The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-28

with the value mon place on it, it cannot be
estimated. Put into a suck and thrown
over tue shoulder, it is only a heavy burden
wearisome with it's weight. Stamped with
the stamp that makes it money. piled in
shining piles. where avarice can feast it's
eyes upon it, slipped into the half-wiliine
hand Of man OF woman, it is different.
Then barriers fade away that a lifetime has
built, manhood sinks and takes with it
what was noblest and best, never to return,
and men nQnchalantly think thoughts that
free from the destinations of gold, they
would have execratsd with horror.
So it was in this camp. At first the gold
was stored in the common buckskin purses
that the little party, in its most enthusiast
tic moments, had never dreamed of being
able to fill with the metal, and then it was
packed in roughly made bags of cloth.
As the store of gold grew the friendship
that had once existed between the Ameri-
cans and the Mexioans became weaker and
weaker. soon they were enemies, watching
one another with a hatred that none at
tempted to disguise. The Americans no
longer slept together in a little group, as
his blanket and went of alone, yet not 80
far but that he was near the gold. While
at work during the day they made it a point
never to gsoup together. Even when a
nugget larger than the rest was picked up
they no longer joyously called to each other
sAoS shoy AlkAs kaehcA tokctAoI NAu dNIulEO
it. They were always on their guard. Day
and night one of their party watched the
Msxioans. If they were to be- killed and
robbed of the gold they had discovered. by
keeping thus separate some might escape If
they we're attacked.
ing to Justify the suspicion that they would
descend to murder and robbery to secure
the gold. They did nothing but watch,
watch, day after day, as the store of gold
increased. But, ma ths days went by and
the pile of gold grew. a new look came into
their faces. another light into their eyes.
The lips were drawn a little tighter, the
TO ehead was less open. There were no
longer laughing /, forts made to tell Jokes,
half il. Spanish, half in English, to amuse
one another. The old oamaraderie was
gone. Yet, less than a month before, these
men had found pleasure in sharing their
soanty stores with one another. Now they
merely watched each other and the pile OF
gold. with a hatred 30 intense as to be un-
speakabls.
The pile of gold, though, continued to
grow. But at last it ceased. In the crew.
ices, and cracks, and sand there was no
longer to be found a single glitter of yell
low. Only the scars remained, where the
knives had cut ont and gogusd out the
riches of the rock.
The Mexicans smiled with pleasure as
they saw the Americana yainly eudsavor to
find more Of the metal, and in return the
latter grew hot with anger, they in their
hearts they felt relieved to know that they
had exhausted the lead. Already they had
AZ much IA they could caro- for. Had there
been moro to mine, though would nave
taken IL out rather than see any ono else
po.sssa ". II had grown TO be \ pleasure
TO have il. IL only to know that it was
theirs. even If they oould not use 1t.
Whom the pocket WAS mined out the Mex
loans no longer came up daily to watch the
Americans. Instead, they stayed in their
camp At the foot OF the mountain. They
did no work. Why should theyp What
would the few ounaes they ooald take from
thsir claims amount TO, compared with
what tks Americans had obtained?
Now that there was NO longer any gold to
mine, the Americana began to devise means
10 remove the gold they had to whore they
could disposs OF IL.
1T must b nearly a quarter Of a million.
boys" said Jack Swilling-sli looked TO him