The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-24
HIS LAST PROSPECT.
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that very day-over the mountains
through the gorges-and showed them
what he had found. Then he returned.
The morning after men came into the
lonely gulch. In an hour the side hills
We're covered with them. Between the
trees figures glanced to and fro, as
patches OF red or flashes of light re-
fiected from polished metal. White
claim stakes sprang. mushroomlike, In
thick punches OF four. In the canyon
was the CLEAN of fires; the smell OF
wood smoke an dof bacon broiling was
in the air; white leantos shown among
the bare bushes and saplings. Horses
were feeding eagerly on the half-frozen
grasses and the browse of trees, rails
ing their heads as the creak OF wheels
further down the draw told OF still new
comers.
Peter looked with excited satisfac-
tion. This meant prosperity. rms
meant that on the morrow new town
would deserve a place on the map.
This meant, above all that Peter
claims would have value. that he could
sell them out at any price, and that ne
could grow old and happily In country
itself as old as his distant youth. he
wandered restlessly from one OF MS
four claims TO the other. He told hiin-
self that this time he would make
careful bargain. The need was I'M
minent in the light OF this discovery or
gray hairs. IL had never seemed so De-
fore. He began TO forestall difhculues
in his mind. 1t should De spot cash
nothing else. Peter knew just what he
would get for them. The sale should
be by deed legally. this for that. lheh
he would go hast at once.
He cast in review the technicalties or
mining law. He had staked the claims
correctly; he had done the proper as
sessment WORK on each. Perhaps, II
,.,1I he
them recorded At once he made d
tour of his property TO see IL all the
notices were in place. 1T had never oc-
Cured TO him before that some one
might Jump" him. Peter began 10
thing that IL might have been easier TO
have brough. the purchaser IN here
quietly without agitating "A boom Per-
picked and tortured with doubts and
anxieties, he spent the remainder or
the day i'm going from claim to claim.
His accustomed aspect of gentle I'M
passivity had left him. His eyes be-
came shifty and suspicious. His hands
worked nervously. In his breast there
fermented an excitement which would
not let him rest even for an instant.
For Peter realized that this was the
last chance. Heretofore he had had
the consciousness of youth 10 encourage
him. Failure had meant only delay.
Now IL meant finality. There was left
TO him no more time He saw that be-
fore he could again dig his shafts and
blast his tunnels, old age would have
banished his dreams and his hopes
| together.
He passed in feverish review the
| three occasions wherein he had been
| swindled. The San Francisco man had
| given him worthless paper and had
I resod at once The Denver sharpers
| had merely taken possession, and had
| refused to pay. The St. Louis men had
| pretended that the property wr1 no. as
| represented, and had compromised al
| ridiculously low figure. Peter might
have fought the thing successfully. buI
in his great diffidence of mind he hac
| been too easily persuaded OF the justice
OF the others position. He would never
be caught so again; but these men be
wildered and puzzled him always. anC
he confessed to hnnself a great fear o
their unknown wile~. At the thought
that they might cheat him in some new
way. he went into panic. He made
another tour of the claims. 1t was now
dark. At dawn he went over the
groun dagain. He had not slept all
night. and had eaten nothing since the
noon of the preceding day.
| on returning to his cabin ne placed
I The miniature and the square mirror
side by side on the table. and looked AT
| them intently for long time. Then ne
| kicked MS CHAIR ONti pdthNoib niA
went out To his claims once more. The
first comers of the stanpeders had fin
ished stalking out, and were now wan
dering about the hills. Peter found a
small group of them on one OF his
claims. They were reading his notice,
and were laughing .uly. Peter knew
two fthem.
"Huno Happy" called one, on catch
ing sight Of him, what do you call
this?" He winked at the rest. The
history of Peters losses was well
known to all. He was pointing to the
weather-beaten notice.
WHAT" asked Peter strangely.
you aint't got this readin' right. She
saws fifteen hundred feet The law
says she oughter read fifteen hundred
linear feet Yore claim is n. e. Tn
eoin' . jurnp her on you!" The state
ment was ridiculous. Everybody knew
IT, and prepared to laugh, ioud'
mouthed
Peter. without n word shot the mar
through the heart. Men said at hi'
trial that IL was the most brutal ant
| unnrovoke1 murder they had eve