Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-10-01

| than the rest was plcked up, they nc
longer ioyously called TO each other that
they might gather together to admire it
They were always on their guard. Day
and night, one of their party watched the
Mexicans. If they were to be killed and
robbed of the gold they had discovered
by keeping thus separate some might
escape if they were attacked.
ct the Mexicans had said or done
nothing to justify the suspicion that they
would descend TO murder and robbery tC
secure the gold. They did nothing but
watch, watch, watch, day after day, as
the store of gold increased. But, as the
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 little tighter, the forehead was
less open. There were no longer laugh
ing efforts made to tell jokes, half in
Spanish half in English, to amuse one
another. The old camaraderie was gone.
The pile of gold continued to grow
But at last it ceased. In the crevices,
and cracks, and sand there was no longer
to be found a single glitter of yellow.
Only the scars remained where the
knives had cut and gouged out the riches
of the rock.
The Mcxicans smiled with pleasure
as they saw the Americans vanly en-
deavor to find more of the metal, and in
return the latter grew hot with anger,
though in their hearts they felt relieved
to know that they had exhausted the
lead. Already they had as much as they
could care for Had there been more to
mine, though, they would have taken it
out rather than see any one else possess
it. 1t had grown to be a pleasure to have
it, if only to know that it was theirs, even
if they could not use it.
When the pocket was mined out the
Mexicans no longer came up daily to
stayed in their camp at the foot of the
mountain. They did no work. Why
should they? What would the few ounces
they could take from their claims amount
to compared with what the Americans
had obtained?
Now that there was no longer any gold
to mine, the Americans hogan to devise
means to remove the gold they had to
where they could dispose of it.
at must be nearly quarter of
million, boys" said Jack Swilling-all
looked to him as to their chieftain; 1--WE
will have to get it out of here"
How to do it was question they were
always discussing, as they gathered on
the mountain-crest in u little group, il
order to be able to watch the little Mex.
lean camp below
eve can't carry all of it, but W,
might take part and hide the rest unit
we could return for it," suggested one.
eyes, and what we would leave behinc
the Mexicans would get before we were
out of sight. Why don't they get VI
and go! This is white mans country
anyway" said another.
"No, we can't do that" said Jack
"We will have to send to Wickenburl
for pack-train, and two of you will
have to go for it. You can leave to
night, and the three of us who stay car
look out for the gold. Now, who will go
is the question"
No one answered. Instead, eacl
looked at the other, as if wishing tha
his neighbor would volunteer.
"There's no danger. What's the mat
ter with you? Are you afraid to trus
each other with the gold?" asked Jack
No one replied, yet each knew that hC
did not want to go and leave the gold
behind him. They were beginning to
distrust each other as they distrusted the
Mexicans.
Well, we will draw lots, and the two
who get stuck will have to CO." said
Jack.
The lots were drawn, and the two men
to whom it had fallen to make the Journey
returned to camp and tried to sleep until
night came. When it was so dark that
they could not be seen they arose and,
silently slipping out of camp, began their
trip across the desert.
The next morning one of the three men
who remained behind, while watching,
saw one of the Mexicans take his gun
and start around the base of the noun
tain, us if to hunt. He called the atten-
tion of his two comrades to it. As the
three watched the Mexican, they saw the
latter suddenly stop and look intently at
the ground, and then his face turned up
in the direction of the mountain top, as
if to discover whether he was observed.
Apparently satisfied that he was not, he
began to walk back and FORTH as if look
ing at foot-tracks; then as if satisfied,
he turned abruptly and returned to the
camp he had just left.
He has found the boys trail, and
knows that they are gone" said Jack.
His two companions merely nodded.
They had known, without being told,
what Jack was going TO say, and what he
was thinking of.
When the Mexican had returned to his
camp, the three men could see him seated
with his comrades in conversation
There were five of them, and they ap.
peared to be talking long and earnestly
Occasionally they glanced toward the
camp whore the gold was, as if trying tt
see if they were watched. At last on,
of them rises; going to "A roll of blankets
he picks up Il gun, and, returning to tn,
group, begins TO clean it. His comrade
look at him and laugh, as if at joke
and then all the rest of them arise an,
get their arms.
"They are going to try to get tn,
gold" says Jack, land if we don't dc
something, they will pick us off one by
one and be on the road to Sonora before
the boys gets back"
"What can we do?" asks one of his
comrades.
"We can go down there and tell then
that we know what they are after, anC
that they have got to CO." replied Jack
"By slipping up under cover of the busl
and powders, we can be right among
them before they know it, and, if we ge
the drop on them they will have to dc
what we say. Get your guns and come
on"
The three men arose, and taking thei,