Evening journal., 1899-07-13

the hills before a snowstorm should im- |
prison them the men-had not stopped
since morning They wera tired and hun
cry. Not far away mountain stream
flowed swiftly down the hillside and
Sullivan after supper was trying to
catch a fish. O'Kourke was lying by
the fire smoking his pipe and wonder
ing how man could be so foolish as to
try TO catch The gariest OF all the finny
tribe when he had only piece OF twinr
and a grasshopper for bait. Out Of the
recesses OF one Of his waistccat pockets
Sullivan had extracted a hshhcok
which had been there SO long he could
not remember where he got it,
O'Rourlle was watching the mule
and wishing he had the same stoical
temperament. He felt as though he
would give an arm for a piece of the
hoecake and bacon they were having
baols in old Missouri that night. He
could see the luscious Concord grapes
On the arbor of that cabin porch. He re-
membered the big juicy yellow peaches
and wondered If the first husking bee
had been held yet. Right before hiseyes
was the mule, and his thoughts revert
ed to him at intervals. He fell to wish
ing most emphatically that he had been
born a mule and had not been bought
10y fool man who had not sense enough
TO stay where there was plenty 10 cat.
Something of this sort must also have
been passing through the mules refec-
tions, for he paved the ground in q dis
contented way that only aggravated
O'Rourle'S discomfort. O'RourSe threw
a stone at him and accompanied the ac-
ton with an exclamation that made
Sullivan demonstrate:
"Don't swear or I'll never catch fish"
The mule kept on paving and
O'Rourle, incensed, went to where he
was displacing the rock and earth.
The first piece OF rock he picked up was
heavy and 10 glittered in the twilight.
He ran for his pick and In a few min-
utes had uncovered ledge that showed
silver and. galena so plainly that even a
tenderfoot could not help knowing he
hSd found something that was valuable.
Suddenly q shout from Sullivan was
heard. lie had hooked four-pound
salmon trout and was calling 20
O'RourSe to stir up the fire and put on
the skillet. O'Rourkc paid no attention,
and Sullivan, As he came running 10 the
camp fire, thundered out; "Where the
devil are you2 Don't you hear what
say2" Then he saw O'Rourle, and ran
over to him, holding up the fish by the
gills. In answer to his excited descrip-
tion of how he caught the fish G'Rourke e
handed him piece of rock. Sullivan
had prospected for years. The instant
he took the rock in his hand he let the
trout fall on the ground Then seeing
the hole O'Rourke had dug, sullivan
dropped on his knees and looked into
it. He tugged at the jagged edges OF
the rock. with his finger nails until the
4 blood started from them, but be did not
feel the pain. BY this time II Was get.
ting dark, and O'Rourke came with d
torch from the campfire. He stepped OF
the fish as he came and then gave it {
kick. which knocked 10 some distance
away.
"ANe've struck it at last" sod Sal
livan.
1t was midnight before the tws. mos
couldgthinlz of anything else than thei'
discovery. There was no more grass 4
be had and the mule stood idly b7
watching his masters work. Suddenl,
| O'Rourke seemed 70 remember'that the
mule had first attracted him TO tlu
spot. Then and there the men tool. og
oath that il the mine turned out wha
it seemed to be the mHle should never
have TO work any more. Then the,
hunted up their trout and had the mos
enjoyable supper they had ever ate be
fore or after.
It was only 60 miles to Spokane Falls
now Spokane, and after they stakes
their claim Sullivan stayed to guard il
while O'RourlSe went 10 Spokane ioi
provisions and TO raise money on th'
mine. A few pounds of samples wer'
packed on the mules back and in les
than a week O'Rourlxe returned will
plenty to eat and men who represente,
money 10 look at the mine. Sullivan
had been living on fish and n deer h.
had killed. The two prospectors re
ceived Sl5o,o00 apiece for their claim
which has been sold since for thre
times that amount.
Down in the Potlach country O'Rosrk
purchased a ranch. He took the mul
down there and hired n man to lool
after his wants. The man received
salarytfor seeing that the mule was cur
ried, fed and pastured. The man wa
made TO realize that it was n seriou
matter, and that any neglect of IN
mule would stop his pay. Thus it cam
about that the little scrawny anima
got TO be Fat and sleek and impuden
He lived to be is years old, dying only
year and half ago.
O'Rourke when he returned TO hi
Missouri home found everything jus
as he had left it, only his father was
j little deeper in debt and the mortgag
was little nearer due. The neighboI
I said it was such a pity. because all {
his family were such hard workers
that is all except the one that ha
traded for the mule and disappeare,
When the scapegrace came back an
not only paid off the mortgage, bJ