The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-11
about to do.

MRS. MORRIS STOOD STILL LISTENING.
After time he grew calm and a new
! courage came to him, and he rose, saying:
| "Wel | must tramp back TO camp
| somehow, and III do my best, God help
! ing me"
At this instant his foot slipped, and in
! spite Of all his efforts he slid ana half
tumbcd into the bed Of little ravine,
hardly more than gulley, which lay be-
! tween two low hills that merged into two
| great mountains just beyond. He rose,
! half laughing at his ridiculous fall, when
| he stopped short and looked ut the place
where his fall had dislodged Il few stones,
and in an instant saw that he had discov-
cred one of those wonderful little places
where nature capriciously hides away
such stores of gold, and which they call
pockets.
Forgotten was his hunger, and he felt
no fatigue IA he worked until darkness
fell upon him. and he lay down to sleep
on the slope of the hill beside his treasure.
He was glad his food was gone, so that he
could store his gold into the empty sack;
and he worked all day long the next day,
despite the cravings of hunger, and again
the next, until he saw that the pocket was
exhausted, and he had as much pure,
virgin gold ns he could carry in his KNAPP
sack, his belt and pockets. Ii was clean
gold, In coarse Jumps and small flakes,
with very little dust There might be
more in the region, but he had enough
He only wanted to get home to his mother
Some one else might work the claim now
some other man who had lonely
mother waiting.
He tramped and climbed and walked
until he could scarcely stand from weak
ness, but it seemed ms If he must be tray
cling in n circle, for no matter how far he
went there was no sign of human life.
On the fourth day he shot Il jack rabbit
in n valley, and he devoured part Of its
flesh raw. The rest he boiled, and then
he lay down To sleep. When morning
came again he mounted u low hill, and
there before him, not mile away, lay
Murphy's camp, from whence he had
started out over two weeks before.
There was not II man in camp who did
not rejoice over his success, and, guided
by his directions, n large party started out
to follow up that lead. AS for him, he
was satisfied, and in u few days was on
his way home to his patient but lonely
mother.
But it was long and toilsome journey
in those days, and Valentine chafed and
fretted at the delay. His Imagination by
times pictured all the wonderful things
he would do for his dear old mother, and
then again ran riot as fears of catastro-
phe took possession of him, and his rest
less feet paced the deck of the steamer
night and day, until at last she reached
the land, and then he knew no rest unless
hurrying forward toward the mountain
home.
Just before he reached the valley the
tempest broke, and the roads, which had
already been blocked with snow so as to
render them impossible for teams, became
still more difficult, and there were five
miles to travel yet In face Of the binding
snow, shaken by the wind from the trees,
but, needless Of warning, he pushed on. =
In the little log cabin in sheltered
nook between two high mountains sat an
old woman, before n bright fire Of hickory
wood. An old cat lay before the fire, and
toothless half blind dog that had been u
puppy when her boy was little rosy
child. She had little table drawn close
by the fire and on 1t stood lamp which,
however, she had not lighted, rs the
cheerful glow Of the fire gave all the light
she needed. She was a slender woman
with look Of patient waiting and sorrow
on her face, which was refined and deli
cate, and which looked strangely like that
of Valentine.
She said with an audible sigh:
'Oh, wish he would come home. 10