Evening journal., 1899-08-09

the hills before snowstorm should i'm |
prison them the men had not stopped |
since morning. They were tired and hum
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 q 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 fishhook
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 Tor piece Of the
hoecake and bacon they were having
back in old Missouri that night. He
could see the luscious Concord grapes
on the arbor of that cabin porch. He re-
uembered the big juicy yellow peaches
and wondered If the first husking bee
had been held yet. Right before hiseyes
was the mule, and his thoughts revert
ed to him at intervals. He fell TO wish
ing most emphatically chat he had been
born mule and had not been bought
by fool man who had not sense enough
TO stay where there was plenty 10 eat.
Something of this sort must also have
been passing through the mules refec-
tions, for he paved the ground in dis
contented way that only aggravated
O'Rourke's discomfort. O'Rourke threw
stone at him and accompanied the ac-
tion with an exclamation that made
Sullivan remonstrate:
Don't swear or III never catch fish"
The mule kept on paving and
O'Rourlze, incensed, went to where he
was displacing the rock and earth.
The FIRST piece OF rock he picked up was
heavy and it glittered ia the twilight.
lie ran for his pick and in a few min
utes had uncovered ledge that showed
silver and galena 50 plainly that even q
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
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'RourlSe, and ran
over TO him, holding up the fsh by the
gills. In answer to his excited descmp-
ton OF how he caught the fish o'Rourke
handed him piece of rock. Sullivan
had prospected for years. Tho instant
he took the rock in his hand he let the
trout fall on the ground. Then seeing
the hole O'Rourke had dug, Sullivan
dropped on his knees and looked into
it. He tugged at the jagged edges OF
the rock with his finger nails until the
blood started from them, but he did not
feel the pain. BY this time it was get
ting dark, and O'Rourke came with a
torch from the campfire. He stepped OF
the fish as he came and then gave IL |
kick which knocked II some distanc'
away.
"we've struck it 81 last" said Sui
Ivan.
It was midnight before the two meE
could think Of anything else than thea
discovery. There was no more grass Il
be had and the mule stood idly by
watching his masters work. Suddenly
O'Rourke seemed TO remember that TIM
mule had first attracted him TO th'
spot. Then snd there the men took az
oath that if the mine turned out wha
it seemed to be the mule should nevei
have to 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 Falls
now Spokane, and after they stalzes
} their claim Sullivan stayed to guard il
/, while O'Rourke went TO Spokane 70
s provisions and TO raise m0ney on tn
e mine. A few pounds of samples wer'
e packed on the mules back and in les
I than a week O'Rourlre returned witt
S plenty TO eat and men who represented
q money TO look at the mine. Sullivan
/. had been living ON fish and a deer h
had killed. The two prospectors re
? eeived $150,000 apiece for their claim
e which has been sold since for thre
y times that amount.
t Down. in the Potlach country ORourk
purchased a ranch. He took the mul
d down there and hired man to loo
d after his wants. The man received
j. salary for seeing that the mule was cul
l. ried, fed and postured. The man wa
). made TO realize that il was a seriou
n matter, and that any neglect of tn
r mule would stop his pay. Thus it cam
e about that the little scrawny anims
+ got TO be fat and sleek and impuden
n lie lived to be IS years old, dyingon
= year and half ago.
& O'Rourke when he returned TO hi
y Missouri home found everything jus
n as he had left it, only his father was
It little deeper in debt and the moutgag
&. was little nearer due. The neighboI
d said it was such a pity, because all
Z his family were such hard workers
d that is all except the one that ha
e traded for the mule and disappeared
e When the scapegrace came back an
10 not only paid of the mortgage. bt