The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-10
n SPANISH MINE.
By MAJOR AR THUR GRlFFITHS.
copyrighted, 1897. by s s Mcclure Coz

partners have disappeared to the utter
most ends of the earth. Grips was last
heard from in western Australia, some
where on the Murchison; his brother
Sias is supposed to be in Mysore; the
rest of them are in Abyssinia, South
America, Alaska, goodness knows
where
why don't you take possession of the
property and work the mine, or sell 1t
for the benefit of Mckillop's heirs?'
Il came out here on purpose to do
that. But since left England we hear
from our Madrid correspondents that
the Spanish government has issued an
Injunction to stop our proceedings. We
are foreigners, and must fulfill certain
conditions, satisfy some prior claims,
goodness knows what. Black wires me
to go on straight to Madrid and work
matters at the fountain head"
Right enough. At the same time,
you ought to have a look at the mine if
it is anyway near here"
at is, or is supposed to be, as l have
told you. But how am | to find it? Can
l take a return ticket by next train?
There is no train. I've inquired here,
and they tell me it's a three or four
days ride, and that's not much in my
line. Of course, l ought to have brought
out an expert, but l thought | knew all
about mines and minerals. I've had
enough trouble with them"
Look here, Harry Brightsmith,"
said suddenly, 'Shall l stop here and
see you through it? 1t might help you,
and would amuse me. / know Spanish
and something of this neighbOrhood"
He accepted my offer with enthusiasm,
so | sent on board for my traps, and was
! presently in close conference with my
old friend at the Kings Arms hotel.
| He had a good map of southern Anda-
! lusia, the latest government survey, also
the plans originally made to go with the
contract for the sale. We easily fixed
upon the locality or, rather, the alleged
locality of the mine, for its existence had
still to be proved. But the estate of the
Marquis de Almendral was clearly mark
ed under its name of the Llanura de las
Sierras. We saw from the map that it
was a long, deep mountain valley some
six or seven miles inland from Marbella.
and ending in a precipitous cul de sac,
at the bottom of which we believed the
mine to be- 1t was called in the mining
plan, Ell Bien Escondida-"The Well
Hidden" Was it to deserve its appella-
ton?
! "Well, what do you adviser" asked
/ Brightsmith anxiously.
! Clearly, the first thing is to verify
the existence of the mine. That settled,
you must remove the government stop
and get possession. The whole affair is
comprised in those two points. You
can't work the mine without squaring
the government, and you don't want to
square the government if there is no
mine. Some one must start for Marbella
at once"
"Aye, but who? It's 40-mile rider
/ paused before answering him. / was
not in robust health, but few days on
horseback among the Vermilion hills
would act as a fine tonic. To ride to
Marbella and back would be nothing to
a man who had almost lived in the sad
die for years. What l should find mere
child's play would be serious exertion
for my soft and fleshy friend Bright
smith. 1t would be time enough for him
to face the effort when he went armed
with proper authority to take possession
Of the mine.
OF course we might send an emissary,
but that would have meant taking some
, outsider into our confidence, and after
all these years, / knew no guide or mu-
letter at Gibraltar whom / could thor
|, oughly trust.
"I'll go myself, Harry" I said al
length. II know my way about. I've