The Republican journal., 1875-10-07

| iN9N7e Hlli'tIllliS W OlueIS? Cerldln IL IS,
that before the long shed tunnels were
reached John Longmire reflected.
Il Will 90 to Nalma Mountain."
General Bolles, lately 50 frigid to in
truslve Ira Hackley. also remarked:
I'VE will first visit Nalma Mountain.
my dears.'
Mrs. Bolles looked surprised; Kate
| pouted.
- can not wait to see the Yosemite,
papa
| IL. TIE SILVER, GNOMES
A mountain detached from the chain
| sweeping away to the north, its summit
crowned with snow, redwood and pine
| sklrtlng the steep sides, and below a val
| ley threaded by rivulets and blooming
with Tickets OF giossy-leayed trees and
hedges OF wild flowers, all mingling their
aromatl; perfumes III the hot sunshine
| such was Nalma Mountain; and the very
breeze, wandering innocently among the
| flowers seemed to whisper Of some fresh
Intelligence, for the hill had not held its
treasure 50 closely through the ages but
that man now bled its veins Of silver ore
| ihere was the mine known as g The
Cr&@;' here, ''White Peak Which to
choose? Unfortunately there was no
choice possible. The rich man had cast
in lis lot with The Crag;" the poor
man might pick up a little in "White
Peak" # he was not discouraged at the
| outset by the fact that it had been twice
worked a tiitle, and abandoned because of
an ugly reputation gone abroad that por-
phyry, not as a g pony, y but as . the
horse,' was rampant at every turn in the
unsuccessful mine,
Mr. Ira Hackhy paused to contemplate
in "the Crag" the Mecca Of his Pilgrim
age His excitement amounted to deiri-
um. Shares were selling like wild-tire on
California street, San Francisco. and pre-
sumably in Chicago and New York No
time was to be lost. He led the way to
spacious building on the Ledge, which re-
sembled a factory. with smoke stacks pro-
.lecting from the roof Of one building and
steam escaping from pipes elsewhere.
Once invested in the mining costume OF
blpe flannel coarse shoes, and felt hat
with narrow rim. social equality brought
General 5ol es in direct contact with Mr.
Chang Foo and longmire as the cage
dropped into the darkness Of the shaft
Oh, the tea,lul ride seemingly sucked
down through tube by the heated va
pors Of hidden volcanoes, single lantern
making the gloom visible. Occasional
glmpses We're possible Of branching gal
leries rayeG with light and vocal with
sounds then a swilter plunge downward,
the cage dancing and swayng on the Vi
brating cable, until the last stand of tenu-
ty was reaclea in the bottom of the shaft.
The balance poised thus General Bolles
and Mr.. Hackley having, one much and
the other little money to invest, were
shareholders in "the Crag' before they
again emerged into daylight Chang Foo
modestly purchased a small interest in
'White Peak below par, and set up
booth, half cook-shop, half laundry. John
Longmire, unable to obtain employment
in the lucky mine, must needs work in
the unluclly one, or starve on the earth's
surface
"Perhaps may earn ten pounds" he
thought grinly, and glanced at u pretty
figure singularly out OF place in mining
community-that Of a girl shielding her
eyes from the sun with an ivory fan.
1hr land was llch in legends and traces
Of previous possession, but the hurrying
throngs had no leisure to unravel fabulous
tradition, save where it pointed to gain
Kate b"lIu', 7iiI,i,i.,3 >ii...,".,,i nun'i
her chaplet, beheld the century. and his
children the vanishing years leading the
phantom band Of Jesuit fathers down to
oblivion She had seated herself amid the
ruins Of the Mission Church OF St John.
Above her was the dome Of blue sky, to
the left Nalma Mountain, and all around
her age and neglect, in falling root, dis
mantled passages and arches. No priest
chanted before u disused altar. wild tlow-
ers Were the sole incense, stiffness III the
0vergroWn graveyard met stiffness in the
courtyard. where inches for saints had
been followed in the massive adobe wall.
In the center a discolored image of st.
John stIl remained There tow cred the
mountain, promising q future; here lay
the past, a ruined mission, also supposed
to hold its secret of buried treasure since
the fathers added another page Of martyr
dom TO missionary annals.
Kate was aroused by the approach OF
John Longmire, who came toward her
swiftly, rs il under the influence OF strong
emotion.
You leave to morrow r.
YES. with slight reserve.
''Pardon my presumption, Miss Bolles,
but may surely know Your future ad-
dress,n he implored.
She had moved away from him, and
stood before the statue OF St. John
II have no address at present; we are
going round the world" she said gently.
John LOngmire's blue eyes flashed
Il am Il gentleman, and owe u debit
he said firmly
Kate inclined her head towar, him arch
y, with smile revealing snowy teeth
PAY vour debts when this church yields
its secret. You must know the story"
and tripped away.
The Voice Of Mrs. Bolles was heard in
plantive lament: 'Iour papa has GER
tainly caught the mining fever. He will
be ruined il he remains here"
''Ile must leave Tomorrow" returned
the daughter.
Lett alone, John Longmire heard, I'M
lerstood and was rendered dumb by q
great nee;! If this butterfly had tluttered
into bis hand, he would not have crushed
the down on her wings. The very gulf
dividing them made her more dazzling
and allusing. What was he?-a workman,
q clown Something cold touched his
hand, He had rested his fingers in the
niche, and the statue of ST. John looked
down upon him benignly. Did the evan
gel speak to him of death or Immortality !?
III. A MILLIONAIRE.
After that 'White Peak" claimed John
Longmire, and he vanished. Far down in
the network of stations. drifts, cross cuts
and WINES man labored d " after day
''stopng'' the ore with desperate energy,
that fever burning in his veins, consuming
and terrible, which has swept in waves
oyer the human race since the discovery
Of America He was part of a complicat-
ed mechanism. Others worked above and
below him as he traced quartz belts, the
masses of black sulphuret and. chloride,
in dread Of the soapy touch which prom
ised porphyry, for he received his wages
in shares, and "White Peak" must yield.
Life became dream, with vague pain
left afar off in some realm of sunshine :;
he belonged to subterranean depths heat
ed to suifccation, where nature promised
to open wide the gate OF untold treasures
/ nnnIH find