orite with both nations, ended
without bloodshed. This person knew nothing of the intended duel, or he
might have prevented, by his wise counsels, what followed. Not
suspecting for a moment anything of the kind, he went to Rich Bar. Soon
after he left, Tom Somers, who is said always to have been a dangerous
person when in liquor, without any apparent provocation struck Domingo
(one of the original seven) a violent blow, which nearly felled him to
the earth. The latter, a man of "dark antecedents" and the most
reckless character, mad with wine, rage, and revenge, without an
instant's pause drew his knife and inflicted a fatal wound upon his
insulter. Thereupon followed the chapter of accidents which I have
related.

On Tuesday following the fatal sabbath, a man brought news of the
murder of a Mr. Bacon, a person well known on the river, who kept a
ranch about twelve miles from Rich Bar. He was killed for his money by
his servant, a negro, who, not three months ago, was our own cook. He
was the last one anybody would have suspected capable of such an act.

A party of men, appointed by the vigilance committee, left the Bar
immediately in search of him. The miserable wretch was apprehended in
Sacramento, and part of the gold found upon his person. On the
following Sunday he was brought in chains to Rich Bar. After a trial by
the miners, he was sentenced to be hanged at four o' clock in the
evening. All efforts to make him confess proved futile. He said very
truly that whether innocent or guilty they would hang him, and so he
"died and made no sign" with a calm indifference, as the novelists say,
worthy of a better cause. The dreadful crime and death of Josh, who,
having been an excellent cook, and very neat and respectful, was a
favorite servant with us, added to the unhappiness which you can easily
imagine that I was suffering under all these horrors.

On Saturday evening, about eight o'clock, as we sat quietly conversing
with the two ladies from the hill,--whom, by the way, we found very
agreeable additions to our society, hitherto composed entirely of
gentlemen,--we were startled by the loud shouting, and the rushing
close by the door of the cabin, which stood open, of three or four
hundred men. Of course we feminines, with nerves somewhat shattered
from the events of the past week, were greatly alarmed.

We were soon informed that Henry Cook, vice Josh, had, in a fit of
delirium tremens, cut his throat from ear to e