The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-16

eAo 9olu, with smile, Il KIM OIL eX-
pected you'd be In yesterday evenin'."
Morgan's courtship progressed with
rapid strides. Within a fortnight af-
ter this visit he had been over to see
boly several times, and she, after an
interval or week when he did not
come, knowing him to be tied down by
MS work at the BelshaZZar camp, with
a natural disregard for empty conven-
ton, mad herself gone over to chat
With him at thesarastra~ 1t was on the
occasion OF this visit that Morgan de-
clared himself The arastra was stop
PED. The mule, still discreetly blinded,
dozed In the tug path, and Morgan in
beatltude sat with his arm around
what for the time being was the only
waist in the world.
There's one thing I ought to tell
you, continued Morgan, before ever
you says yes or no. You see, when 1
hrst met the old man he kind Of jump
ed at the tdee that 1 was the owner Of
TINS mere property. 1 didn't say So
put, seems as he took it that away,
l didn't see no call to undeceive him.
But 1 amt no owner. I'm Just up
mere Workin' for Biggs, an old pard Of
mlne' on wages, and l simply don't
own nothin'."
That don't make no difference to
me, Chris" said Boly, with sigh; "but
L reckon 1t will with Por about con-
d
mans bein' we'll fixed" There was ST.
fence Tor a moment, and then Boly con-
tlnued: I've been thinkin' this away.
why don't You branch out for youself
ana get some property of your own?
Then you'd be eligible"
That's easy to say about branchin'
out and gettin' property" responded
Chris, despondently, ''but however'm +
to do it? don't see no openin'."
YOU III never see no Openin' sitting
around this arastra belongin' to anoth-
er man" retorted Boly, with some
spirit. I'll tell you what I'd do If L
was man and wanted to make
stake. I'd quit here too quick and go
right away over into this here new Mud
Springs deestreect that they're all run
min to, and stake out some claims for
myself That would make 1t all right
with Por. He'd say your being a man
with just wages in one thing, but you
bein' q man with some prOmisin' claims
is another"
But" said Morgan, inspired by the
plan, but yet aware of obstacles,
'What'd I say to Biggs If he should
come back here and find I'd quit work.
In the arastra and pulled out with his
mule? He's done a heap for me, and I
couldn't go back. on him.
I've got plan about that, too" said
Boly, contenlplatively drawing lines in
the thing dust with her riding switch.
You start right in and slean up this
here run and then go and get rock
down from the drifts, and I'll come
over every mOrnin and run the aras-
ira while you're. gone, with Gyp" Gn-
dicating her pony. Hes small for the
work, but he'll do, and you take the
mule and start off for the new Mud
Springs range. I'll herd the cows into
little rincon that I know of. where the
feeds good and they won't leave till
cCme for 'em. Por is repairin' the road
every day now, and he'll never suspic-
ion what's uD."
Thus it was that, on the third morn
Ing after this conversation, Morgan was
on his way on the trail to Mud Springs
district, with a fixed determination to
find something rich and become "ePgi-
BILE" or die in the attempt. He wasted
no time in entering actively on his
work. He rode here and there over the
country, working up dry gulches In
search Of placers and climbing rocky
buttes and ridges in the hope of finding
some rich ledge. Promising discoveries
were being constantly made by others,
but his own luck was Of the worst. He
had labOred hard and patiently day af-
ter day, and yet was without his re-
ward. The months time which he had
allowed himself was already drawing
to close, and he seemed as far from
his goal as ever; and it was in state
of deep dependency and discourage
ment that he started upon his last trip
into the adjacent mountains.
He followed for several hours an cd.
deeply-worn Indian trail tending to-
ward the Colorado. The trail had evil
IDENTIFY been but little Travelled for years,
for in many places it was quite blocked
with powders which had rolled down
the hillside, and finally came to a point
where 1t had been completely buried by
an enormous slide of loose rock Here
he dismOunted and tied his mule to
stunted pinon. He was anxious to pro-
ceed in the direction he had been going,
for, not more than a mile ahead there
was in plain view a rocky bluff, Curl
Ously marked and notified in dull reds
and faded yellows that suggested
strong mineral possibilities.
Morgan had clambered half way
across the rough and difficult barrier,
still following the general line of the
trail when, as he paused for g. moment
to take breath, he saw with some sur
prise a few yards above him on the
hillside a high, narrow opening in the
rocks. 1t was partially blocked by
few fragments of broken powders, and
was evidently the mouth of one of
those mountain cavernS not infreQuent-
ly found near the summit of these
desert mountains. With but little diff
1culty he pushed away a few of the
larger stones that blocked the way,
and found room to enter. He had with
him small supply OF matches, and as
he lighted one after another he saw
that he was in fairly good-siZed
| chamber, seven or eight feet in height
and perhaps thirty feet in length, and
half as broad. He advanced to the
center Of the cave, and by the dim
match light saw that there were clear
evidences of former habitation. At ONE
side on the floor were two broken ollas
and other fragments Of pottery
Just some old Indian hiding place"
thought Morgan, and lacking anti
quarian taste, he was about abandon
ing further exploration, when his at
tention was attracted to certain dark
bundlelike objects at the rear of the
cave. He approached them with
mingled feeling of curiosity and dis
trust. He was not questionable, but
when his first near view assured him
that one was a tumbed roll of blankets
T and the other a partially clothed skel-
eton of man, the damp chill of the
cave seemed to penetrate to his very
marrow. Stung by the flame of the
match which, unnoticed in his excite
ment, had burned to his finger tips, ne
dropped it and was left in darkness.
1t was but a second before he lighted
another, and then for the first time he
noticed that close to the blankets lay
pair of leathern saddle-bags He
stopped to lift them, and was surprised
at their great weight. They were I'M
strapped, and his curiosity now over
mastering all other feelings, he threw
back the flap Of one and holding a