The National tribune., 1894-12-20

owing to his liberal and prohigate habits, he
himself was still a poor man. But hope never
forsook him. His goal was just ahead, aud
lured ever onward by that fantasy of fortune
which now smiled and now frowned upon
him. he was happy even in the pursuit oil
wealth.
Even now he had in contemplation an ex-
tended prospecting trip TO The great Mogol-
Ion Mountains, whittier he desired me to ac-
company him. 1t was with many misgivings
that consented to 90, for realized to some
extent the many dangers and vicisstudes
we would be subjected TO, and held in light
esteem the supposed profit that would accrue
TO us. But had my prophetic vision pictured
even shadow of what really happened, this
narrative would never have been written.
However, we concluded to 90.
Our plans were carefully laid, our course
mapped out, our supplies and outfit pur-
chased. and one fine rn9Fning in early Spring
we packed our earthly possessions upon the
backs of two dimiputive and patient but ex-
ceedingly stubborn bnrros and shaped our
course toward the distant mountains.
We wended our way through the little
city; Bill ahead. pulling with his Herculean
strength, and | behind, prodding up the
stubborn beasts with sharp stick; for the
burro is not swift animal. Our march
through the town, though triumphant, was
not dignied, but wc were encouraged ever
and anon Ivy the. small boys calling out {:
Get there, Eli.I aud other remarks of a
like import. So we proceeded out along the
Grand Avenue, which extends for several
miles into The country; past waving fields
of irrigated grain and green alfalfa, past or
chards and vineyards and out upon the
deserts b eak and drearv. On, over mesas,
where the giant Cacti stand like grim senti-
neis guarding the wild waste, and where the
coyotes and jackass-rabbis play hide-and-
seek among the chollas and sage brush on,
over the Bradshaw Mountains, where we
stopped for few days to prospect among
scenes grand aud picturesque; but 1t was
not scenery we were after, and fail NJ 10 find
pay dirt we pushed on, or rather prodded
on, to an outlying military post, where we
stopped to rest our animals and purchase
few additional supplies, among which was
that all-important factor In miners larder,
Il bag of beans. From among the store
which the sutler had / selected one which
seemed to be the strongest, so it would
better withstand the rough treatment it
would likely receive. There was nothing
peculiar about it, more than it seemed to be
of heavier stuff than its fellows, closely
sewed up at the ends, and had a blo;ch of
red paint or pigment upon it in the form of
an X, which took 10 be someone's shipping
mark. After some barteripg l paid the
suller $l3, which l suppose was cheap
enough.
Next morning we were astir early, for
Bill, who was an inreterate prospector, and
whose life had been largely spent among the
rugged mountains and in constant fear of
of the willy Apache, had become Il
light sleeper. Ere the dawn was fairly
broken we were eating our breakfast of
bacon and black coffee. The first rays of
the unrisen sun had lighted up the weird
desert, and the light, cool breeze so notice
able in early morn in that peculiar climate
swept gently over the plain in striking con-
Lrast to the scorching heat that followed
ater in the day Just as the sun arose in
all his grandeur the little cannon in the
garrison doomed forth the salute, and Old