Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-04-01
In strong contrast to each otbor

IN strong contrast to each other.
He crawled up gradually toward the shelf
on which lay the Bank It inclined some-
what toward the river and then jumped off
abruptly, making perpendicular face four
or tive feet in height. Pratt could now see
that the quartz had rolled from this shelf.
and that the vein must be somewhere at or
near its top.
Its up therer heard him mutter. sand
mighty rich, tool"
| heard him scrambling up the wall of rock
assisting himself by roots and bushes growing
in the crevices. heard him pant. All he.
side was still--the stiffness of the California
summer noon day-nothing of life in sight
save black buzzard wheeling above. his
shadow floating along the ground.
Pratt had gained the top of the shelf He
made his way directly toward the face of the
preelpice. He burst through the chapparal.
and l was disclosed Do him, seated on a rock
about ten feet from the vein.
''Holioan was his involuntary exclamation
''you heregn
Yes, I'm here,n replied
wen, well!p lie was evidently at a loss
what next to say or do. sits hot day.
isn't itg
or would be soon in every sense. and the
shadow of laugh came over me as thought
OF talking weather. at such a iuncture.
MIR. Pratt sat himself also down upon a
rock, drew a rusty red bandana, mopped
with it his face and partly bald head, and
raid "Wheww Then he poked tie ground
.elore him with the end Of his hammer, and
po6ed Mother Earth before me with a stick.
1t was clear to me that Mr.. Pratt intended
10 stay here and wait for my going. Ii was
clear to me that | should remain-though
did not like so to do The situation was
somewhat akin to that in which two gentle
men calling on the same lady sometimes find
themseves-and of all work sitting your man
out ranks among the hardest Both of us
recognized silence as the factor most effi-
cacloua for the removal of his adversary
only while Mr.. Pratt hoped that the dull
ness OF his company might remove me, had
no hope that my tacituInity would remove
MT Pratt from the vicinity OF the golden
mistress he knew was near.
30 we sat one full hour, and the longest
hour OF my life. Pratt made the first move
lie commenced examining the rock near the
SOLID mountain formation. Nearer he ad-
vanced toward the place where Broener had
screened the worked portion of the vein with
a layer of cut brush. He was in the act Of
removing this when | called out: Don't
touch that brush, pIeasey
why not" said Pratt, looking back.
Never mind why not. Don't touch it,
said, advancing toward him, feeling as if on
my way to the scaffold
Wen, young man, do you own this noun
tainF' he said.
II own that brush, that's ALL" was my
reply.
The brush was ranged against the white
streak OF rock for not more than ten or
twelve feet. Pratt passed it, His eye fell
on one end of the vein-untouched there by
the pick He commenced chipping it with
his hammer
You must let that roc!, alone,nI said,
going toward him
Pratt was now up and doing. The war
had commenced
'Oh, Gomez he exclaimed don't Won
fool around me any more You must be off
your head. This mountains as much mine
as yours
That's my claim,n I said ''Let it alone.n
Momentary wonder showed itself in Pratts
eyes that any one else should know of gold
in this form.
sort of diggings do you call these anyway
Perhaps You know as well as l. But
that's my claim by right of discovery"
where's your notices."
The written notice on the ground was then
Indispensable to hold claim. We had none.
Broener had put none up, knowing it would
attract attention
where's your tools!' he continued
Tools left on a claim were regarded as
most important proofs of possession. BroeneI
had hidden away those he used-where
knew not
No notices, no tools and no work done,
and you call this a claims" said Pratt deris
lively.
Clearly as to the mining rights of the pc
riod Pratt had the best of me- felt the
moral weakness of the situation Pratt
seemed also to know his own strength and
my weakness in this respect Meantime he
had taken out his six-shooter and cooked it.
He stood facing me, and had the drop on
me. was powerless. Now, young man.
said he, Il give you while count ten to get
off this ground, and if you don't I'll put a
ball through you. Dye hears Getl Vamos!
One-two-three--n As he spoke he made
step backward. 1t was all tumble of rocks