The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-26

taking what they deemed to be enough
provisions to last them on their home
ward journey. they left the stranger 10
continue the wild-goose chase He did
so. He had enough stuff to keep him,
and he pursued the trail through the
wilderness. He had reached a point
which, according to the meager descrip-
ton given, should be somewhere on the
Pelly river. below the lakes. before tine
growing scarcity of food in hts packs
alarmed him. Al any rate the river on
which he was travelling had a general
northern direction, and he had reached
a point where Ii made a huge bend to
the south and then returned to its gen
eral direction. Here even his iron will
gave away He would make one more
prospect and then turn his horses back
to Edmonton. The place he picked out
for a final pan was deep ravine which
led to the water. Up this he went for
about a mile until he came To a place
where it narrowed down to something
like the sluice boxes on Belt creek. The
walls of rock ran high above his head.
so high that he could hardly see the
faint line of light at the top. and so
narrow was the erevice that 1t was
bathed in an eternal twilight even at
monday. He followed this ravine until
its walls grew nearer and nearer to-
gether. stumbling over the rocks on
the bottom where small stream ran.
Ii seemed an unlikely spot in which to
make a strike. There was nothing but
granite about him, granite on each side
of him, and granite fragments under
foot. Finally it grew so dark in the
rock chasm that he proceeded to make
a torch and to continue his journey by
its light. The darkness became more
and more dense. At last he saw ahead
of him a faint yellow glow He hast
ened toward 1t as fast as he dared until
he was over 1t. Then he stirred up his
torch and stopped over for an examina-
ton. What he saw nearly knocked him
down with excitement. There in the
bed of the stream was a lot of disinteg-
rated rock from which the gold stood
out in great water-worn knobs and pro-
tuberanees.
The lone prospector went Wild For
a few minutes he tried to hug the
ground and then the water brought
return of his soberer senses. He re-lit
his torch, which had been extinguished
in his joyful frenzy. and made care
full examination of his find He gath
cred up all that he could carry of the
rock and gold mixed. breaking it off in
chunks with his pick. Then he looked
at the walls of the chute and found
that there were traces of gold in them
also. He sighed to think he could take
away no more, but what he had secured
was sufficient to enable him to fit out
dHolHST eADeulJlOH WHICH cOulG settle
on the spot and work the mine. So
leaving the place, he set out for home
with his sack of gold. or provisions,
he had but eight days supply left This
he extended by the killing of game and
so struggled on for some weeks. The
winter season set In and the snow
added to the difficulty of the journey
and to the scarcity of game OF his
horses. all but one had died or had
grown so weak that he had thought 1t
best to kill them and save the meat
Living thus on horse flesh. he Mt last
managed To reach Edmonton with his
sack of gold intact. There he found his
previous companions, who congratu-
lated him on returning alive and rallied
at him for not having had the sense TO
turn back when they did. He kept his
counsel and after short stay i'm Ed
monitor for recuperation he finally went
east, where he disposed of gold 10 the
amount of $4,000. He was between
desire to return to his find and make
himself millionaire and a deterrnina-
ton never to experience a second time
all Of the horrors Of that trip. The de-
sire to return prevailed and organizing
a party. he started for his tunnel of
gold. They had gone considerable
distance from Edmonton when. In
thinking the matter over. il dawned
upon the discoverer that he was fool
and he told them that he had changed
his mind and would take them no far
Their. He narrowly escaped being
lynched then and there and had To slip
away from the party at night and
make his way back alone He reached
Edmonton the second time after adj
ventures and more or less hardshlps
and then made up his mind to go TO
California, where he had a brother. ac-
quaint him with the riches of the mine
he had found and together they would
go back and take it up. 1t was on his
trip TO California that he reached this
city and fell in with Portell
His idea had been to outfit at Great
Falls with his brother, but taking a
sudden fancy To the team driven by
Portell he thought he had best pur-
chase the team and have them held
for him until he could go to California
and persuade his brother to join in the
expedition. Then came his illness at
Portells ranch and the moment of
weakness in which he told the story
Before leaving for California and after
he had fully recovered, he purchased a
rifle in this city and several other
things intended for the return trip and
all Of these things he turned over to
Portell with Instructions to keep them
until he should return from California
They are at the ranch to-day. Several
months ago Porteil received letter
from him saying that near relative
had died suddenly in Europe and he
was obliged TO go thlther to settle up
an estate-Would he hold the stuff for
him. Portell was at liberty TO proceed
TO the mine. following the rude map
which the stranger had arawn in his
Illness and given him. That was the
last that has been heard of him Por-
tell has the names of several promi-
nent Edmonton men TO whom he was
referred for confederation of the story
Of the trip and of the strangers return
in an almost dying condition. He evil
IDENTIFY believes thoroughly in the story
and the mine and his party will hunt
for the mine. They are going TO make
the trip backward. however. They will
go to Dawson, where they expect to
find enough disguised miners who will
sell them an outfit cheap, and then they
Will proceed eastward until they strike
the country on their rude map. They
know that the golden ereyIce is about