The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-22
..riEol,lnd claiusi nart to ronr


"Y0u must try for yourself Take up 3
claim. and u anybody holds 1t they'll Be
around quick enough ...,..3el,.
The stranger came closs TO the edge Of tho
hole, peered into it, and then, without further
ceremony, jumpei therein as | was on my
way to the rocker. I. heard the clatter be
made In SO doing, and Immediately came
back without putting my bucket Of dirt
through the rocker He was knseling down,
looking very closely ct the face Of the gravel,
nsar ina ledge, and had Just pulled there
from bit Of quartz about as large a3 ones
fist Holding it up to the light he exclaimed;
'Quartz gold, by thunderin 1t was 'speci-
men, and could zee gold on its sides
And you will please let the gold and
everything else in this claim alonel" / said,
jumping down and snatchinS the rock from
his hands.
"Oh, don't be alarmed, young man
don't want your gold / s'pose a man can
look at 1t, can't her said he
He can look where he has right to" was
my reply. But you have no more business
you ought 10, know 1t. ..s.....-,.
he ciambered out Of the hole, taking all
my peace Of mind with him as he went. In
us a0l8CQfSIB- spAs A4tab VI WuAbo IONAi
hecked with the yellow metal, ! saw no end
OF future trouhla It was giving the hound
the true scent, and felt that this man
would never ceAse his efforts till he had run
the game TO earth a ,s.-s-.g
An this came TO ms in a moment The
brightness Of the day hal gona Before, |
had been singing To . jolly fashion to myself
and living in bits Of air castles, as fancy built
them among which my speedy return to
Eastport, as comparative naboo, was not
tAs Hnallese or least glittering
Bad calns TO worse. That very afternoon
Mr. Jedediah Pratt located thirty-three
fset claim adjoining ours and commenced the
building Of his cabin on it That his prin-
cipal c6iect was 10 hunt quartz in the neigh
borhood was certain. That he had, with
out knowing it, placel himself In tho best
position for spying our movements was also
csrtain.
Next day came more Gauss for apprehen-
aion., Pratt was joined by a partner, a thick
set, black-bearded, coarse-looking man Here
were two near neighbors, and both enemies.
War was fully declared between US, though
no high words passed. 1t was the silent,
secret war of intent on one side to find, on
the other to conceal. :,,.
OF course, Pratt and his companion would
remark my frequent absence from my claim.
They, would be hunting quartz up and down
the mountain, and would be certain to inter-
cept me in my daily trips to AMI from the
"Banks Then l remembered with dismay
that the mountain side was strewn with bits
Of quartz, Its milky whiteness bringing it ouS
In strong contrast with the red soil, and that,
In small and large fragments 1t was especially
thick near the claim. Now, these before un-
considered masses Of rock s'emel to me as 50
many finger posts pointing out to all our
treasure passed the whole night in a
fever, and suffered a doEsn realities in
Imagination concerning my coming troubles
with Pratt g. Co. ......, has
wrote Immediately to Broener, informing
him Of the trouble. But in those days COM
munication bv mail with San Francisco was
slow, A week at least would elapSe before
Broener could get my letter and return