The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-01-24

heart, to which he had hitherto been a
stranger.
| During the next few days the image
of Boly grew mere and more deeply i'm
pressed on his hitherto unsusceptible
hears. This state of mind was progress
i've, and when, on the third day after
Boly's visit, he had made most satis-
factory test clean up, it was in the best
of spirits that he determined to knock
off from work and return Bascom's
visit.
On his way over the ridge he diverged
from his direct route to Bascom's to-
ward little fiat, where he saw three
or four COWS feeding and pony near
by, which, even at a distance. he recog-
MED as Boly's. A few yards away, seat
ed in the shadow of a great rock, he
recognized the blue clad figure of Boly
herself
81 allowed you'd be over before
long," she said, with smile. 81 kind
of expected you'd be in yesterday even
in"
Morgan s courtship progressed with
rapid strides. Within fortnight after
this visit he Rad been over to see Boly
several times, and she, after an interval
of week when he did not come, know
ing him to be tied down by his work at
the Belshazzar camp, with natural
disregard for empty convention, had
herself gone over to chat with him at
the arastra.
1t was on the occasion of this visit
that Morgan declared himself. The
| = ctn Tho 10 ctI n
creetly blinded, dozed in the tug path,
and Morgan in beatitude sat with his
arm around what for the time being
was the only waist in the world.
"There's one thing l ought to tell
you, "'continued Morgan, "before ever
you says yes or no. You see, when
first met the old man he kind of jump
ed at the idee that l was the owner of
this here property. didn't say so, but
seein as he took it that way didn't
see no call to undeceive him; but
ain't no owner. I'm just up here work
in for Biggs, an old pard of mine, on
, wages, and simply don't own nothin. !"
"That don't make no difference to me,
Chris,' said Boly, with a sigh, "but l
| reckon it will with po1A about consent
i in. He sets such heap on mans be-
in we'll fixed" There was silence for a
, moment, and then Boly continued !:
! GIVE been thinkin this way. Why
) don't you branch out for yourself and
get some property of your own? Then
you'd be eligible. -
'That's easy to say about branohin
out and gettin property responded
r Chris despondently. "But however IN
to do it? 1 don't see no openin.
"You'll never see no openin sitting
around this arastra belongin to another
l man, retorted Boly, with some spirit
4 "I'll tell you what I'd do if I was a
man and wanted to make stake I'd
quit here too quick and go right away
over into this here new Mud Springs
: deestreeot that they re all runnin to and
stake out some claims for myself. That
would make it all right with por. He'd
f 3say your bein man with just wages
: is one thing. but you bein a man with
t some promisin claims is another -
: "But," said Morgan, inspirited by
a the plan, but yet aware of obstacles,
9 "what'd I say to Biggs if he should
come back here and find I'd quit work
| al tuO aloSlld uiu puI1Ou Ouo W1th LIE
i mule? He's done heap for me, and
r couldn't go back on him.
"I've got plan about that, too, -
a said Boly, contemplatively drawing
| lines in the trailing dust with her riding
v switch. "You start right in and clean
up this here run and then go and get
S rock down from the drifts and I'll come
S over every mornin and run the arastra
y while you re gone with Gyp" (indicat-
d ing her pony. "Hes small for the
r work, but he'll do, and you take the
d mule and start off for the new MUD
d Springs range. I'll herd the cows into
J. little rincon that l know of, where
q the feeds good and they won't leave
It till come for 'em. Por is repairin the
road every day now, and he'll never
d suspicion what's up"
+ Thus it was that on the third morn
K ing after this conversation Morgan wa
d on his way on the trail to Mud Spring
district with fixed determination tt
It find something rich and become eel 'gi
/. ble'' or die in the attempt.
), He wasted no time in entering ac
1t lively on his work. He rode here ant
L
d gulches in search of placers and climb
y ing rocky buttes and ridges in the hop
!. of finding some rich ledge. Promisin!
discoveries were being constantly mad
II by others, but his own luck was of tn
y worst.
ID The mouths time which he had al
1. lowed himself was already drawing t
IS a close, and he seemed as far from hi
is goal as ever, and it was in state o
h deep dependency and discouragemen
20 that he started upon his last trip inc
re the adjacent mountains.
J. He followed for several hours an old
RS deeply worn Indian trail tending to
is ward the Colorado. The trail had evi
N IDENTIFY been but little travelled for years
for in many places it was quite bloclse
with powders which had rolled dow
ze the hillside, and finally came to poin
rs where it had been completely buried b.
d. an enormous slide of loose rock.
as Here he dismounted and tied hi
e. mule to stunted pinon. He was anS
a. ious to proceed in the direction he ha
re been going, for not more than mil
as ahead there was i'll plain view rock
I'd bluff, curiously marked and mottled i
ut dull reds and faded yellows that sug
ne gested strong mineral possibilities.
an Morgan had clambered half wa
ey across the rough and difficult barrier
to still following the general line of th
I'D trail, when, as he paused for momer
! TO take breath, he saw with some SUI
or prise few yards above him ON the hill
nv, | side a hiUh narrow nDanipp in tb