Coyote Jac.

BY ■WILLIAM H. BU&ELL.

A STOHY OP EARLY CLIFORNIAN LIFE. ' Mobe than once the girias saved his life. If it hadn't been for t he'd have died with his boots oa long ice,' and the speaker fingered his revolverueasily, and tne lightnings of revenge sk from his black eyes as he continued: it isn't easy to let such things pass over \en there is a beautiful girl like Elsie staling as an angel in the path.' j * And it would be^a mercy > put him out of the way. He only drai her down ':• all the time, and leads her tie devil's own dance,' growled another. I ' You're right, and i had'haa mind to put an end to it an hour agu-had my - rifle cocked and a fine bead dnn on him. But just then the poor girl cae out of the cabin and talked so sweet al loving to him that somehow a mist ca^into my eyes and I couldn't shoot. It luld have beec too much like murder.' ] t Murder!' was sneered i return. t Murder to kill Coyote Jack Pjust as much murder to kill a snake or thihieving beast after which he is well nam!. But I wonder how Heaven ever cameto give such a brute a child like Elsie P' Very many more than the 3Ot}e who were talking about her indulged the ; same feelings of astonishment. Vien the twain were together it was a pijire of the angel and the demon, and as riking a one as could have been foundb. the , whole length and breadth of the Yd. 'Goyoto "'nek' (every one had Jpseu ' donym, £ol n oo lor evil, in thaland, then) bore 'ruflian' stamped up. his swarthy face. It was distinctly Isible in the bloodshot eyes that glmed wickedly from beneath, the shaggy l>ws ; in the puffed cheeks, now flushetirifch drink or livid from the want of it; i the beetling forehead; in the sensual Hi; in every word and action, With him ajost every breath was an oath, and everjact dishonesty. That his soul, as well aihis hands, was stained with blood, couldpot be denied ; and the record of his life ks black as night, and, as far as kntm, without a single redeeming ray of Ifyb. In short, he was one of the very \ntst men thrown up by the waves of emigrapn to find a home in a gold-bearing regiOp to be feared and shunned, and in the id to find a bloody grave, for his own cfes were not slow in decimating the rankss But his child, Elsie, now nearing Ir eighteenth year, was as far removed fr« him as .heaven from hell. She was siigj, spirited, winning, beautiful. Her hair ws soft and fine and golden as rays of braid} sunshine, and her skin like the new fall! snow upon the tops of the Sierraswwhs4 s kissed by the rosy lips of morning. Bill as the cloudless sky were her eyes, an! sweet as the music of the rippling brooi in the summer time was her voice, he] manner gentle, and her heart pulsating with kindness and lovo for everybody anc everything. The ill-assorted couple had been resi dents of that part of the diggings but a few months, coming from no one knew where, though it was surmised from some other locality that had been made ' too hot' for the father on account of misdeeds. For a time he had behaved quiotly. Then the natural wickedness of his character broke out, and robbery was the least of the crimes charged against him. But the beauty, the gentleness, the sorrows of his child, had thus far saved him from molestation. She stood as a guardian angel in the path, and the knife was lowered, and the rifle remained un sighted at her presence, even at the thought of her, when about to be aimed at his life. At length, however, bis crimes became so many and glaring that just revenge could not well be stayed, and Judge Lynch, the terrible but only powor upon .the frontier Bench, appeared ready to summon his court and give the fatal ver dict —one that is ever the same—'a short shrift and a strong cord.' But as yet there had been no general gathering, though men talked in little groups of the bloody deed of the previous night, and which had been tracked home to Coyote Jack. The driver of the stage had been shot dead upon his seat; tho only passenger, the express messenger, butchered and robbed, and both left to the wolves of the wilderness, and within an hour after the bloody tragedy the perpetrator marched boldly into a gaming house, and freely squandered his ill-gotten gains. Dreaded as well as detested, no one had openly accused him, and permitted him to reel his drunken way homeward unmo lested. But the sleuth hounds of the Vigilance Committee took the track, fastened the guilt where it belonged be yond the shadow of a doubt, and watched him beyond the posibility of escape A swift death would have followed upon the heels of the crime had not the daugh ter stood in tho way. It was repugnant to the feelings of even the most hardened to shoot him down before her pure eyes, and to separate them had been tried in The blood-stained man, still half-crazed with drink, sat before the door of his wretched cabin (wretched without, but clean and adorned as woman's hands could make it within from the material she could command), a sight for even fiends to pity. His iron nerves were unstrung, and his conscience was awakened as much as it could be in one who had ever trampled it ruthlessly under foot, and sneered, at God

and everything good. With his rifle across his knees, and revolver and kmte gleaming from his belt, he safe looking moodily about, and even then regretting the gold he bad lost far more than tne manner in which it had been gained. • Curse the luck,' he muttered from be tween his white teeth, swollen lips, and heavy coarse motistache,( Curse the luck. I had enough money to have taken me tar away and made me comfortable for lite. And yet, like a fool. I gambled and lost it all. -Bring me the jag, Elsie.' Like the brightest of angles flitting out from the darkest of perdition, the girl came from the cabin, and resting her hand gently upon the shoulder of her father answered and pleaded in a breath: ■' Don't drink any more, please don t, It made you have such terrible dreams last night. You talked of murder, and blood, and —' , , 'Hush! 1 he growled, with frowning brows and eyes that glared wildly around. 'Hush! Don't talk such nonsonce. Jtou must have been dreaming yourself. Get me the jug and be done with \t, or it will be the worse for you.' ' Don't you remember,' she said, ana in still the kindest and most winning tones, 'that you broke it.' Sho would have thanked heaven for it, but dared not. With a bitter curse, he arose and start ed for the town. The fire within him must be quenched, ftand the daggers of conscience that the words of his child had sharpened must be dulled. Drink he must have at every hazard, and ho knew he could get it, gold or not gold. Bat though the cup was several times filled and drained, he w as not again reduced to the level of the brute before ominous words reached his ears and quickened his motions. They told him that his latest crime had been fastened upon him, that justice was fully aroused, the hounds of vengeance upon his track, and the dark hunter Death following swiftly. There was no mistaking the P°For la single instant the recklessness of the man failed him. He gazed at the whispering groups around him as a netted tiger Then ha shot dead the bar-keeper who had just refused him further credit, seized a bottle, and swallowed the con tents at a gulp, and, revolver in hand, dashed away to the security of nis cabin, with the coward intent of making his daughter stand between him and harm. The hunt was quickly organised. Ine blood of the latest victim still flowing, the murder too fiendish to be endured, bwitt footed vengeance took his trail, but he reached his home the soonest, and closing and barring the door, laughed at his enemies, and threatened death to ?ny one who approached. Yet not long would ho have taunted, had not his fair and sin less child boon with him. There were too old frontiersmen and Indian fighters present, not to know how to kindle a funeral pile of the cabin, and without danger to themselves. But the safety of the girl made them hesitato; not even for the dire vengeanco they wero deter mined upon would they harm a single of the glorious hair that crowned Iherhoad as with a halo. Sorrow, if > Wiring else, had made her sacred. 1 1 ' Come out of your hole and fight like a man, Coyote,' "was the summons he received. A mocking, taunting laugh, a bitter mrsc, and a rife shot was the _ answer. Then another, a young physician, who lad but recently come to the place, thrust tside the rude speaker, and continued : 'At least let your child come out. I pledge you my honour that no harm shall come to kor.' ' You pledge your honour !' was sneered bick. 'Who (with an oath) are you? Keep your distance, all of you,' and the riflebarrel gleamed threateningly from a loophole. Argument was useless, but cunning had not been idle. A few had crept to the very door, and a sudden rush burst it open ; but beforo any advantage could betaken tlie girl had recloscd it, and running her slender arm through the wooden staples, had again effectually locked it, and answering to all commands and threats : 'Heis my father, no matter what he may be, and I cannot give him up to be murdered.' . It was a brave action and a truly filial thought, but the hour when it would be listened to, was past. The doom of the man had been written by other fingers than those of mortality, and a grave was yearning for him that must be filled. But it found a response in but few hearts, and the little arm would have been broken as a pipe-stem, and the crowd have rushed over the body of the devoted girl, had not the physician managed to keep them in check. ' For shame ! What would you do ? \ he asked, interposing his form between the door and those who would have beaten it down, ' Remember that you are men, no matter what the other may be, and youder girl is but the more proving her self worthy of your reverence and protec tion.' ' Thanks' came softly to his ear, and the sweet face of Elsie (revealed through an opening iv the door) was illuminated with fervent gratitude, and her . eyes blessed him far more than her tongue had done, though his heart felt that all that was possible was condensed into the single word. The crowd retreated a little distance and took counsel together. It was hard for them to be baulked, and by a feeble girl. Yet, for a time, no one took the initiative —dared not do so, for the phy n

to be trifled with.. , Bat what was to be donP The mur derer they must and would have. * et, as long as the delicate girl barred the inmate of the cabin that he be ££n unharmed to the country town that he should have a fair trial, and that he would defend him with his own lite. A*ain Elsie thanked him with eyes that were" filled with tears of gratitude, but her father laughed the proffer to scorn 'Do y6u think Coyote Jack is a fool ? he questioned. 'He is safe here and you dare not come nearer. Hold the door fast ° Wretch that he was, he thought of her -made merchandise of her gentleness and purity to save his miserable life Coward that he proved (asi indeed all such men are when put to the test) he used her fair form as a shield against the bullets that otherwise would very soon have viddled his heart. But not long could the mob of vengeance be kept waiting for their prey. They knew no law but'blood for blood, and that'of the oatlaw should pay the penalty of his misdeed, even though the pure VO une life must needs be the sacrifice. It was a terrible alternative, and those who the most madly urged ifc would be tha most bitter in their regrets when cool reason again assumed the reins now flung loose by passion. . With all his eloquence the young physi cian battled against it. But how could a single man make good his stand before the whirlwind of vengeance ? He was over ruled—taunted with standing in the way of justice, and drawing nearer to the girl, he attempted to convince her that it was useless to longer try to thwart the rising fury of the mob. ' Withdrew your arm, and let the door swing open,' he urged. •' Never,' was the resolute reply. _ JNo matter what he may be, he is still my father, and while my feeble strength remains I will protect him.' •And I you,'the physician replied, and from that instant devoted himself to lier safety. The suspense was not long. The cabin became more closely surrounded, iras attacked in various parts, on the side, on the roof. The doomed man realised Jhat he was as a serpent encircled by fire, that there was no escape. Once only his riflaj blazed in revenue. It was aimed abthe very man who had attempted to befriend him, and the bullet came very near ending an innocent, useful, and noble life. JToar, but missing ; and, with a curse, thehad been and would-be murderer sank i back into a corner, even as the little room was being filled—shrank back as into the best possible position to defend himself to the last gasp. But it was not his idea. As the rattle snake turns its fangs upon itself when surrounded, and dies in bloated deformity, even so it was with this desperate man. When the crowd surged nearer, intent upon his capture, a pistol shoe was heard, and he fell writhing to the floor, adding self-murder to the long and black list already scored against his soul.

' Father !' ■ The girl sprang frantically forward, knelt by his side, and smoothed back the bloody and matted hair from the powder blackcDed face. The dying man looked at her strangely for an instant, gasped for breath, groped for her hand and faintly breathed :

' You are an angel, Elsie. But no, no, not my child. I hated your ftther and mother, stole you when a baby, and—and —God for—'

• And God be thanked.'

The girl fell back fainting with the words into the arms of the physician. Joy at the thought of his not being her parent was too much for her. And long before she recovered sensibility the man of blood, who had thus far wrecked her life, was dead and buried—gone without telling the secret of her parentage, that would have been almost as dear to her as honour,

As the miners had been stern to the one, they were kind to the other —reverenced her the more for having been true to the bitter end to the one she believed her father. And with their gold she was pro vided for and richly dowered, when,a few months later, her heart and hand were given to the physician, who had proved her truest friend

Old fashions in Europe.

Among some of the prevailing fashions we observe the revival of the old-fashioned turban, worn by our great-grandmothers. Headdresses similar to these are now worn by matrons in Paris on all dress occasions made of tulle, and ornamented with feathers and diamonds. Virot dis plays some very tasteful ones in silk and tulie, which, although turbans, resemble those worn by Madrme de Stael, in very dainty fashion. Another revival is that of the long silk mitten of great-grand mothers. These are worn at dinner parties and parties, with short sleeves or elbow sleeves. They are of black silk or ecru silk ; the black are said to set offthe whiteness of the arm. It is singular that what was looked upon as antiquated is now considered very elegant and des irable,

Extraordinary Discovery.

SgjTERRANEAN PALACE. Recent jroceedings ia the Hungarian Parliament disclosed a remarkable dis covery w^ich, were it not so conclusively authentif^ed, would be almost impossible to believV The story, as .condensed from the offic^ reports, is that two peasants, or ratheishepiierds, from the island of Ivan-EzirzeS> near the ancient city of Veszprijia, and not far from the Lake Balatol, !amo fco Pesth, and to a jewelled offered &me broken fragments of what evidentl' was some very old golden ornameo' °f female wear —probably a bracelets band for the upper arm. The jeweller <l uestioned the shepherds, and their aiswers being unsatisfactory, he had the nen arrested on suspicion of being thieves. At the examination they told a tale whih was so astonishing that it was communcated to the Minister of the Interior,and this fuactionary ordered an investigation by scientific officers. The information of the shepherds was that in the woods skirting Ivan-Ezerzeg, where they had some huts for shelter when out at night.they had been digging at a little hill, waiting the earth for building purposes Suddenly they ca;ne upon what appeared to be a square structure of brick nils, with a stjne covering the aperture. Removing this stone, they found tint these walls enclosed an opening into the earth., and resolved to sound its depth. Lowering a stone tied to a rope they asce'tained that the shaft, about 3ft in diameter, or 9ft square, descended perpendicularly to a depth of over a 100 ft. The pebUe they had lowered reached what seened like a stone floor beneath, and from the sound itself they judged that this (pening must lead to some large subterranian cavern or hall. They agreed to keep tleir discovery a secret, and to explore tte mystery. A day or two after wards theshepherds were again at work. They pepared a small square board, freighted frith stone, and in the centre of it they placed three lighted candles. This they let &>vn trhough the shaft, and by the light «fthe candles they saw distinctly that the imer srdes of the shaft were smooth aad apparently ended in some large apartment. As the candles con tinued to barn all the way down they came to the conclusion that the air could not be vitiated, and that it would be safe to go down. They next prepared a rope ladder of the requisite length, secured several lanterns, and then one of them let himself down the shaft. At the bottom he stood in wonder as he gazed upon a large sqnare hall, the walls covered with faded paintings, chairs, benches, and tables standing arouud, orna mented with gold and ivory, and large doors, hungjon golden hinges, leading to other rooms. The shepherd climbed the ladder and told his companion of the dis covery, Both of them went down together, and, walking about, found themselves in a succession, of rooms abounding with e'aborately carved furniture of a style which they lad never seen before. In some of them where low, large stands, evidently once used as beds. There were also closets, bureaus containing armlets, rings, medal', coins, daggers, chains, swords, shields, aud helmets. There were also breastplates of leather, covered with iron and studded with ornaments in gold. Some of the armlets they tookaway, broke them up, and carried them to Pesth for sale, in which transaction they were arrested, as above stated. The officers of the Hungarian Ministry of the Interior began their investigation uuder the ancient law, which makes all such dis coveries the property of the Crown, and their report, as comtnunicated to Parlia ment, is still more startling. The re searches clearly establish it as a fact that this subterranean structure was undoubt edly an old Roman castle! built many cen turies before the Hans and Magyars left their Asiatic homes to invade this part of Europe. This section of Hungary was the province ol Pannonia, of the Roman Empire, and ia the vicinity of Lake Balatol there was a large permanent Roman camp, the agricultural and mili tary settlements of the Romans, extending for many miles, and traces of this Roman occupation, which, continued down to the sixth century of the Christian era, have repeatedly been found. But how this vast structure, which is said to cover two acres, and is built two storeys high, with massive walls of stone and brick, was covered with earth to the depth of 60 feet over which a forest of heavy timber "had grown np —a forest, too, that ia mentioned as existing in the oldest preserved chroni cles of the kingdom, the officers have so far found, is impossible to account for. In one room several skeletons of human beings have been found, bnt the bones were too much decayed to indicate with certainty the race to which they belonged. As a thorough search of this wonderful building is now proposed, further de velopments may clear up the mystery. The shaft through which the first discovery was made is believed to have been either a ehimmey or an observatory, or a look out, as iron hooks were found fastened to the walls iuside, to which means of ascent and desceafc were probablj attached. Tha Minister of the Interior has asked for a perliminary appropriation of 100, 000 florins to make a more full examination, and also demanded authority to commence work at once, digging out the whole earth burying the place, and thus bring to the eyes ot the nineteenth century evidence of Roman provincial life, hidden from the light of day possibly for fifteen centuries.

Stags Coaches.

By Doe Isa

It has been said and said many tim o s th f' a coach, well loaded, is ( or Was ) one 31 the finest sights in the world. Y P , ±1 is no doubt of it; a presentable coaS l four respectable horses, a gooddrir er 3 weather, a pleasant guard, and Ea3f roads, combined, form a very fi ne S Iremomber a pretty house, surrounded ■ by about six acres of beautifnl . paddock, situated at the foot of two roads* and with a fine view of more than a mi £ of the road, either way. At the bend o5 these roads used to stand the pleasnn W rfl white houses, with a l ar J sto ™ , yard, and stables just beyo^S^.: enough to make any flOrM reb / j° passing; they were a l most as t » looking as the house. This w «« IBM Eoyal Oak Hotel and po'l^W There, every two hours, a coach used to change horses, on its way to or ' from London, and though it was a fam? liar sightly young eyes ueve r wearied/ :lJnttz£ m deccndj one Mu ' and y

Six spirited horses were required for the ascent on one side, and it was a grand ' sight. Most of the guards were more or 1 less musical, and thoir approach, and' departure were heralded by some popular tune on the bugle, and travelling, whether by land, or water, is always the pleasanter for a little melody. The people at the \ posting house were always kept busy, for j this was the brightest point before' the i total eclipse, of both coaches and post boys. Probably before a coach started. a postchaise and four, with two jockeys, would drive up, when the attention "of I host, hostess, and chambermaid would be » in requisition. The gentlemanly looking I host, always with one hand in his pocket; : the handsome, elegant landlady, with the pretty modest waitress, formed a very pretty picture. At these times, any ; strangers in our house, would be told the \ little romance connected with the pro prietor of the Eoyal Oak, and his comely attractive wife.

; She was originally a very poor girl, but being exceedingly pretty, had the situation of barmaid offered her at an Inn some thirty miles from where they now i lived. The landlord was an aged widower I and let her have no peace, until she promised to become his wife. In tie?] meantime, among the frequenters of the : house, was the valet of a nobleman in the | neighbourhood, and when he found how matter stood, asked her to marry him off 1 hand.

She was so afraid of the old man's vengeance, that they eloped early one I morning, scampered off to London, and got married by licence. This so delighted the nobleman, that he gave his old servant a twenty year's lease of the Eoyal Oak family Hotel and Posting-house.

After this, the house became a popular $ place for wedding parties. A long string of carriages would sometimes make a halt, i putting the proprietor's and their assist ant's wits to work, to provide luncheon at so short a notice. At another time, the grounds would be dotted all over with white muslin, and blue, or lavender silk, 1 andby-and-bye, as if to make it understood ' more fully that it was a genuine wedding I party, there would issue forth in pairs I from thirty to fifty couples, for a stroll through the woods. Of course the people, of the Inn felt proud of these displays, 1 and well they might. Then the interesting spectacle of some rich man's four-in-hand would be seen curving down the hill, and would presently glide away ia front of &m Eoyal Oak, in that gracefully elegent w I tjihat thorough-breds only can assure,'rmJf the chatter and laughter of the ladiell inside, and the smoking, tuneing, ant-\| compliment of the gentlemen on the top I However none of these things interfered with the passenger traffic, and the coaches drove in with great regular ity. :•'

The first, at eight o'clock, was Venus, ■ and many jokes wera cracked, and kind " enquiries made as to the locality of her soa | on certain occasions. At ten, the Borer '•'■ came in with a plunge. This coach was driven by a handsome young fellow, who V should have been doing something better; but his mother's heart ached, and his father stormed in vain, and said, 'If a/ follows only gift is driving a stage coach,*' what's the use of houling ?' He looked f supremely happy, and no doubfc he was. He was however, a great favorite with the ; women, and all the young swells on the road. At twelve o'clock, Delight came in with a canter. The two famous horses i Strikealight and Highflyer, ran in thifj^ coach. The coachman and guard, v^Jrey as well known on the road as St Paul's, in the city of London. Old Bob and Sam— * these men'^were about of an age ; neither I of them were old, though the sun. and wind and frost had reddened their faces, and slightly grizzled their hair.. Sam' said he believed he was slightly older than the coachman, but as he got all the favors of sun, wind, frost, and dust, second hand on the dickey, he supposed that circum stance tended to make him bear his years i better. Added to his, Sam said 'so maiiy ladies were under his charge daily, and the prettiest and most sensible girls perferred a seat on the dickey, so he thought perhaps, that also had something to do with it.' Sam was a very pleasant bugler, and as the horses started off full trot, would strike up,' When the heart of a ] man,' or, it he had no ladies with him,:: ' The girl I left behind me.' Boy's going,: to or returning from school, always.' patronised old Bob. He would tell the^!

Evening S^^Swppl^S^^^ 1' 1576