The Lost Cabin [pp. 412-419]

THE. LOST CABIN.
poverty all their lives, and there before
them was wealth -sudden, splendid,
exhaustless. But I must not linger.
Working together, they finished. the
cabin that day, and the next began to
gather the gold. The labor was not
great, and within two weeks' time they
had heaped together a marvelous quantity of it, and began to contemplate a
retufn.
"Life was now precious, and, after
thinking it over and weighing the chances for and against the practicability of
getting back unmolested, they were convinced that it was best to remain where
they were until the volunteer forces
under General Lane, which they knew
were on the way, had reached the hostile country and relieved the hard paths
of mountain travel from the wily foe that
lurked upon every step. Having made
an excavation in the centre of their cabin-floor, they lined it carefully with rock,
and, in the vault thus formed, deposited
their treasure, tied up in bags of dried
and undressed deer - skin. This was
done in case an attack from the Indians
should compel them to flee, when, of
course, it would be impossible to carry
the heavy metal.
"But no attack was made, and, after
the lapse of several weeks, they arose
one morning and agreed that it was time
to be upon the homeward trail. The
sheeny forest-leaves waved in tile soft
winds of morning, and the fresh air was
musical with the songs of birds, as, fully
armed, they strode forth spiritedly to
bring in their horses, which had grown
fat and vigorous upon the bountiful pasture.
"The cabin stood near the stream, in
the edge of the wood, and when they had
approached to within forty yards of it,
suddenly a score of rifles'crashed upon
them from the bank, followed by the ter rible war-cry of the Shastas.
" Henry, who it happened was in front
of James, leading two of the horses, sank
with a deadly groan, his horses rearing
and felling at the same time. The Indians burst from their cover and sprang
forward with all the echoes of pandemonium. James emptied his rifle with fatal aim among them, and drew his revolver. The Indians knew the kind of
music they had to face, and, having neglected to reload, dashed back to the cover of the bank. The resolute miner saw
his salvation in this movement, and, hastily tossing a noose-halter over the head
of the only horse that remained uninjured, leaped upon his back, and was out
of immediate danger in an instant-careering down the valley with the scattering shots of the enemy singing over
his head. The war-party being afoot,
he was not followed, and finally reached
the frontier settlements, after a journey
of incredible hardship.
"'As the Indian war continued without abatement, he took passage for San
Francisco, in order to obtain medical
advice in regard to his health, which exposure and privation had badly broken.
Then it was that he began the correspondence with me. I was in Chicago
at the time.
"Unexpectedly receiving news of his
death, in the fall of I859, I hastened to
San Francisco, and received from the
hands of his landlord a little bundle of
papers, among which I found this. Read
it; no explanation is required."
He handed me a folded sheet of paper,
on which a letter had been begun, in a
cramped, ungainly, but still legible hand.
Here it is:
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., Oct. 26, 1859.
Dear Cousin:-I had hoped to see you here before
this, but the end has come sooner than I expected. I
dreamed of that cabin, in the wilds of Oregon, last
night, and saw poor Harry fall again before the cowardly shots of those skulking Shastas; and I think it
is nearly over. I must write what I intended to have
spoken, and endeavor to give you such directions as
will enable you to find the cabin, for you must find
it, Theodore, and enjoy its hidden gold. The first
part of your course is plain enough: start from Jack sonville and keep the California road for
I 872.]
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