The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-08

ter: The Sisters had buried her and l amt
had any family since.'' He stopped and a
long silence followed. I could hear him
tumblinR with the specimens l had piled up
inside the doorway, and presently, Judging
from the sound, he began to hammer one
the blows near his head, got up and. coming
over to me, tried to stretch himself on the
blanket. The moon was rising and as the
pale light grew in the canon the warmth of
the night air seemed to decrease.
aales done different from me-" Callen
better start, but he's had better chances.
It's chances count" he said, enunciatinp
the prospector's belief energetically. Hes
always helped himself along, too.h There
was no envy in his tone and from the
earnestness of his next sentence even inn
piled depreciation of his old comrades sue
cess had Disappeared: There's thousands
every year just as good as Hale was when
he begun to push ahead.''
waited without speaking for the next
step in the argument that he was evidently
following out. 1t must have been one very
familiar to him and I wondered whether
the conclusion had become really a CON-
viction or merely the dark shading of his
moods. But probably I was mistaken in
crediting him with q mind beyond enough
to be forced to conclusions against its will.
From all have seen of him since think he
stopped short of pessimism, cheerfully re-
fusing to reason beyond an easily pacified
resignation. At any rate. while waited to
hear him declare fate unjust, he took the
pipe from his mouth and rose to his feet.
thine to turn IMP" asked.
well, I guess SO. It must be pretty
late"
/ took out my watch and looked at it. BY
this time the moon was high above the tim
bered crest, but in the soft wilderness of the
light the watch face remained provokingly
dark. Callen stood looking down into the
gorge, where sudden crack and crash an
nounced the fall of another tree. Finally
he turned and went in. Good night I
called after him.
Since then Cottonwood has been the end
OF many of my pilgrimages, at first on
horseback as that day, later on the stage,
the first time it was in the forenoon; for a
miA or two Callen accompanied me, walk
ing ahead talking over one shoulder and
carrying pick over the other. He ex-
planned that few days before he had found
q piece of float and was going to try and
trace it up. 1t occurred to me that his pros
pecting days were not yet over and his
abandonment Of his old way of life posi-
bly, not quite SO absolute as he had intima-
ted. After we parted looked back and saw
him moving between the trees with the long
measured stride that was characteristic of
him, his head dropped forward a little and
his rowing. searching eyes bent upon the
ground.
1t was not the last time I saw him. The
Gem Pine turned out as we'll rs his secret
conviction had persuaded him it would,
though unfortunately its value became APP
parent after had parted with my interest
in it. The great hoist covers the place where
the cabin used to be; the old discovery tun-
mel has long since been closed up; the tim
Der all around and much higher up on the
mountain side has disappeared and the
steep side streets of the camp cross the
creek bed and climb toward where we
talked that night.
Callen often laments that he sold. He
says it was his short sightedness; but I
fancy the pleasure he derives from recount
ing his former ownership and specializing
upon the great chance he lost would have
been more than overbalanced by unhap-
piness had some power forced his nature
and training to the contradiction that a
steady struggle for full success must have
been. A. M. D.