Redskin and Cow-Boy

gan to expect him. Having finished up the work in their claim on the previous

w goes it?" Sim

oesn't go a

is

at all. I showed him my brother's letters, which ought to have satisfied anyone, and he hinted that these might have come

would be after," Sim Howlett exclaimed in g

say he thought so, Bi

l before the date of these letters? I said that I had been knocking about on the plains and doing trapping and Indian fighting for years, and that I was known as English Bill, and that I did not suppose there were half a dozen fellows ever did

ly had instructions to find me, and did not know how much was left me under the will, or anything about it, except what he had put in the advertisement. At any rate he would write to the people who had instructed him in England and tell them that a gentleman representing himself to be William Tunsta

when he don't agree with you. Then he remarked that he would not do anything rash if he were in my place. I told him it was no odds to me whether he would or would not, and as

t it wasn't much of a thing to buy, as they were only getting an ounce a piece, and besides, the shaft is badly timbered. Still, if they would say what they wanted for it we would talk it over with you when you got back. Halkett was evidently anxious to sell, and said they would take a hundred ounces for it right out. Of course I said that was too much, but I think it is a bargain, so does the doctor. They have

ear-up, doctor?" for Frank wa

nd we had eighty-nine before, so if we give h

hing about that, and it has been done in a very slovenly style. I shouldn't like to work down there until we have strengthened it all

ew ounces off, otherwise we shan't have enough to repair the shaft, and from what you say

nd wait an hour or two, then I will stroll round to Halkett's tent and say that as we calculate it would cost a heap of money to make the shaft safe we do not see our way to i

rk, and I am sick of it. But I have been talking to them, and they won't take less than twenty-five ounces a share, and they have been talking to some men who have pretty well made up their minds to give it. If I had the dust

is this way: we and the doctor have chummed together, and have never taken anyone else in with us, partly because we are quite content as it is, and partly because the doctor can't do his share of the work-he hasn't got it in him. We don

out it," Ha

ave to take on a man to

e to do that if you

Howlett assented. "W

it. We must consult the doctor, Halkett. He is sure to agree, but we should not like to d

it up and hand the hundred ounces over clear; then they will hand me my share, and I can give you the other ten ounces. They will leave the camp as soon as they get their money. Somebody has been blowing to them about a find he has made prospecting among the hills, and I fancy they mea

l in, as a matter of course,

ners left a couple of hours after they got the money, and on the following morning the new proprietors of the claim set to work. The first step was to make an arrangement with a man who had horses, to haul timber from a little saw-mill that had been erected two miles away

e among the miners who had worked at various times in the same diggings with William Tunstall another who had been on the jury when

is just like my luck; there is five hundred dollars slipped clean thro

that,

offered for information as to the

am Tunstall? I ne

on a jury we served on together. I told him then I had neve

on't you write off at once and say

he was single-handed, for of course Limping Frank don't count in the way of work. I asked him if English Bill was laid up, and he said, No; he had gone the ni

e of the oth

wn to Frisco to see the chap that put this into the paper. Why, look here," and he read the advertisement aloud; "he has come into a fortune, I expect. They would never have taken the trou

a heap there, but it was all cultivated and hedged in, and he didn't suppose as there was a man in the whole country who had got as much as fiv

Howlett was soon questioned, but was surly, and little could be got from him. Limping Frank was no more communicative. He was accosted frequently, as he went from the tents wi

f. I am glad to hear that it is a big thing; hadn't heard it before. It will be a surprise to him, for he didn't expect it would be a big thing. Didn't

he would appear in store-clothes and a high hat, and perhaps come in a carriage with four horses all to himself, and that he would stand champagne to the whole camp, and that there would be generally a good time. He himself, when questioned on t

ngs at the gambling-tables, and had struck up an acquaintance with Symonds. The latter was, like many of his class, a man of quiet and pleasant manners. For his profession a nerve of iron was required, for pistols were frequently drawn by disappointed miners, flushed wi

air. These men were generally, by birth and education, far above those with whom they played. They had fallen from the position they had once occupied; had, perhaps, in the first place been victims of gamblers, just as they now victimized others; ha

bscription raised for some man down with fever, or for a woman whose husband had been killed in a shaft, Symonds would head the list with a handsome sum. And yet there were few men more feared. Magnanimous on some occasions, he was ruthless on others. He was a dead shot, and handled his pistol with a lightning spe

the camp of others who were still more obnoxious, and the verdict after most of these saloon frays was, "Served him right;" but as a rule men avoided discussi

, and was never out of temper when he lost, therefore he had no reason whatever to fear the man, and Symonds had always been civil and pleasant with

ey are saying about you

re saying about the value of it. It is some family property that might have come to me long ago if I hadn't kicked over the traces; but I am not going

od deal like yours. I daresay I might be master of a good

"if I did drink it would be just a cock

ve need for a thousand dollars, I could let you have them. I have had a good run of luck this last six months. It would be a business tra

e me home if I have to go; but I am very

re no thanks due. If you change your mind let me know; mi

fer, for, of course, if I went to England he could not make anything out of me beyond the interest of the money, and he would get mo

BILL TUNSTAL

n the camp, and abstained from the diamond studs and rings, and heavy gold watch-chain that was generally affected by professional gamblers. He was tall, as tall as Tunstall himself, though not so broad or so s

l said when he turned away; "what a soldier he would have

him to come in and have a chat with him in his private room at the hotel. For some time they chatted on different subjects. Symonds had brought out a box of superb cigars, and a bottle of such cl

at of the poorest labourer at home. It is well enough now, I suppose. You are seven or eight and thirty, just about my own age; in another ten years you will be sorry you let the chance slip. Of course it is different with me. As far as money goes, I could give it up now, but I cannot go back again. Men don't take to my sort of li

ourse of the evening, and before Will left he had said enough to enable his companion to ga

all had been down to San Francisco, he received a bulky letter from the attorney there. It contained an abstract of his brother's will. This left him half the property, wit

I don't understand in the slightest, the prohibition to divide with you is only binding during my lifetime, and that nothing is said that restricts my right to leave it as I please. I don't suppose the contingency of your surviving me ever entered into our father's mind, and probably he thought that you would never be heard of again. However, you see it has turned out otherwise. You have wander

arge enough for you both, and I hope that you may, on your return, marry, and be happy here; if not, I suppose it will all go to him at your death. In any case, I pray you to come home, for the boy's sake, and for your own. It is

ga

and had shown them the letters of the late Mr. Edgar Tunstall. They therefore forwarded him copies of the will, and of Mr. Tunstall's letter, and begged him to return home without delay, as hi

a thousand pounds or so, and renounce the rest. A nice figure I should make setting up at home as a big land-owner. I should be perfectly miserable there. No, you take my word for it, I shall be back here in six months at the outside. I shall get a joint guardian appointed to the boy; the clergyman of the place, or some one who is better fitted to see after his education and bringing up than I am. When h

as here; for what with drink and fever and bullets the percentage wiped out is large. You are going because, in fact, you can't help yourself. We shall be glad when you come back; but if you don't come back, we shall know that it was because you couldn't. Yes, I know you have qu

the bank at Sacramento, for robberies were not uncommon, and prudent men only retained enough gold-dust by them for their immediate wants. But adding the dust and nuggets acquired during th

put in twenty-five each four months ago, so we have got thirty-seven ounces each for our work, after paying ex

for not one of them had abo

s apiece will make roughly ￡250, which is as much as we have ever had before

in some gambling saloon at Sacramen

w in a night's play, I confess; but I knew I could set to

t and being treated in turn was too much for his head, and it was with a very unsteady step indeed that he returned late in the evening to his tent. Sim Howlet

been many quarrels and rows, but what they had been about he knew not, though he felt sure that there had been no shooting. He had a dim recollect

about them?" he wondered in his mind. He w

is morning's coach, Bill, you

hall be myself when I have put my head in a bucket

out of a mining camp where he had been working for some time, and had fairly good luck, without getting pretty well bowled over aft

to breakfast with an excellent appetite. Will, however, did poor justice to the doctor's efforts, and ten minutes later the trio started off to meet the coach. There were many shouts of "Good-bye, mate! good luck to yer!" from the men going down to the d

I get home, and tell you all about things. I shall direct here, and you can get some

rown up to him, the coachman cracked his whip, the horses started again at a gallop, and Sim

n their tent, for they had not yet made up th

m your spree? How did

he coach. I have got some b

at is that, Dick?"

ou thought a heap of him. Well, lads, it is no use making a lo

lett with a terrible imprecation, the doc

ual in that at Sacramento. I don't know what made me turn off to have a look at the body. Directly I saw it I knew who it was. It was English Bill, so I put off coming, and stopped to the inquest. He hadn't been killed fair, he had been shot down from behind with a bullet

age and horror. The doctor hardly seemed to hear what was said. He was moving about the tent in a seemingly aimless way, blinded with tears. Prese

in hurried tones, touchin

m repeated. "Whe

im down, whoever did it. I will find him

aid; "but there is no

ock. It is fifteen miles to walk, but we shall be there i

man who had brought the news, "Fasten up the tent, Dick, and keep an eye on it and

f all my swag before I left. You wil

, who seemed to keep up with him without difficulty. They ran down the steep hills and toiled up the formidable ascents. The doctor's breath came quick and short, but he seemed almost unconscious of the exertions he was making. His eyes were fixed in front of him, his face was deadly pal

matter of life and death; we must go! We will give five ounces apiece t

two companions arrived at Sacramento. The doctor's strength had give

er of an old chum of ours at Sacramento, and we are on our way down to find out who did it and to wipe him ou

ed down the doctor's throat. It was not long before he opened his e

felt the doctor straightening himself up. "You have got to

dy heard. There were no signs of a struggle. The pockets were all turned inside out. The sheriff supposed that the man had probably been in a gambling-house, had won money there, and had been followed and murdered. Their first care was to find where Will Tunstall was b

he order signed by them all. At another hotel they learned that a man certainly answering to his description had come in one evening a week or so before with a gentleman staying at the house. They did not know who the gentleman was; he was a stranger, but he was well dressed, and they thought he must have come from Frisco. He had left the next day. They had not noticed him particularly, but he was tall and dark, and so was the man who came in with him. The

the doctor seized Sim's arm. "W

l there is something to go upon.

g back to the cam

mind; but wha

is still there, and if not, find

s! you don't

have gone up to drink with when he had ￡250 about him. You know he had got rather thick with that villain before he left the camp, and likely enough the fe

ll had done so. He had said that he had a letter that rendered it necessary that he should go to Frisco

g it over. It may be months before I catch him. He may have gone east into Colorado or south into Mexico, but I a

t no one will be any the wiser. We would have thought that he had gone off to England; and so it would have been if D

e won't feel quite safe. Besides, you know, I dreamt that I should kill him. However, if he does come back anywhere here I leave him to you, Sim. Shoot him at sight as if he were a mad dog. You don't want any fair play with a fellow

care for the thought of years spent in a vain search, and believed that his c