Evening journal., 1899-08-19

prison them the men had not stopped
since morning. They were tired andhuy
CRY. Not far away mountain stream
flowed swiftly down the hillside and
Sullivan after supper was trying TO
catch a fish. O'Reurlxe was lying by
the fire smoking his pipe and wonder
ing how man could be so foolish as to
to to catch the wariest of all the finny
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 nshhook
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. lie felt as though he
would give an arm ior piece of the
hoecake and bacon they were having
back in old Missouri that night. lie
could see the luscious Concord grapes
on the arbor of that cabin porch. He re-
nembered the big juicy yellow peaches
and wondered If the first husl1ing bee
had been held yet Right rehiseyes
was the mule, and his thoughts revert
ed 10 him at intervals. He fell 10 wish
ing most emPhatisally that he had been
born a mule aud had not been bought
by a Goolsaan who had not sense enough
" stay who're there was plenty to eat.
Something Of this sort must also have
been passing through the mules reflec-
tions, for he paved the ground in dis
contented way that only aggravated
O'Rourle's discomfort. ORourlse threw
stone at him and accompanied the ac-
ton with an exclamation that made
sullivan remonstrate:
Don't swear or III never catch fish. /"
The mule kept on paving and
O'Rourke, incensed, went TO where he
was displacine the rock and earth.
The first piece Of rock be picked up was
heavy and it glittered in the twilight.
He ran for his pick and in a few min
utes had uncovered IA ledge that showed
silver and galena 50 plainly that even a
tenderfoot could not help knowing he
had found something that was valuable.
Suddenly a shout from Sullivan was
heard. He had hooked four-pound
salmon trout and was calling TO
0'Rourke to stir up the fire and put on
the skillet. O'Rourke paid no attention,
and Sullivan, as he came running 10 the
camp fire, thundered out: where the
devil are you? Don't you hear what ]
say2" Then he saw O'Rourlte, and ran
over to him, holding up the fish by the
gills. In answer to his excited deserip-
ton 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 fall on the ground. Then seeing
the hole O'Rourlse had dug, Sullivan
dropped on his knees and looked int,
II. He tugged at the jagged edges o.
the rock with his finger nails until thu
blood started from them, but he did mo-
feel the pain. BY this time it was get
ting dark. aud 0'Rourke came with 1
torch from the campfire. He stepped ol
the fsb as he oans and than gave it,
kick which knocked Il some distanc
away.
"We'yo struck it at last" said Sal
. Ivan.
It was midnight before the two me-
could think of anything else than thei
discovery. There was no more grass &
be had and the mule stood idly b.
watching his masters work. Suddenl,
O'Rourke seemed to reuember that tn
mule had first attracted him TO tn
spot. Then and there the men took Al
oath that if the mine turned out wha
it seemed TO be the mule should neve
have 10 work any more. Then the.
hunted up their trout and had the mos
enjoyable supper they had ever ate be
fore or after.
1t was only GO miles TO Spokane Fall.
now Spokane, and after they stake
) their claim Sullivan stayed to guard il
! while O'RourIe went TO Spokane TO
5 provisions and TO raise money on tn
e mine. A few pounds of samples wer
E packed on the mules back and in les
[ than a week O'Rourlre returned wit
S plenty TO eat and men who represente
] money TO look at the mine. Sullva
. had been living on fish and a deer h
p had killed. The two prospeetors r'
r ceiyed S15o,00o apiece for their claim
e which has been sold since for thre
: times that amount.
{ Downinthe Potiachc hcouAtryO'Rourk
] purchased a ranch. lie took the mul
] down there and hired man to loo
i after his wants The man received
+ salary for seeing that the mule was cui
e ried, fed and pastured. The man wa
;. made to realize that it was q seriot
a matter, and that any neglect of tn
mule would stop his pay. Thus it can
e about that the little scrwyny animl
= got to be fat and sleek and impuden
D He lived to be IS years old. dying only
r yearand a half ago.
OiRourke when he returned TO b
y Missouri home found everything ju
n as he had left it, only his father was
I little deeper in debt and the mortgaf
:. was little nearer due The neighboi
said it was such pity, because all
: his family were such hard workers
d that is all except the one That ha
e traded for the mule and disappeare
e When the scapegrace came back al
c not only paid of the mortgage. b.
t also added 16O acres to the pattern