Evening journal., 1899-09-07

foy supper. In their hurry to get out Of
the hills before a snowstorm should i'm
prison them the men had not stopped
sincemorning. They were redand huY
CRY. Not far away a mountain stream
flowed swiftly down the hillside and
Sullivan after supper was trying to
catch fish. O'Rourke was lying by
the fire smoking his pipe and wonder
ing how a man could be so foolish as to
try to catch the wariest of all the fnny
tribe when he had only piece Of twine
and a grasshopper for bait. Out of the
recesses Of one of his waistcoat pockets
Sullivan had extracted a fishhoolS
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
temperament. He felt as though he
would give an arm ror a piece OF the
hoecake and bacon they were having
baalS 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 husldng bee
had been held yet. Right before his eyes
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
by fool man who had not sense enough
TO stay where there was plenty TO eat.
Something of this sort must also have
been passing through the mules rehec-
tions, for he paved the ground in q dis
contented way that only aggravated
O'Rourlle's discomfort. O'Bourke threw
n 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'Rourke, incensed, went TO where he
was displacing the rock and earth.
The first piece OF rock he picked up was
heavy and it glittered in the twilight.
| He ran for his pick and in n few min
utes had uncovered a ledge that showed
silver and galena so plainly that even a
tenderfoot could not help knowing he
had found something that was valuable.
Suddenly q shout from Sullivan was
heard. He had hooked a four-pound
salmon trout and was calling TO
O'Rourke to stir up the fire and put on
the skillet. O'Rourke paid no attention,
and Sullivan, as he came running to the
camp fire, thundered out: where the
devil are you? Don't you hear what
say?" Then he saw O'Bourke, and ran
over to him, holding up the fish by the
gills. In answer 20 his excited descrip.
tion of how he caught the fish O'Rourke
handed him a piece of rock. Sullivan
had prospected for years. The instant
he took the rock in his hand he let the
trout fan on the ground. Then seeing
the hole O'Rourke had dug, Sullivan
dropped on his knees and looked intC
it. lie tugged at the jagged edges o
the rock with his finger nails until th'
blood started from them, but he did no
feel the pain. BY this time it was get
ting dark, and O'Rourke came with
torch from the campfire. He stepped OF
, the fish as he came and then gave it
kick which knocked It some distanc
! away.
We've struck it at last" said SUI
J Ivan.
/ it was midnight before the two me
, could think of anything else than thei
discovery. There was no more grass t
( be had and the mule stood idly b.
watching his masters work. Suddenl
O'Rourke seemed TO remember that tn
mule had first attracted him to tn
spot. Then and there the men took a
oath that If the mine turned out wha
it seemed TO be the mule should neve
have to work any more. Then the
hunted up their trout and had the mos
enjoyable supper they had ever ate b'
= fore or after.
1t was only 60 miles TO Spokane Fall
now Spokane, and after they stake
: their claim Sullivan stayed to guard /
while O'Rourke went to Spokane fc
provisions and to raise money on th
mine. A few pounds of samples weT
packed on the mules back and in les
than a week O'Romke returned wit
plenty to eat and men who represente
Z money to look at the mine. Sulliva
had been living on fish and a deer /
i had killed. The two prospectors r
ceiEed s15o,OoO apiece for their clair
which has been sold since for thrC
times that amount.
Down in the ePotlachcountry O'Rourl
purchased a ranch. He took the mu
I down there and hired a man 10 loc
1 after his wants. The man received
/ salary for seeing that the mule was Gu
ried, fed and pastured. The man WI
made to realize that it was a seriol
n matter, and that any neglect of Il
r mule would stop his pay. Thus it can
q about that the little scrawny amin
: got to be fat and sleek and impuder
n He lived to be IS years old, dying only
= year and a half ago.
o. OBourlxe when he returned TO /
Y Missouri home found everything ju
n as he had left il, only his father was
Il little deeper in debt and the mortga
{ was q little nearer due The neighbo
Il said IL was such a pity, because all
r his family were such hard worker
4 that is all except the one that HI
I 4 Al. Ar.