Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-08-10

prison them the men hau not stoPPe"
since morning. They were tired ana nun
gry. Not far away mountain stream
flowed swiftly down the hillside ana
Sullivan after supper was trying 10
catch a fish. 0ltourke was lying py
the fire smoking his pipe and wonder
inc how a man could be so foolish as 10
try TO catch the wariest of all the tinny
tribe when he had only piece Of twlne
and grasshopper for bait. Out OF the
recesses of one of his waistcoat pockets
Sullivan had extracted a fshhook
which had been there so long he could
not remember where he got it.
O'Rourke was watching the mule
and wishing he had the same stoical
temnerament.. He felt as though ne
would give an arm for piece OF the
| boeeake and bacon they were having
back in old Missouri that night. he
could see the luscious Concord grapes
on the arbor of that cabin porch. lie re-
membered the big juicy yellow peaches
!. and wondered if the first husking bee
had been held vet. Right before hiseyes
was the mule, and his thoughts revert
oil tn him at intervals. He fell TO wish
ING most emphatically that he had been
born a mule and had not been bought
nv n fool man who had not sense enough
to stay where there was plenty 10 cut
Something of this sort must also nave
been passing through the mules rehee-
tions. for he paved the ground in DIS
eontented way that only aggravated
( ofRourke's discomfort. O'Rourke threw
a stone at him and accompanied the ae-
: ton with an exclamation that hiaue
r Sullivan demonstrate:
. Don't swear or I'll never catch hsh.
5 The mule kept on paving ana
I O,Rourle. incensed, went to where he
y was displacing the rock and earth.
: The first piece OF rock he picked up was
Il heavy and it glittered in the twilight.
n lie ran for his pick and in few min
utes had uncovered ledge THAT showed
'. silver and galena so plainly that even
e teuderfoot could not help knowing ne
T. had found something that was Valuaole.
II Suddenly a shout from Sullivan was
lr heard. He had hooked four-pound
to salmon trout and was calling TO
Re o'Rourke 10 stir up the fire and put on
to the skillet. o'Rourke paid no attention
lg and sullivan, as he came running 70 the
nd eamp fire. Numbered out: where the
a | devil are YOU? Don't you hear what
We sav2" Then he saw 0'Rourke, and ran
n over TO him, holding up the fish by the
he oils. In answer to his excited descrip'
he ton of how he caught the fish hourht
ed handed him a piece of rock. Sullivan
re had prospected for years. The instant
he took the rock in his hand he lei th'
o.. trout fall on the ground. Then Seems
m. the hole o'Rourke had dug, sullivan
i'm dropned on his knees and looked int'
vas IL lie tugged at the jagged edges o
ave The rock with his finger nails unul IN
on hlooa started from them, but he did no
old feel the pain. By this time IL was ge'
lie. ting dark. and O'Rourke came with
ich torch from the campfire. He stepped o.
TO the fish as he came and then gave u
ash kick which knocked IT some distahc
III. away. =, e.,
OF We've struck it at last" said gu
vas Ivan.
lim II was midnight before the two me
ore could think of anything else than thel
me. discovery. There was no more grass
aek be had and the mule stood ldly .
rms watching his masters work SUDDEN
'he O'Rourke seemed to remember that u
ugh mule had first attracted him 10 u
had rot Then and there the men took q
a.b that II the mine turned out viii
raw il seemed TO be the mule should new
ohs have to work any more. linen th'
ISM hunted IN their trout and had the mo
III enioyable supper they had ever ate
fore or after.
ms II was only 60 miles to Spokane fal
'oln now Spokane, and after they stan
heS' their claim Sullivan stayed to guard
70 while O'Rourke went TO Spokane ]
win ,,ro,isions and to raise money on I
'rses nine A few pounds of samples we
huie nacl,ad ON the mules back and In it
ma than a week o'Rourke returned WI
~ nIentv TO eat and men who represent
ne money 10 look at the mine. SuihV
ehe haa been living on fish and deer
u nv haa killed. The two, prospeetors
MI naiyed s15o.O apiece for their clai
80 which has been sold since ior VII
mel times that amount.
Lea Down in the Potlach country okoui
III
and down there and hired a man to &c
,opId after his wants. The man receives
,royi- salary for seeing that the mule was c
,aek ried. fed and pastured. The man
Lu1s ,.de 70 realize that it was serl
tbem natter. and that any neglect OF
y or mule would stop his pay. Thus II ca
'nsive about that the little scrawny ann
boar rnt TO be fat and sleek and impud'
soon He lived to be Is years old dying on
short year and a half ago.
nring o'Rourke when he returned 10
they Missouri home louhu go -. - =,
then as he had left it, only his father w
but little deeper in debt and the mortg
,yort Vas n little nearer due. The neighL
arned said il was such a pity, because an
,,ick- bis family were such hard work
found that is all except the one that
n