The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-01
The aaieita Balu Eagle: ghursday sore Aueus se5.

that he was induced to put in the win
ter at the mine. As soon as he hat
worked his assessment upon various
other properties Dempsey returned t,
the Mountain Chief, as he had chris
tened it. and built small ca bin, t,
which he soon removed his family Ii
preparing a place for his cabin he en-
countered jutting cliff. from which
he blasted enough to allow room fo
the foundation of his home upor
a bench OF the mountain. A prim
ltive chimney was built agains
the wall of rock at the rear, and as soor
as the work was completed Dempsey
brought his wife and two children and
few belongings to keep him compa y
during the long winter that would
soon shut them mp as between stee
bars. In preparing meals the patien,
wife noticed a strong draught of all
coming from the rocks on one side OF
the fireplace. This current of air she
found useful in stimulating slow fire
and when not wanted the crevice was
shut up by placing small stone in the
opening.
Winter, with its CLASSY glare. soon
ruled supreme over natures domain,
and during the dull months no com.
municat ton could be had with the out
side world. Dreary, steady toll on the
part of the husband had broken the
grasp Of nature on the hidden treas
ure and various paintings and
simple tests had shown him that
he had encountered a rich grade
Of ore in the claim. Spring, with her
bewitching smiles. had again charmed
Dame Nature and aroused her from
her sleep. The spruce and the pine
took on a brighter hue. The snow had
slowly relinquishet: its chill -rasp.
The comptroller bird 49, sIr5 it
last summers haunts, and the
uttered discordant notes from IA
neighboring trees. Dempsey. with full
faith in his coming good fortune, went
to the nearest mining camp TO send
specimens of his quartz to capitalists
of Denver and to replenish his supply
of food. During his absence from the
mountain the children, happy in the
springtime freedom, romped and played
upon the hillside, chased each other
through and among the spruces, as
happy and contented children do. The
day following her husbands departure
Mrs. Dempsey was preparing meal,
and had the stone removed from the
crevice, when she was surprised to
hear the children laughing and talk
IL Il.
see them nor tell from what direc-
ton their voices came. Giving the
subject no further thought, she took
the water pail and went for supply
to the spring, a few hundred yards be-
low the cabin. At the spring she
found the two children, who informed
the mother that they had been there
for the past hour. She then decided
that the crevice was in some way con.
nccted with the locality of the spring.
Beyond speaking of the matter to her
husband upon his return no attention
was given to the discovery until the
crevice brought notice of impending
peril to her husband.
During the husbands presence in the
little mining camp, the news of q rich
mining strike having been made by
MIN leaked out and reached the ears
Of several of that class of men who
lake more pains to steal from others
han to accumulate by honest work.
After a long consultation a party
If five left the camp with the inten-
lion of taking the claim from Dempsey
by force. Arriving on the slope of
Grassy mountain, they carefully made
their way to the spring. The hour was
almost noon, and they waited for
Dempsey to leave the claim and to go
TO his bin for dinner, when they pro-
posed to quietly enter the tunnel and
by a show of force keep the owner from
i asserting his rights. Seated about the
spring they spoke in low tones of their
plans and the trick they were about to
play upon the unsuspecting prospector.
The housewife was engaged in prepar-
ng the MONDAY meal, and, taking away
he stone from the crevice, she was
startled ON hearing strange voices
md the name of her husband
Breathlessly she lis
.ened and gradually she compre-
lended the plot as the speakers
continued to expatiate upon the de
.ails of their intended raid. AS the
plot became plain she knew that only
prompt action upon her part would
save her husband Taking down the
Winchester and the cartridge belt
from the wall and leading her two
children she hurried from the cabin 70
.he tunnel just in time to meet her
usband as he started for dinner Sne
hastily told of the news that had been
through the crevice
To make barricade of the mining tim
,ers on the dump was the work of bat
. few moments, and with his wife and
in the tunnel out OF harms
vay, he patiently waited the first
move of the enemy. The visitors sat
at the spring IN
il nearly one o'clock with
nut seeing any signs of tie
miner, w hen they decided 10 slip into
he tunnel and wait there until he re-
urned- The party stole forward, and
Is they elambered up the dump 81
broken rock they were met by a re- pid
md telling fire from the prospector's
epeating rife that killed two OF the
'arty and wounded another. A hur-
led retreat alone saved the survivors.
md although the dead were inferred
t the place where they met their fate
lone of the attacking party were ever
fter heard FROM. The Mountain Chief
vas afterward disposed of for q sum
hat enabled Dempsey to purchase a
mall ranch in the Grand valley, where !
e has since resided Louis Globe |
democrat.