The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-08-15

grass had deigned to grow and where
The chill wind was partly broken from
him. He rose in the morning with q
consciousness that his lungs were fail
ing. and he could not struggle on much
longer. How be prayed for fortunel
Next day he came to the rugged hills
beyond the timber line. beyond the
camps, up IN the mountains where min
ing seemed impossible. He turned
from the trail and tried to find unbroken,
undiscovered ground. He found it and
began prospecting. Nothing but disap-
pointment awaited him for days He
was growing weaker every hour. The
pick was almost too heavy to lift. The
food was gone. and he knew starvation
or retreat was right before him. He
had worked in a cleft between the
powders nearly all day, and was sitting
Just at shutdown on heap of drift at the
base of a giant rock. He was terribly
tired and hungry. He was growing
cold. He thought with pang that was
bitterer than death of the unsheltered
heads back there on the prairie, and
turned with groan Of surrender over
on his face to die.
What was that? Silverl Not quartz,
not glance, but virgin ore. It lay like
ray of glory across the dull escarp-
ment. 1t was broad as his hand in the
middle, and dwindled away in wavering
lines yard in length. The man sat up
and stared at it. He felt rich blood
rushing through his veins. There was
the strength of health in his arms. The
pick was toy-a plaything. He grudged
the swiftly fading light and swung the
steel as he never had done before. This
was fortune
He managed to work all night He
was not conscious of the passing hours
further than to watch the moon and
bless it for the help it brought. In the
morning he had taken more ore than he
could carry. He knew it was a true
vein, and that such assure as that
must extend great distance But the
rock from which he took it was only a
fragment from the massive hills. 1t was
a matter of tons, Of feet. They were
mountains and miles. A vein like that,
if he could find the spot in the powders
from which this fragment was broken,
would yield the richest fortune in Col
orado.
He took his bearings, staked his
claim, covered all signs Of success and
gathered up load Of metal. 1t was so
pure he could cut it with knife He
slung the burden on his shoulder and
started back to Denver At noon he
rested in a camp of miners and they
stopped work to look at him-he was so
ghostly But he had an independent,
defiant air about him now, and they
waited upon him They made him eat
dinner with them. He had not realized
before how near he stood to starvation.
After dinner he pressed on with long,
impatient strides and reached Denver in
the evening. His friends did not know
him. He had defiant, forceful air. He
had good lodging. and the best service
obtainable. In the morning he pur-
chased an outfit and plenty of food. A
man loaned him mule. They wouldn't
loan me anything d week ago." he said
bitterly. He knew they looked at him
as one who had ''struck it," He remem-
bered now that he looked enviously at
just such figures. He felt sort of en-
nifty at the world, a feverish hatred of
Carlisle. He hoped he might not break
| down till accounts were squared.
| He went back to his claim and found
it richer than he dreamed. In a week
he had packload of silver that was
worth twenty-five dollars pound. In
month he had enough for train. And
he had only found the beginning of the
wealth. He had traced the assure to its
parent in the hill, and had satisfied him
self of the richest find in Colorado. But
there he broke down. He had just
strength enough left to load the mules
and start back. He was weakened with
hemorrhage. He was blinded and stag
gering. He reached Denver leaning
across one Of the swaying animals anc
begging in Gods name for assistance.
They took care of him then. He wa
rich man. He was far more than tina
in their eyes. He was fortunate. Blu
he tossed in a frenzy Of excitement an(
called upon them to hurry him home
1t would have been death to the mar
who stole a dollar. They made com
mon cause of caring for him. He TOLD
them freely. without reserve. rapidly
where the vein could be found H.
knew he could never come back ant
keep his claim. They struggled AM
fought for the privilege ofbuying. The,
asked no guarantee beyond what the,
saw. They knew he was telling tn
truth. Their purchase money wa
worth more than the ore he had brough
away He was hurried to the train. H
was hurried home He reached Their
unconscious
Mary Albright had been bearing
heavy burden. She could not repay tn
money her husband had borrowed from
Carlisle. She could not avoid under
standing the horrible alternative offere,
her. She could not defend herself exeep
by taking her boys out from under tn
only roof they had in the world. She di
not hesitate in the choice. She onl
planned to postpone the evil day. Sh
promised the money faithfully Sept. !
In default she pledged a foreclosur