The Lost Cabin [pp. 412-419]

THE LOST C4BIN.
office - door, and, in response to my honorable; and all I ask of you in re"Come in," not uttered in the gentlest turn for the confidence I am about to reof tones, a tall young man, of dark com- pose in you, is a pledge of secrecy in the
plexion and habited in a suit of heavy event that you do not join me in the
brown cloth, entered. I recognized him, project to which I have alluded."
after the usual salutations had passed, Having received every assurance of
as a person who had, for several weeks, good faith on my part, he drew his chair
been sojourning at my hotel, the C closer to mine, and then looking toward
House. Taking the chair I proffered, the door, suggested that I had better
he seated himself near the stove, and, lock it. I got up to attend to that, and
bending upon me from under a pair of when I resumed my seat beside him, he
heavy, black eyebrows, a glance glitter- had lighted a cigar, and was evidently
ing and keen with scrutiny, said, "It's going to be comfortable. lie held his
a nasty night for April!" cigar-case toward me, and asked:
"It is, indeed," I replied, stooping to "Did you ever hear the story of The
replenish the stove; "and you seem to Lost Cabin?"
have had the benefit of it." I never had.
"Yes; I had some difficulty in find- "No? I will tell it to you now. In
ing your office-and that reminds me the spring of I85-, while the southern
that I did not come here to discuss the border of Oregon was ringing with the
weather, but to talk business." battles of that memorable war between
He bent his head for a moment, as if the heroic settlers of the Territory and
to reflect, and I fixed myself in an atti- the Shasta and Rogue River Indians,
tude of respectful attention, my first fee two brothers by the name of Wilsonbeing the idea which was uppermost in James and Henry-arrived at Jacksonmy mind. ville, and, getting together a small party
"Are you satisfied with this?" and, of hardy and experienced miners, set
as he spoke, he waved his hand satiri- out, fully armed, to prospect for gold
cally toward the single Falstaffian col- along the rivers and among the broken
umn of law-books, largely recruited from ranges of mountains southward of that
the Patent-Office Department, on a shelf then prosperous mining- town. The
against the wall opposite. party had been out for several weeks,
I smiled, and, without waiting for fur- meeting with but little success, and had
ther answer, he proceeded: just lost one of their number in a skir "If you succeed at all in the practice mish with the Indians, when a council
of the law in Portland, it will be after was called, and all but the Wilson brothyears of patience, persistent labor, and a ers concurred in the opinion that it was
life of hideous economy and privation. best to return to Jacksonville, and wait
I believe that you realize this yourself, for the conclusion of the war.
and for that reason I have come here to- "The Wilsons were of a haughty, obnight to share with you a valuable secret, stinate spirit, thorough in mountain craft,
and to solicit your assistance in a pro- and brave to recklessness. With them
ject which, if successfully prosecuted, daring was a habit and danger a luxury,
will enrich us both." and they held out against the arguments
A suspicion of double-barreled bur- and entreaties of their more prudent
glary flashed across me, and I suppose comrades, until it was agreed, finally,
he must have seen something of the kind that they should have the greater part
in my face, for he resumed immediately, of the provisions, ammunition, etc., and
with an impatient gesture, "Nay, it is continue in their search, while the oth
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