hills," and tho story would not be forthcoming , one moment boforo tho appointed time, so ho wont to tether the mules, whilo Bill kindled a fire in tho oldfashionod fireplace, the first for many years, and proceeded to prepare tho evening meal. After his tn.sk was done, Ellis sat on the stone door-step, and tried to unravel the mystery in his own way. Beside the door a sweet-scented honeysuckle showed its starry blossoms, amid rank grass and tangled vines, and tho fragrance of many flowers recalled the distant home boyoii'.l tho "Eockies." A brief search revealed their hiding' places in various spots among , tho grass, that had nearly choked them put. Could these sweet, strange blossoms tell the story better than Bill ? Surely the hand that planted them there in memory of an Eastern home, that cared for them in a foreign land, could not have been imbued in crime ! Did they know the hidden motive of the sin—if sin there were ? He was so intent, upon his thoughts that Bill called more than once, and finally came and touched his arm, softly, saying :— " Supper's all ready, sir. So some of the posies are left! It used ter be putty as a gardin here, and the vines clim clear ter the ruff. Wai! Wai ! Fifteen years makes a difference, in cabins cs well es men. Cum in, sir. Supper's ready." The deal table was drawn before the cheerful fire that was needed in the clear, cold mountain air, and which gave a more homelike look to the desolate room ; it almost seemed as if the spirits of the former occupants must awaken with the warmth ; the viands placed thereon were abundant in quantity, and sent forth an appetizing odor.

Ellis drew one of the stools to tho side of the table, and began his meal with a appetite found only in the mountains of California.

Bill took another stool and seated himself on the opposite side, but he seemed absent-minded and ate but little.

After the meal was over, and everything fixed for the night, even to making up the bed on the floor before the fire, Bill began his story : —" Wai, sir. I dunno es thare's much ter tell, arter all. The same es happened an' the same will happen agin an' agin, es long es the world stands, I suppose, but it wus queer wo never suspicioned the babes of that. Ye see this ere place wus sum in them days.

" The gold panned out big, an' thare was a rush ter stake claims.

One day two young chaps cum inter tho camp, leadin' an old, wornout mule, packed with 'bout half a decent outfit, an' lookin' as if they'd cum a long ways. One of the fellers was tall an' dark, an' surly spoken —wouldn't hardly answer civil when we spoke ter him, an' had a way of lookin' behint him, es if he expected sumbuddy was a follerin' his back trail.

" Tother one was es slim es eny gal, with blue eyes an' curly hair, just the colour of the dust in the washin's. lie was shy of our compn'y? but he wusn't glum like the dark one.

" Wai. sir, in them days, ev'ry miner wus his brother's keeper—in a way—an'se it happened that we all took holt an' buile 'em this shanty sorter away from the rest, for we knowed they had a secret of sum kind, an' wud ruther be alone like, but bless ye, we didn't think of that.

" The dark feller he clone most of the washiii' fer gold, an , the little one clone the housework. Right trim he kep' the shanty, too, an' planted poises in front 'till it looked like a gardin' an' the vines clim ter the ruff. '' They lied papers an' books, too, artor awhile, an' many's the time I've scon 'em sottin , in the doorway tharo :i readin , that bible over yonder on tlio shelf. " 1 kiu soeiu ter seo 'cm yit, so sad. an' strange, au' lonely like as they used ter bo. '' Tears like they had sumthia' on their minds, an' they'd set for hours among- the posies out there, with their heads clost together, talkiu' an' talkin , so low an , earnest. The little feller allers seemed ter be the comforter, too, an' many's the time I'vo heerd him say : — "Well, we did the best wo could, Charlie, an' I don't b'l've the good Lorcl'U judge us es men judge." " Sumtimes he'd do a clay's work at the sluice, Imt it didn't agree with him, bein' so slim, an' the dark feller didn't seem ter want hiin thare either. What a sight them two sot by each other. " We used ter laugh 'mong ourselves, cos he was so jealous like when enny of us made talk with the little one, an , onct he threw a Vug nugget at my head, that I'd just give the little oue —but we understood it wnen —l wonder why we didn't think of that afore 1

" We didn't even know their names when they'd bin tharc goin' on a year, but wo called 'em the ' B:ibes in the Woods,' they was all alone so. Ouo day the sheriff from Carson rid inter camp, an' the story he told was a strange one. There

wus a stranger with him, too, air he wus ai'ter his wife, es run away with another man.

"I thought of our babes in a niinit, an' I thought if the leetlo feller wus Iris wife I didn't blame him none for vunnin' away from him. I wondered how enny women could livo with him. Kf a man can look like an animal, that man looked jest like a great, snarling ugly bull clog—not the parcl for sieli a weeny thing es the little feller wus.

'• Ben Browlow—he was my pavd then, an' es good a one es ever handled a miner's pick—he sidled up ter me, an' he ses in a whisper, ses 'he—

"'Hun an'tell the babes, Bill. I'll keep the sheriff talkin' es long es a kin.'

" Well, I did cum—quick's I could 'tliout causin' 'epicion, but, bless ye, I needn't er hurried, they lied seen him, an' wus beyond human power—they viuz dead You needn't start so, sir, for it's truth I'm telliii'.

"They wuz on the bunk thare, in each others' arms, and the dark one lied a bot.tle in his hand that smiit like almond or peach-stones. Prussic acid, or sum sich name, they called the stuff they'd took.

"That bull dog of a man raved an' swore enuff ter make yer blood run cold, but I guess it was more cos they wus free from him than cos he loved her a great sight, I never

see enny one go on so, an' he'd atom 'em in pieces if the boys hadn't a held him back. He screeched like a mad m.an, ter see 'em lay in' thare so peaceful like, with a smile on their dead faces, like as if they wus larliu' ter think they'd outwitted him arter all he tracked 'em down.

" When he was gone, we buried 'em together—in one grave—-I'll show yo whare. Then Ben an' me put things tc.r rights a littlo here, an' no one iiint disturbed 'em sense, till we came ter-ninht.

"Tuint much of a story, sir, es I sod afore, but you know now why I was kinder upsot when wo cum in here ter-nighb. Thare aint bin a thing teclied sense that day till now. You kin turn in, sir. I'll set up a while, 'pears like I couldn't sleep."

Ellis wrapped himself in blankets, and laid clown before the blazing fire. For some time ho watched the old guide, sitting in the shadow, with his head bowed upon the deal table—his mind busy with the memories of the, past. Then fatigue overcame him and lie slept. When he awoko the bright morning smi was shining through the dusty, cobweb curtains, and Bill was already preparing breakfast.

" There's their graves, sir," he :aid, when they were ready to start, jointing to a mound, covered by a tone slab, a short distance from the ;abin. " Seem' it all kernes me jack ter old times—l never kin chink of the babes 'thout feeling womanish ; but I'll be all right afore dinner-time. D'ye see that spur of the mountain over yender, sir? 'Pears like thare might be gold thare. Shall we try fer it?"

Soon Bill became more cheerful, more like the genial guide that he was, but lie would never speak again of the " Babes in the Woods," and Ellis often wonders if the lonely cabin still stand—the monument of their guilty love, their amenable sin, and their tragic death.