New-York tribune., 1899-06-18

coeak Of wheels further down the draw told Of
still newcomers
Peter looked with excited satisfaction. This
meant prosperity. This meant that on the NOR
row a new town would deserve a place on the
map Ihs meant. above all that Peters claims
WouId nave value. that he could sell them out
~ price. and that he could grow old happily
~ 81 country Itself as old his distant youth.
lie wandered restlessly from one of his four
claims claims to the other. He told himself that this
I'm ne would make a careful bargain. The
need was immanent in the light OF this dis
CoEefy of gray hairs. 1t had never seemed So
DeIoIr. lie began TO forestaH difficulties in his
mind II should be spot cash nothing else
refer know just what his claims were worth
ana ne knew what he would get for them The
sac should be by deed. legally this for that
4hen he would go East at once
He cast in review the technicalities Of mining
ia"- lie had staked the claims correctly: ne
uAu none TIE proper assessment work on each
perhaps II would have been better if he had
hAd them recorded. At once ne made tour Of
ms property TO see il all the notices were in
place. II had never occurred TO him before
that some one might jump" him. Peter began
70 think II might have been wiser To have
brought the purchaser in here quietly without
ddertatlhg a boom. Perplexed and tortured with
uOuDls and anXieties. ne spent the remainder of
'he Gay III gong from claim to claim.
His accustomed aspect OF gentle impassiyitv
Hau lel' nm His eye became shifty and sus-
pIclouS tls hands worked nervously In his
breast there fermented an excitement which
n"u'u not lei MN rest even for instant For
Peter realized that this was the last chance
heretofore n" had had the consciousness of
youth 10 encourage him. Failure had meant
pilN dF'ay. Now II meant finality There was
ieit ID MIN no more time. He saw that before
ne Coulu again dig his shafts and blast his tun-
htIS pld age would have banished his dreams
and ms hopes together
He passed in feverish review the three oc-
caslOns wherein ne had been swindled. The
san Francisco man had given him worthless
paper. and had r-SOd at once The Denver
sharp"rs had merely taken possession and had
refused u pay. The 81. Louis men had pre-
tended that the property was not as repre-
Sented. and had compromised at u ridiculously
low ngure. Peter might have fought tho thing
successfully. but in his great difiidence II mind
he ndu Deen too easily persuaded OF the Justice
or the others position. H." would never be-
caught So again but these men hewild-red and
puzzled hin always and n confessed 10 him
self great fear of their unknown wiieS Al
the thought that they might cheat him IN some
new way he went into panic He made
other tour OF the claims. II was dark. At
dawn ne went over tho ground again He had
not slept all night. and had eaten nothing since
the noon Of the preceding day
on returning To his co1Iu ne placed ne minia-
ture and the square mirror side by side the
table and looked at them intentlv for long
time. Then he kicked his chair over backward
and went mis- claims cnCe more. The
first corners Of the stampeders had finished
stalking out. and We're wandering about
the nils Peter f'Uul small group OF them
on one of his claims They were reading his
notice and were ia-yhng idly. Peter knew
two OF them
'Hullo Happy. called one. on catching sight