Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/90



Y8 AFFAIRS  ABOUT  THE  COLOMA  SAW-MILL.

their course. His eye  glancing  down  the  river  fell upon the  rocks  where  he  had  twice  found  gold. He hesitated for  a  moment",  then  turned  to  the  right, made  for  the  river,  and  was  soon  opposite  his  favorite place.  The  late  rains  had  swollen  the  stream,  and the  water  was  very  cold.  This  did  not  deter  him,  for undressing  and  carrying  his  gun  and  clothes,  he  waded over ;  but  when  he  reached  the  opposite  bank  lie  was so  benumbed  that  he  could  not  work.  He  tried  to light  a  fire,  but  his  fingers  refused  to  hold  the  flint and  steel.  He  then  tried  to  catch  fire  from  his  gun, a  cap-lock,  but  while  in  the  water  the*cliarge  had  got wet.  The  only  way  left  was  to  run  and  jump ;  and the  most  exasperating  part  of  it  was  that  right  before him,  staring  him  in  the  face,  was  what  he  sought,  and for  which  he  had  braved  the  danger  of  deadly  cramps, but  which  now  he  was  powerless  to  grasp. Snow had fallen ; the  day  was  cloudy,  and  the  mists  heavy. On the bare  rock  the  snow  soon  melted ;  in  the  crevices and deep  places  it  remained. As soon  as  he  became a little  warm,  Bigler  set  himself  to  work,  first  search- ing the upper  rocks,  thence  slowly  working  his  way down to  the  water's  edge,  where  it  was  so  plentiful that he  spent  the  remainder  of  the  day  picking  it  up, grain by  grain,  from  the  tiniest  speck  to  the  lump worth over  five  dollars. As he  dug  out  the  gold,  he put  it  in  his  cap. The labor  was  so  engrossing  that night came  on  before  he  was  awai-e  of  it. As he arose,  and  tried  to  straighten  himself,  he  cried  out with pain. He thought  his  back  was  broken;  and without recrossing  the  river,  he  made  his  way  along the bank,  until  when  opposite  the  dam,  he  called  for Brown to  bring  over  the  raft.

Meanwhile the  suspicions  of  his  comrades  had  been aroused, and  no  sooner  had  he  reached  the  cabin  than they began  to  question  him. Why had  he  crossed the river  ? Or if  he  wished  to  hunt  on  that  side  why had he  not  crossed  it  in  the  morning  ? It was  no  use trying to  deceive  them  further,  nor  was  Bigler  in  the