USA > California > A picture of pioneer times in California, illustrated with anecdotes and stores taken from real life > Part 51
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61
Here Ward laughed, as he said:
" Oh, you do ? Well, you may as well be getting used to it, old fellow, for that is where you are to go, sure. No; as you say, I never have such turns while I am awake; but, what is strange, they do come to me sometimes lately in my dreams."
" Is that so, Captain ? Why, you surprise me ! I did not sup- pose that, either asleep or awake, you ever knew such a feeling as fear of the future."
" No, Brown; I am not afraid of it ; but, as I said, I have late- ly had strange visions in my dreams. Now, last night, for in- stance, I had a vision of hell, and I thought all the people I had ever helped out of the world were trying to drag me into it, and that I resisted them all, until, at last, I was astonished to see Lizzie Lawson come to drag me like the rest. I thought she gave out a terrible, frightful laugh as she took hold of me, and that I had no power to resist her. So, into the yawning chasm of molten fire she flung me, and, as I was tumbling in, I heard my mother's shriek as plainly as I used to do, when my father kicked and beat her. It was that shriek that awoke me. I wasnot long in finding that it was a dream, and I laughed at its ab- surdity. That was the only effect it had on me."
While Ward related his vision or dream, Brown's eyes were fixed on him with a frightened expression. Then he said, in a loud voice :
" How strange that was about Lizzie Lawson! Have you and she had any difficulty ?"
" Difficulty! Of course not. She fairly fawns at my feet." Here Ward gave a chuckling laugh, as he continued: "Why, she fancies herself my wife, already. I had to persuade her to that."
550
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
" Does old Jack know how matters stand between you and Lizzie, Captain ?"
" No, no; I think she may have told him that I had promised to marry her; that is all."
" Well, and how in the mischief are you to manage him when you throw her off? That is what I don't understand."
" I told you before, Brown, that what looks full of difficulty to you, is an easy matter to me. I have this girl now in my power, so that I can make her lie and deceive her father and brothers in any way I like; and I will not undeceive her, as regards her re- lations with me, until the last moment. No; I will say nothing until I have Jack and his boys safe at sea, when they will be in my power, and will not dare to whimper. Yes; I can see my way clearly in the whole little game I have before me. So just do as I tell you, Brown, and all will come out right."
" Well, Captain, if anything goes wrong, it will not be my fault."
CHAPTER XVI.
CONFESSION OF LOVE-CAPTAIN WARD'S ARRIVAL.
It was on the 19th of February, 1851, soon after the conversation related in the last chapter, between Ward and Brown, that the memorable attack was made on the store of C. J. Janson & Co., in which the robbers got two thousand dollars, and left Mr. Jan- son for dead on the floor of his store. This was the most au- dacious robbery that had yet taken place, and it fired the whole people with indignation. They rose en masse, as it were, to hunt out the robbers. Two men were arrested on suspicion, and gave their names as Burdue and Windred. Mr. Janson thought he recognized these men as the parties who had robbed the store and attacked himself in such a murderous way. A public meeting was called to devise some means to put a stop to this thieving and robbery, or, at least, to check it, if possible. In all these movements, Sam Brannan and William T. Coleman took a lead- ing part, and, unfortunately, were too radical in their views. Bran- nan did not command much personal respect ; but Coleman was then, as he has always been since, universally respected, and he had, therefore, great influence with the conservative part of the community. He now joined Sam Brannan in urging the people to forthwith hang Burdue and Windred. Brannan made furious speeches, which were applauded by unthinking people. Not sat- isfied with this, Brannan had printed slips circulated among the excited crowd, urging the immediate lynch-law execution of the prisoners. And to these he affixed Coleman's name with his own, though it was generally believed at the time that William T. Cole- man never authorized him to do so. Be this as it may, it was for- tunate these efforts did not succeed, for the prisoners were soon afterwards proven, to the satisfaction of all, not to have been the men who committed the crime. This blunder checked the Vigi- lance Committee movement for the next three months, but it gave Ward and his gang a warning which lessened their depre-
P
552
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
dations very much. During all this excitement, Ward was one of the loudest and noisiest in urging the summary execution of Bur- due and Windred, whom he, of course, knew to be innocent. This zeal served to give him a good position with the leading spirits of the Vigilance Committee that sprang into such active life the following June. Thus matters were going on, when, late in February, Walter came to the city, and completed his arrange- ments for entering into business with Brown. Walter was to put into the partnership five thousand dollars, and Brown fifteen thousand, and they were to be equal partners in all respects; but Brown was to have the right to withdraw ten thousand dollars of his capital at the expiration of the first year. The very day Walter signed these articles of partnership with Brown, James De Forest arrived from Oregon. Walter had written to him all about his intention of making this move, and so strong was De Forest's feeling against it that he made an excuse of business to come to San Francisco, in hopes of getting an opportunity to dis- suade Walter from taking the step. He was too late, however; for the papers were all executed and exchanged before he met Walter. Ward was again forced to put off his intention in re- gard to De Forest, on account of the great excitement over the arrest of Burdue and Windred, then only just subsiding. De Forest took a trip with Walter as far as Colonel Eaton's to see Minnie, who was there on a visit to Fannie. Minnie received him in the same free, joyous way she had always done. A dozen times during this visit, De Forest made up his mind to make a formal proposal to Minnie ; but in some unaccountable way she avoided giving him the opportunity. Then the third day came, which was the utmost limit he could give his stay. So, reluctantly, he was about to leave her, without coming to a full understanding. However, as he wished her good-bye, he whis- pered :
" Will you not walk as far as the outside gate with me ?"
With a blush, and a little tremor in her voice, she said : " Oh, yes ; certainly; with pleasure."
As they now walked along the lane that led from the flower- garden gate to the outside main entrance, Minnie's head leant for- ward, and her sunshade hid her face. De Forest gently raised her arm, and placed it within his own.
" Minnie," he began, in a low voice, " I was determined not to go away without having had a full talk with you; but some-
553
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
how you appear to have defrauded me out of an opportunity of doing so."
" Well, if I did prevent you from saying all you want to say to me, James, come back as soon as Walter is nicely started in business in San Francisco, and I will listen to all you want to say to me; and we will try to agree, you know, if possible."
" But why could we not have had the talk this time, Minnie ? But perhaps you prefer to wait to see if you may not find some one with whom you would like to talk better than you do with me."
Minnie at once raised her eyes up to De Forest's face with a reproachful, almost sad look, and said:
" And is that the way you think of me, James ?"
" No, no, Minnie; it is not the way I think of you; I did not mean it. I know you too well for that; and, Minnie, I tell you now what I never told you in plain words before." As he spoke he clasped the hand holding his arm with his disengaged one, and, putting his head down close to hers, said: " I love you with all my inmost life; I love you so that your happiness is a thou- sand times dearer to me than my own; I long, I yearn for your love in return; and yet, if you could be happier by giving that love to any one else, I would want you to do so. If I saw a dark cloud or a shadow on my path, I would never ask you to step beneath it with me; but when I look forward to the future, Minnie, and think of you as by my side in the journey through life, I can see no cloud or shadow, no tarnished name, no ease, no luxury, bought by dishonor, or a breach of confidence reposed either by the people at large or by an individual. No; I can see no such cloud. I have been fortunate in business, thank God for it, and what I wanted in seeking a conversation with you was to offer to share all I have on earth with you, Minnie, and to pledge to you the devotion of a life in guarding your happiness."
Minnie, without seeking to withdraw her hand, raised her eyes with steadfast countenance to James' face, as she said, in a voice full of deep feeling:
"James, if the freaks of fortune had thrown a shadow or a cloud on your path, something here," laying her hand on her heart, " tells me that I would fly to your side to strive to clear it away, or by standing beneath it with you to make it easier for you to endure. Yes; if you came to ask me to share with you a rugged, stormy journey through life, which it was your fate to
554
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
encounter, I will acknowledge to you that, with Walter's con- sent, you would never have to ask a second time. But, James, you have now nothing but diamonds, luxury and sunshine to offer me to share, so I can, at least, ask you to defer this propo- sition until you come to us in San Francisco, when I hope you may find dear Walter well settled in business, and independent of all I could do for him. Then you shall sit down near me and make out the best excuse you can for your blindness and want of judgment, you know, in making me the offer you did to-day, which I was so considerate, you know, as not to accept, until you had time to recover your senses and see your mistake."
" Well, Minnie, you make me happy and miserable both by what you say. Yes; and almost make we wish that I had some dark cloud lowering over my future; for then your generous heart would compel you, as you acknowledge, to step beneath it with me. But, no, Minnie; I am not so selfish as that. I will try to be as generous as you are, and be satisfied to wait until I come down in May next for my final answer. And, now, before part- ing, Minnie, let me say one word of this man Ward. I want to tell you that I have the strongest, overpowering dislike to him."
As De Forest said this, Minnie involuntarily drew close to him, and he felt a shudder shake her arm as it rested on his.
" Ah! you have the same feeling, I see, Minnie ?"
" Yes, James; I acknowledge I have at times a strange fore- boding about him. Perhaps it is because Mr. Hilton thinks so badly of him; but, you can depend on it, I will be on my guard. And, now that you have spoken of it, I will tell you that it is an undefined fear of this man that makes me so determined not to leave Walter, or even think of anything that relates to myself, until Ward proves himself to be all he says he is; or until we find his true past history, about which Mr. Hilton insists there is a mystery."
" Well, now that I see you are on your guard, and that I know Isaac Hilton has his eyes open, I will be much easier. So, good- bye, Minnie, and may God bless you and guard you both; and pray for me!"
As he said the last words, he stooped, and before Minnie knew it he had kissed her cheek, and found it wet with tears.
" Good-bye, James," she said, looking up with a smile; " and do not go away thinking I am unhappy; for I am truly very happy, even if there is, in my imagination, a cloud on Walter's path, that must be cleared away."
555
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
" Again good-bye, Minnie," said De Forest, as he leaped on his horse; and, as both now looked towards the outer gate, there stood Ward leaning over it, with his large, dark eyes full on them. It was as much as Minnie could do to suppress a scream. She did, however, command herself in time, and bowed to Ward in recognition of his presence. Ward had evidently just arrived from Sacramento, and had alighted from his horse to open the gate. As De Forest approached, Ward threw the gate open, saying:
" How are you, De Forest ? I am so glad to see you. Forgive me, my dear fellow, for intruding on you at such a moment; but I had just reached the gate as you and Miss Minnie came in sight, and, as I saw your conversation was peculiarly interesting to you both, I forbore passing until you got through."
" You were most considerate, Captain," said De Forest, in a most sarcastic tone; " but I regret your stopping one moment, for your presence would not have made the least difference to me, one way or the other, I assure you; and it would have saved you a painful watch. Good afternoon, Captain !"
As De Forest spoke, he drove his long California spurs into his horse's flanks, and was out of hearing before Ward could re- ply. As he dashed on his road, he murmured to himself:
" I feel easy, now that I know she is on her guard. What a noble, generous, dear girl she is ! Well, she's as good as ac- knowledged that she loved me; so I am sure of that, anyway. May is a long way off, yet it will be here soon, after all; and then I will be, as she said, sitting near her, and then-and then-oh, how happy I shall be !"
When De Forest rode off, Ward walked on through the gate, and soon overtook Minnie.
"Miss Minnie," said he, "I was just apologizing to our friend De Forest for having come so inopportunely, to disturb that little tête-à-tête between you and him; but he received my apology, I must say, most ungraciously, Miss Minnie. Have I ever acted towards you in any manner unbecoming a gentleman and a man of honor?"
" Most certainly not, Captain."
" Well, then, Miss Minnie, all I ask is to be treated by your friends as a gentleman should be treated."
" Most certainly, Captain. Whenever I have influence, you shall be treated in no other way."
556
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
" Have you no influence with De Forest, Miss Minnie ? I had an idea that the poor fellow was your slave."
" You are mistaken Captain. There is no relation between Mr. De Forest and myself, that would authorize me to remark on his conduct towards any one."
"No? Well, then, Miss Minnie, permit me to say that he takes liberties I would not dare to take."
Minnie felt her cheeks burn; but, preserving her calm voice, said:
" Mr. De Forest and myself were brought up from childhood together, and we regard each other as almost brother and sister. So I am not disposed to quarrel with him because he sometimes seems to forget that we are no longer children, and that, in fact, we are not brother and sister."
Ward remained silent for a moment as he walked on by Min- nie's side, leading his horse. Then he said:
" Miss Minnie, will you honor me by taking my arm ?"
Minnie knew that Ward had seen her leaning on De Forest's arm, and, from what he said, saw De Forest kiss her cheek. She wanted to decline taking his arm, but her doing that would give a marked significance to her free, off-hand treatment of De Forest, which she wished to avoid just now. So, without any hesitation that was perceptible to Ward, she took his arm until she reached the flower-garden gate, when she made an excuse of picking some flowers, which she was now, apparently, very busy in arranging in a bouquet. Ward was evidently satisfied with Minnie's behavior to him, and selected some flowers for her, which she placed among the others, saying something compli- mentary to his taste.
" Thank you, Miss Minnie," he said; " you do not know what a pleasure it is for me to think that flowers I have selected have a place with those gathered by yourself."
Walter's approach at that moment relieved Minnie from the necessity of an answer.
" Good morning, Captain," said Walter, walking over and cordially shaking hands; " I am so glad to see you, as we are about to start back to Downieville early to-morrow morning, and I wanted to say a few words to you or to Brown on business which I had forgotten when I was in San Francisco, and of which I could speak better than I could write."
" Well, Wagner, that is all right; but I will be candid with you, and tell you that it was not to see you that I came. I could
557
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
not think of Jetting Miss Minnie return to Downieville without seeing her."
Minnie bowed, and made a good effort at a smile.
" That is all right, Captain; you are always so gallant that you could not say less; but business must be attended to. So, sister Minnie, please excuse us, and we will soon be in."
Minnie was but too glad to excuse them; so, as Walter took the Captain's arm and walked off with him, she dashed into the house, and in a moment more was alone in her room. She closed the door, and walked quickly across to the open window, and threw the bouquet as far as she could into a field of tall wheat. As she did so, she said, in a low voice:
" Some of you sweet flowers were innocent, but bad company has made you all intolerable to me."
Then she went to her wash-stand, and, while seemingly ab- sorbed in thought, she poured out some water and carefully washed her hands, saying while she did so:
" How foolish I am to have such a terrible dislike to that man; but I cannot control my feelings. I did not feel easy until I had thrown those flowers away and washed my hands. I must try, however, to get over it, for he is so attached to Walter."
Minnie now threw herself into an easy chair, and seemed lost in thought. Then she said, half-aloud:
" Poor James! How lonesome he looked when he was going away, all alone, for such a long journey up there to Oregon! I could not help shedding tears at the thought of it. He found that out when he kissed my cheek, and it made him feel worse, I fear; but I told him I was happy, and so I was, and am now. I did not know I loved him in the way he wishes me to love him. I knew I loved him as I loved Walter; but when he told me to- day how he wanted me to love him, it made me feel so strange, and, oh, so happy, that it must be that I love him as he wants me to love him. How generous he was to give up urging me when I spoke of Walter! Well, he will come back in May, and I have promised to let him then sit near me and say all he wishes to say. This is February. March, April, May. Three months! That seems a long time; but I suppose it will not be long in passing, after all."
Then she paused, and then drew from her neck the locket containing Walter's miniature and James' rose-bud. She smiled as she looked at them, pressed the locket to her lips and re- placed it.
558
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
At that moment Fannie opened the door, saying :
" May I come in ?"
" Oh, yes, dear Fannie; come in."
" Do you know, Minnie, that Captain Ward is here ?"
" Oh, yes ; I have had a talk with him, and I will be ever so much obliged to you, dear Fannie, if you will entertain him ; and if he asks for me, just say that I have lain down, as I do not feel very well to-day ; for such, in fact, is the case. I was just about to lie on the sofa here when you opened the door."
As Minnie spoke she wrapped a shawl around her, and cuddled up comfortably on the sofa. Fannie smiled archly, and said:
" Minnie, would you feel too badly to go down if it was James De Forest who had to be entertained ?"
Minnie blushed, and half-laughed, as she said :
" Fannie, you are too bad ; but if it was James De Forest and Walter who had to be entertained, perhaps neither of us would have to coax the other much to undertake the task."
Now Fannie blushed scarlet, while Minnie's eyes lit up with triumphant fun, as she exclaimed :
" There ; I am even !"
Fannie stooped over her, and whispered :
" Minnie, you are a good-for-nothing, mischievous, wicked girl ; that is all I have to say." And she started out of the room, while Minnie laughed heartily.
Ward found himself compelled to take the excuse Fannie gave for Minnie's non-appearance, and after lunch took his departure, leaving highly complimentary messages for Minnie. As he rode slowly towards Sacramento, he said :
" Well, I caught them nicely ; but she turned it off well, and, in fact, it may be, as she says, that there is nothing between them, after all ; for his manner to her is more like that of a brother than a lover. Oh, he can not love her, anyway, as I do; for she haunts me like a phantom day and night. What a wild, maddening feeling I had while her arm was in mine. Oh, how near it brought me to acting the madman ! But her taking her arm away just at the time she did, saved us both ; and one thing I have decided on : I cannot have this fellow De Forest play- ing around her any longer. No; I will put Seagull Tim on his track as he goes back to Oregon. He always makes sure work of such jobs, and I will trust him this time, let the consequences be what they may."
CHAPTER XVII.
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION-A CONSULTATION.
About three days after Walter and Minnie had returned to High Canyon, Walter received a letter from Captain Ward, in which was inclosed a slip cut from the Portland, Oregon, local news- paper. In reference to this inclosure, Ward said :
" You will see by the slip I inclose you that our mutual friend De Forest has had a truly wonderful escape from the hands of an assassin. How glad I am that the fellow paid with his life for his cowardly assault! We are in a quiet way doing all we can to ferret out who this fellow Lusk can be, that the dying rascal said had instigated him to the horrid crime. I think I know him, and, if I am right, he is now captain of a schooner which will be back in port in two or three months."
Walter, in the greatest excitement, called Minnie, and said :
" You must not be frightened, Minnie, when I tell you that James De Forest has had an escape from death. He is, however, well, and perfectly safe-thank God ! Our friend, Captain Ward, sends us the account. Here it is, in a slip cut from an Oregon paper."
So Walter read the following aloud, while Minnie sat on the sofa, trembling and pale:
In the matter of the inquest held to-day on the body of Timothy Dut- ton, alias "Seagull Tim," Mr. James De Forest, being sworn, said to the Coroner's jury: After we were a day at sea, on my last trip from San Fran- cisco, I observed, as I thought, a man watching all my movements, particu- larly when I was alone, which annoyed me very much, as I was somewhat inclined to be alone on this trip home. One evening I walked forward, and, as I thought, unobserved by any one, I climbed up and sat upon a furled sail upon the bowsprit, and was lost in thought, with my eyes on the break- ing, foaming waves our bark was dashing through. After a few minutes, I was startled from my reverie by a noise as of a fall behind me; I turned quickly, and, throwing my eyes over the sail I was seated on, I saw the de- ceased here just jumping up from the deck, where he had evidently fallen from somewhere near my position. I drew my revolver in an instant, and leaped on the deck beside him. He looked at me in apparent surprise, saying:
560
PIONEER TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.
"Oh, I did not know there was any one up there."
" I don't know whether to believe you or not; but I am satisfied that you have your eyes a little too much on me to be comfortable. Now, once for all, I warn you that if I catch you following me in any way, on this ship or when we get to Oregon, I will blow the top of your head off as sure as you are a Sydney duck; for I know where you come from by the cut of your jib." The fellow said, in a sullen way, as he walked off:
" I meant no harm, and I did not know you were there."
After that the fellow kept out of my way for the rest of the voyage. On arriving in Portland, after I took supper at the hotel here, I went to the store of Dunne & Co., and remained there until half-past ten o'clock writing letters. On my way back to the hotel, I thought I observed a man following me; so, drawing my revolver, I stopped right up to wait for him; but, who- ever he was, as soon as he saw I had stopped he turned down another street, and I saw no more of him. On reaching the hotel, the landlord showed me my room. There were two beds in it, and the landlord requested me to leave the door unlocked, as he expected a gentleman to come in during the night, to whom he would be obliged to give the other bed. I said all right. But this fact, and a sort of disagreeable impression remaining on my mind in regard to being followed in the street, made me cautious, and I examined my revolver and laid it and my bowie-knife carefully under my pillow. I slept, but not soundly or quietly, and, as I lay half-asleep, about two o'clock in the night, I thought I heard footsteps on the stairway. I at first supposed it was the person who was to occupy the other bed; but, as I listened, I became aware that it must be some one stealing their way cau- tiously. So I reached to my revolver, cocked it, and let my hand rest on it under the pillow. The door was now slowly opened, and then I could discern the figure of a man approaching my bed. My first impulse was to raise my revolver and order him to throw up his hands; but I thought the fellow was coming to rob my clothes, so I determined to wait until he was in the act of rifling my pockets. He was now close to me, and stooped, as I thought, to take up my pantaloons that lay on the chair close to my bed; but, instead of that, he threw himself forward, with a quick, still movement, and made a desperate blow at me with something in his right hand. The blow was so sudden and unexpected that I had no time to move; but, somehow, I shrank back, perhaps two inches, before the blow fell, and it was well I did, for I felt the cold blade of the bowie-knife pass close to my collar-bone and throat as it was driven into the bed. In an in- stant my revolver was up, and I fired, breaking the robber's right arm, as I afterwards found. The fellow dropped the knife, swore a terrible oath and fled. I leaped after him, but it was so dark on the stairway that I could not see to fire again. 1 called loudly to the landlord to intercept the robber. The landlord, as he will tell you, gentlemen of the jury, heard me, leaped out of his bed, and snatched up his shot-gun just in time to give the fellow its contents as he was escaping out the door.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.