the rainy season, and its effects—disease and misery at little creek—reappearance of old friends—an emigrant’s death—an unexpected arrival.
captain bunting, after two days’ serious consideration, made up his mind to go down alone to san francisco, in order to clear up the mystery of the letter, and do all that he could personally in the absence of his friend. to resolve, however, was easy; to carry his resolution into effect was almost impracticable, in consequence of the inundated state of the country.
it was now the middle of november, and the rainy season, which extends over six months of the year, was in full play. language is scarcely capable of conveying, to those who have not seen it, an adequate idea of how it rained at this period of the year. it did not pour—there were no drops—it roared a cataract of never-ending ramrods, as thick as your finger, straight down from the black sky right through to the very vitals of the earth. it struck the tents like shot, and spirted through the tightest canvas in the form of scotch-mist. it swept down cabin chimneys, and put out the fires; it roared through every crevice, and rent and seam of the hills in mad cataracts, and swelled up the little creek into a mighty surging river.
all work was arrested; men sat in their tents on mud-heaps that melted from below them, or lay on logs that well-nigh floated away with them; but there was not so much grumbling as one might have expected. it was too tremendous to be merely annoying. it was sublimely ridiculous,—so men grinned, and bore it.
but there were many poor miners there, alas! who could not regard that season in a light manner. there were dozens of young and middle-aged men whose constitutions, although good, perhaps, were not robust, and who ought never to have ventured to seek their fortunes in the gold-regions. men who might have lived their full time, and have served their day and generation usefully in the civilised regions of the world, but who, despite the advice of friends, probably, and certainly despite the warnings of experienced travellers and authors, rushed eagerly to california to find, not a fortune, but a grave. dysentery, scurvy in its worst and most loathsome type, ague, rheumatism, sciatica, consumption, and other diseases, were now rife at the diggings, cutting down many a youthful plant, and blasting many a golden dream.
doctors, too, became surprisingly numerous, but these disciples of esculapius failed to effect cures, and as their diplomas, when sought for, were not forthcoming, they were ultimately banished en masse by the indignant miners. one or two old hunters and trappers turned out in the end to be the most useful doctors, and effected a good many cures with the simple remedies they had become acquainted with among the red-men.
what rendered things worse was that provisions became scarce, and, therefore, enormously dear. no fresh vegetables of any kind were to be had. salt, greasy and rancid pork, bear’s-meat, and venison, were all the poor people could procure, although many a man there would have given a thousand dollars—ay, all he possessed—for a single meal of fresh potatoes. the men smitten with scurvy had, therefore, no chance of recovering. the valley became a huge hospital, and the banks of the stream a cemetery.
there were occasional lulls, however, in this dismal state of affairs. sometimes the rain ceased; the sun burst forth in irresistible splendour, and the whole country began to steam like a caldron. a cart, too, succeeded now and then in struggling up with a load of fresh provisions; reviving a few sinking spirits for a time, and almost making the owner’s fortune; but, at the best, it was a drearily calamitous season,—one which caused many a sick heart to hate the sight and name of gold, and many a digger to resolve to quit the land, and all its treasures, at the first opportunity.
doubtless, too, many deep and earnest thoughts of life, and its aims and ends, filled the minds of some men at that time. it is often in seasons of adversity that god shews to men how mistaken their views of happiness are, and how mad, as well as sinful, it is in them to search for joy and peace apart from, and without the slightest regard for, the author of all felicity. yes, there is reason to hope and believe that many seeds of eternal life were sown by the saviour, and watered by the holy spirit, in that disastrous time of disease and death,—seed which, perhaps, is now blessing and fertilising many distant regions of the world.
in one of the smallest and most wretched of the huts, at the entrance of the valley of little creek, lay a man, whose days on earth were evidently few. the hut stood apart from the others, in a lonely spot, as if it shrank from observation, and was seldom visited by the miners, who were too much concerned about their own misfortunes to care much for those of others. here kate morgan sat by the couch of her dying brother, endeavouring to soothe his last hours by speaking to him in the most endearing terms, and reading passages from the word of god, which lay open on her knee. but the dying man seemed to derive little comfort from what she said or read. his restless eye roamed anxiously round the wretched hut, while his breath came short and thick from between his pale lips.
“shall i read to ye, darlin’?” said the woman, bending over the couch to catch the faint whisper, which was all the poor man had strength to utter.
just then, ere he could reply, the clatter of hoofs was heard, and a bronzed, stalwart horseman was seen through the doorless entrance of the hut, approaching at a brisk trot. both horse and man were of immense size, and they came on with that swinging, heavy tread, which gives the impression of irresistible weight and power. the rider drew up suddenly, and, leaping off his horse, cried, “can i have a draught of water, my good woman?” as he fastened the bridle to a tree, and strode into the hut.
kate rose hurriedly, and held up her finger to impose silence, as she handed the stranger a can of water. but he had scarcely swallowed a mouthful when his eye fell on the sick man. going gently forward to the couch, he sat down beside it, and, taking the invalid’s wrist, felt his pulse.
“is he your husband?” inquired the stranger, in a subdued voice.
“no, sir,—my brother.”
“does he like to have the bible read to him?”
“sometimes; but before his voice failed he was always cryin’ out for the priest. he’s a catholic, sir, though i’m not wan meself and thinks he can’t be saved unless he sees the priest.”
the stranger took up the bible, and, turning towards the man, whose bright eyes were fixed earnestly upon him, read, in a low impressive voice, several of those passages in which a free salvation to the chief of sinners is offered through jesus christ. he did not utter a word of comment; but he read with deep solemnity, and paused ever and anon to look in the face of the sick man as he read the blessed words of comfort. the man was not in a state either to listen to arguments or to answer questions, so the stranger wisely avoided both, and gently quitted the hut after offering up a brief prayer, and repeating twice the words—
“jesus says, ‘him that cometh to me, i will in no wise cast out.’”
kate followed him out, and thanked him earnestly for his kindness, while tears stood in her eyes.
“have you no friends or relations here but him!” inquired the stranger.
“not wan. there was wan man as came to see us often when we stayed in a lonesome glen further up the creek, but we’ve not seen him since we came here. more be token he didn’t know we were goin’ to leave, and we wint off in a hurry, for my poor brother was impatient, and thought the change would do him good.”
“take this, you will be the better of it.”
the stranger thrust a quantity of silver into kate’s hand, and sprang upon his horse.
“i don’t need it, thank ’ee,” said kate, hurriedly.
“but you may need it; at any rate, he does. stay, what was the name of the man who used to visit you?”
“o’neil, sir—larry o’neil.”
“indeed! he is one of my mates. my name is sinton—edward sinton; you shall hear from me again ere long.”
ned put spurs to his horse as he spoke, and in another moment was out of sight.
