The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-09-10

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 Mexicans became weaker and
weaker. Soon they were enemies, watch
ing one another with hatred that none at
temped to disguise. The Americans no
longer slept together in a little group, as
had been their custom. Instead, each took
his blanket and went off alone, yet not so
far but that he was near the gold. While
at work during the day they made it
point never to group together. Even when
a nugget larger than the rest was picked
up they no longer joyously 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 dis
covered by keeping thus separate some
might escape if they were attacked.
Yet the Mexicans had said or done moth
ing to justify the suspicion that they would
descend to murder and robbery to 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, 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 laughing efforts made
to tell jokes, half in Spanish. half in
English, to amuse one another. The old
camaraderie was gone. Yet, less than
month before, these men had found pleas
ure in sharing their scanty stores with one
another. Now they merely watched each
other and the pile of gold with hatred SO
intense as to be unspeakable.
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 single glitter of yell
low Only the scars remained, where the
knives had cut and gouged out the riches
of the rock
The Mexicans smiled with pleasure as
they saw the Americans vainly endeavor
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. It had grown to
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
watch the Americans. Instead they staid
in their camp at the foot of the mountain.
They did no work Why should they2
What would the few ounces they could
take from their claims amount to COM
pared with what the Americans had OBJ
tanned?
Now that there was no longer any gold
to mine, the Americans began to devise
means to remove the gold they had to
where they could dispose of it.
cit must be nearly a quarter of a mil
lion, boys" said Jack Swilling. All looked
to him as to their chieftain. "We viii
have to get it out of here"
How to do it was a question they were
always discussing, as they gathered on the
mountain crest in little group, in order
to be able to watch the Mexican camp
below.
1--WE can't carry all of it. but we might
take part and hide the rest until we could
return for it," suggested one.
"Yes, and what we would leave behind
the Mexicans would get before we were out
of sight. Damn them, why don't they get
up and gol This is white mans country,
anyway" said another.
mo, we can't do that" said Jack. eve
will have to send to Wickenburg for q
pack train, and two of you will have to go
for it. You can leave tonight. and the
three of us who stay will look out for the
gold. Now, who will go? is the question"
No one answered. Instead, each looked
at the other, as if wishing that his neigh
Dor would volunteer.
There's no danger. What's the matter
with your Are you afraid to trust each
other with the goldl" asked Jack.
No one replied, yet each knew that he
did not want to go and leave the gold be-
hind him. They were beginning to dis
trust each other as they distrusted the
MeXicans.
"WeIl, 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,
slipping silently out of camp. began their
trip across the desert.
who remained behind. while Watching,
saw one of the Mexicans take his gun and
start around the base of the mountain as
If to hunt. He called the attention 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 neither
l, IL. A sof hot
he was not, he began to walk back an
forth as if looking at foot tracks; then.
if satisfied, he turned abruptly and
turned to the camp he had just left.
"He has found the boys trail and kno'
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 appeared to be
talking long and earnestly. Occasionally |
they glanced toward the camp where the |
gold was, as if trying TO see if they were
wathced. At last one of them rises. Going
TO roll of blankets he picks up gun.
and. returning 70 the group, be begins to |
clean it, His comrades look at him and |
laugh, as if at joke, and then all the rest |
of them arise and get their arms.
"They are going to try to get the gold" |
SAYS Jack. "and, if we don't do something |
they will pick US off one by one and be on |
the road TO Sonora before the boys get |
back"
Whist can we dos" asks one of his COM
rades.
I'VE can go down there and tell them |