and by the time sleep overcame us the
fortunes of Croesus, Astor and Vanderbilt combined were mere trifles
compared with our anticipated wealth, for were we not to be soon endowed
with the magic touch of Midas!

We revelled in our repose, seasoned with the exaltation of hope and the
demijohn, until about four days had glided away, when even such delights
began to pall, and became a little monotonous, and still no Rose and no
Win-ne-muc-ca. The fifth, and even the sixth day passed, and yet they
came not, and we were driven to the conclusion that either Rose had been
victimized by the Piutes, or we had been victimized by Rose. So nothing
was left for us but to pull up stakes and wend our weary way back to
Carson. Here we found Rose, with the excuse that Win-ne-muc-ca had told
him that he dared not give up the secret of the mine for fear his band
would kill both Rose and himself, and that he had not dared to return to
the camp for fear the Indians would follow him and destroy us all. And
so ended our venture.

We came out of the enterprise wiser and poorer men, to the amount of
about one thousand dollars. As we had left town at midnight, and
returned at the same quiet hour, we were able to keep our adventure to
ourselves, and escape the ridicule of more experienced miners, many of
whom, however, had passed through similar experiences under varying
circumstances.

I have never been able fully to satisfy myself whether Rose acted in
good faith or not, but as he had no hope of gain outside of the mine I
am inclined to believe his story.

My next mining experience resulted much the same way. Rich finds were
reported in the Walker river country, and a small syndicate of us
outfitted a party of old and experienced miners to visit the locality
and see what they could pick up. They started in the usual mysterious
manner, at the dead of night, and in about two weeks returned, and
brought to my office a gunny bag full of ore, which they left, and we
appointed a meeting the next night at one o'clock, when the town was
supposed to be asleep, to examine the bag and pass upon the contents.
One of the prospectors tapped the sack affectionately, and, winking at
me in the most significant manner, said: "Judge, we've got the world by
the tail. It's all pure silver, and there are a million tons of it lying
on the top of the ground." Of course, my curiosity and expectations were
aroused to the highest pitch, and I awaited the appointed h