Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-06-30

face. crying. ...--..--......
God bless you, Tarbox. for giving us
a straight tip! Look at this! Well be
rich in no time! Look!"
The perspiration was dripping from
his face, his clothes were torn and full
of mud, but what rocked he OF such
things? In the pan he held joyously
forth was little heap of coarse gold,
which was worth fully 5000.
Then, us II remembering that he was
wasting time, he turned on his heel and
dashed back again like schoolboy,
throwing his arms about his partner
and hugging him in the excess of his
joy.
Then, actuated by one common i'm
pulse, the two men gave wolfish yell
Of exultation, and fell to work once
more, tearing out the moss and soilwith
desperate energy. They had reached
the goal for which they had left home
and dear ones, and. with superhum
strength, they went at the work Of dig
ging and washing, unmindful of all else.
Meanwhile Tom and his friends had
returned to their digging. With their
crude implements 1t would be waste
of time to attack the ledge, and they
determined to stick to the gravel until
Taylor returned. They had only dug
up very small part Of their claims as
yet.
The following day Tarbox saw thin
column of smoke several miles away,
and said to Avery:
"There's more OF them coming"
"They may not be coming here" re-
piled the old miner.
Eyes, they are," was the confident
rejoinder. These two men saw our
fire and followed it up. That party off
there probably has been following their
smoke, and SO 1T goes. When one crow
finds anything to eat, you know, others
soon follow. The only wonder Is that
we have kept the place to ourselves SO
long. There'll be hundred men here
in fortnight and thousand In
month"
About shutdown that night party Of
four miners appeared from the woods,
and after few words with the latest
corners staked off claims and went into
camp.
Day by day they continued to arrive,
but as yet there was room for all. There
was no rush. because all who came
found gold SO plenty that they remained,
and at the end of three weeks there
were not over threescore men on the
ground.
1t was now time for Dick Taylor TO
return, and our friends began to be
anxious about him. Their fears were
groundless, however, for one afternoon
he made his appearance, mounted on
horse and leading half dozen others.
With him were two well-dressed stran-
gers, who looked keenly about them as
they rode down the valley.
After greeting his friends, he intro
duced the strangers 10 the party and
said:
81 have brought these gentlemen out
to look at our claims. They represent
syndicate of rich capitalists"
He then pointed out the exact location
of the claims, after which he took the
men to the cave and showed them the
bags of gold.
1--WE want to sell GU, the whole bust
ness" he said, bluntly. There's what
we have taken out. We haven't begun
TO dig one-quarter of the claims. Take
a look round and make us an. offer"
wait moment" said Avery. step
ping forward with the piece of quartz
they had spill, open. See here. Dick,
we took this out OF that ledge the day
you went away. Let them look at 1t
before they make any Offer"
LET me see that!" exclaimed one Of
the men, quickly, extending his hand.
"You found that here?"
Come and IN show you the spot"
They followed him in silence and the
younger man produced small ham
mer with which he Clipped off a piece
of the rock and examined it closely.
Then he gave the other look which
was not lost on our friends and said,
with an atfectation of carelessness:
There may be paying quartz here
and may not. 1t would cost a fortune
to get machinery here and find out"
But lie was not dealing with ignorant
men, as he soon found out, for Taylor
remarked. quietly:
THAT specimen doesn't lie. That
ledge of quartz is where all this gold
we've been digging came from. It's
worth a. million today. Now, gentle
men, have no time to waste hoggling
over the matter. We are no hogs, but
Won mustn't take lis for preenhorns
We've done we'll here and want to get
out Make us an offer tomorrow. We
will give you until tomorrow night to
look around and see what you are buy
ing"
His friends gave prompt assent to
this proposition, and he two capitalists
had no choice but TO acquiesce as grace
fully as possible.
The following noon they came to
Dick 1rnyor and offered him $50, 900 for
the five claims. He laughed and re
piled:
DO you think we are foolish? They
are worth five times that amount"
An hour later they offered SIS, 900 and
were refused
Seeing that lie was determined, the
elder man said:
"Ne are only authorized to eNpend
100000. Will you take that?"
After a short consultation the offer
was accepted and preparations were at
once commenced for the journey to
Dvea, where the formal transfer was to
be made