"
"O God!" groaned the man, "my sin has found me out. I killed Cummins
with my own hand; and I am ready to pay the penalty."
His religion had not been all humbug, by any means; and now he asked
permission to visit Union City to make public confession of the murder.
But Carter had left Collins in jail at St. Louis, and saw no reason to
delay the arrest of that scoundrel in order to gratify the wishes of a
confessed murderer. So he proceeded to St. Louis at once, arrested
Collins, who seemed rather shocked and grieved to meet his old friend
the sheriff once more; and hurried the prisoners back to California.
There was great excitement in the gold fields, you may be sure, when it
was announced that Will Cummins' murderers were safely lodged in jail,
more than three years after the crime. Surely, California was becoming
civilized, and at last Nevada County was actually to try a couple of men
for murder.
CHAPTER XVIII
The End of J. C. P. Collins
At Nevada City, with its pleasant homes scattered on the hills either
side of the deep gorge of Deer Creek, the traveler lingers awhile to
drink in the romance of the gold fields.
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