Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/80



sets in. Further tests  are  applied,  for  trembling doubts will  arise,  and  some  is  thrown  into  vinegar, and some  is  boiled  in  Mrs  Weimer's  soap  kettle. En- joining secrecy Marshall  takes  some  of  the  gold  and goes with  it  to  the  fort  to  have  it  further  tested. And when  he  returns  thus  he  delivers  himself:  "Oh boys  !  it's  the  pure  stuff." Then he  goes  on  to  relate his adventure:  "  I  and  the  Old  Cap  "  for  so  he  calls Sutter, "  went  into  a  room  and  locked  ourselves  up. And  we  were  half  a  day  trying  it.  And  the  regulars there  wondered  what  the  devil  was  up.  They  thought perhaps  I  had  found  quicksilver,  as  the  woman  did down  toward  Monterey.  Well !  we  compared  it  with the  Encyclopedia,  and  it  agreed  with  it ;  we  applied aqua  fortis  but  it  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. Then  we  weighed  it  in  w^ater;  we  took  scales  with silver  coin  in  one  side  balanced  by  the  dust  in  the other,  and  gently  let  them  down  into  a  basin  of  water ; and  the  gold  went  down  and  the  silver  up." And he motions  the  manner  of  it  with  his  hands. *' That told the  story  what  it  was,"  he  concludes.

Marshall reported  further  that  Sutter  would  soon be there,  and  examine  into  the  matter  for  himself Sure enough,  next  day  Marshall  entered  the  men's cabm  and  said,  "Boys,  the  Old  Cap  has  come;  he  is up  at  my  house.  Now  I  will  tell  you  what  we  will do.  You  know,  he  always  carries  his  bottle.  Let  us each  throw  in  and  give  Henry  some  gold,  and  in  the morning,  when  you  shut  down  the  head-gate,  let  him take  it  down  and  sprinkle  it  over  the  base  rock ;  and when  the  Old  Gent  comes  down,  and  sees  it  lying  there, he  will  be  so  excited  that  he  will  out  with  his  bottle and  treat  all  hands." It was  agreed  ;  the  salting  was done ;  and  while  the  men  were  at  breakfast  next  morn- ing they saw  Sutter,  with  Marshall  and  Weimer  on either  side  of  him,  coming  down  to  the  mill. Sutter was dressed  with  care  as  became  the  owner  of  square leagues, and  the  commander  of  a  fortress,  and  he walked  with  a  cane. The men  stepped  out  into  the