The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-10-02
rangers died away, and the whole party cs-

that even inc lIStInClS VI HuSltldlI'N "tio
forgotten, and it was not until Mr. Wiles-
! now known as "Don Jose"-sharply reminded
! them tina. be wanted some grub, that they
! came 20 their senses. When the frugal meal
+ Of torillas, frijolcs, salt pork, and chocolate
was over, an oven was built of tho dark rel
rock brought from the ledge before them, and
IN carthcnware jer, glazed by some peculiar
local process, tish,'r fltted over it, and packed
with clay and sods A fire was speedily built
OF pine boughs continually brought from a
worlel ravine below, and in few
moments the furnace WAS in full blast
Mr. Wilcs did not participate in thcSe
active preparations, except to give oc-
caSional directions between his teeth, which
were contempatively fixed over a clay pipe
rs he lay comfortably on his back on the
ground Whatever enjoyment the rascal
may have had In their useless labors he dill
not show IL, hu. II was observed that his left
eye often followed the broad figure If the ~
yaQuero Pedro, and often dwclt on that wor.
thy's hcet,ing browS and half savage face.
Meeting that haleful glance once, Pedro
growlcd out an oath, but could not resist a
hidoous fascination that caused him e. lin
and again 20 seek IT,
The scene was weird enough without WilcS'
eye to adj to is Wild picturesQueneSS. The
noun tain lowered aboyc-a heavy Rem
hrauiu-h mas, Of black shalow-sharply cut
here and there against a SKY SO Theoretically
remote that the worllsic& soul must have
dcSpuired of ever reaching 50 far or of climb
ing It's stecl-llUe walls The stars were large,
keen and brilliant, but cold and Steadfast
They did not dance nor twinkle in their ada
mnntiue setting The furnace fire painted
the faces of the men an Indian rcd, glanced
on brightly colored blanket and Sorape, but
was eventually caught ana absorbed in the
waiting shadows of the black mountain,
scarcely twenty feet from the furnace door.
The low, half-suny, half-whsperrd foreign
speech of the group, the roaring Of the fur
mace and the quick, sharp yelp of the coyote
on the plain below We're the only sounds that
broke the awful silence of the hills.
IL was almost dawn when it was announced
that the ore had fused. And it was high
lLIl'' l"l lh' p'u "'I' SNOWY H''iN'''S '''' '"'
fast crumbiinS oven. Concho uttered "A juhi-
liant God and Liberty" but Don jose WiIcs
had' MN he slleh' al" o'I"a s''N'" - sup
port the pot. Then Don Jose bent over the
spcthing mass 1t was for moment only.
bu, IN lhat n'"ti."' 'u'' accom- ''.l''" mo-
talIurEisi, Mr. Joseph "He'' Ia" q"iv1Y
III oPPli Div u n''" 'o'''' ''''" ''' P'''
ne" ne 'iu' 7.'' ''.tl'' - "'' ? O' '''0 - -
anu went ~ ~ al , D''' '''' 49,.
N"" u ''''''' "i'.' ,'''. ''
h.'" nal ''P'' ''i''' Ia ~ '"' '''-'',
',', '''' '''0
49, 1s
-, .,
,.',.'' 10 ''''C - '' $50 80,
"'''','' ~ ~ r,s ..,',..;,.,.
-,
~ '''''.'|1''' ''''' va avs
'''' -,
''''''' ''U''' '''' ',,'>' ''''' ''','' 'I''
-, ,.t.a.,l :. - ,,i1 a,,d .,o,
'''''' ','',. . ta,L I'LL ,r,,,.,,. -.
I.,,.,. 49,, - lat ,,.,,,,,l,d ,,ti,.
Wv, , ', ,,irah,o ,,;,,u' .,yooo,,t., North
.'l' Nv ''.'u''' '''" ~ '' ~
wv ''"~ % -
pu.4o'h III p','' ~ '"'H eA'' ~ N,,ue
ana suSFeo' e''' ~ o'''' ~
lt'' eS' si"''eo' '''''N'''' '''' '''' 0''0
'nc o'nci'
"iiere Is 'ho sio'' ION JOSS, S"'i i"to'
handing Inc goiu 10 " It's WIN uecl''ed'y
bruSIue ihIiiha'ioh 'ha' LIE services anu
presence OF stranger were no longer IT,
CURED.
"ilcs took the money with gracious
smile and wink that sent fedro' heart INTO
his boots, and was turning away "hen cry
from Manuel stopped hlii'
Inc pot-lhe poI-lI nus ieoAtu' iOoh' X
hold! see!'
He had been cleaning away the crumhled
fragments Of the furnace to get ready for
breakfast, and had disclosed shining pool of
quicksilver!
Wiles started, cast rapid glance around
the group, saw in flash that the metal was
unknown to them, and then said, quietly
at is not silver"