The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-01-06

hand 20 hand for examination, and
Avery said excitedly:
IF Dick had only known this! This
ledge is full OF goldl"
"Then guess we'd better locate
here" said a strange voice near the
little group.
With a start OF surprise they turned
to see two rough looking miners who
had approached them from the wooded
side of the valley, their packs on their
backs, and who were gazing at the
treasure in Avery's hand with greedy
eyes.
For a moment our friends were too
astonished 10 speak; then Tarbox
stepped forward with extended hand,
saying:
Hello, Mitchell! Where did you come
from?"
"Why, it's Joe Tarboxl"
One Of the strangers shook his hand
warmly and then asked, eagerly:
"What's the show here, Joe? That's
beauty nugget you have therel"
"Are there any more of your said
Tarbox.
mo; Bill and / are ALL"
"How did you happen to find us?"
"Saw your smoke last night before
dark. We thought it must be somebody
out prospecting, and 50 we took look
over this way this morning. Struck it
rich ?"
Eyes; we've been here all winter. You
see where our claims are staked out.
Dick Taylor has gone 10 register them
Better stake out before anyone else
comes. / guess you'll find plenty of
room above us. Idon't mind telling you
we've made our pile here, Bill. We've
just found that this quartz ledge is
mine OF wealth. See that your claims
take in slice oft"
Before the words were fairly out of
his mouth the two men were tearing up
the valley like madmen, and before long
they ha9 staked out their claims, and
were hard al work, aent on The one all
absorbing quest for when they had
braved the rigors Of an artic winter,
thus far without success.
Half an hour later they had scraped
away the soil and moss, and sampled
the rich gravel just above the lightly
covered bed rock The first pan OF
gravel was washed out, and moment
later the man TarboX had accosted as
Bill came running up, with beaming
face, crying:
God bless you, Tarbox, for giving us
a straight tipl Look at this! Well be
rich in no time! Look!"
The perspiration was dripping from
his face, his clothes were torn and full
Of mud, but what rocked he Of such
things2 In the pan he held joyously
forth was little heap Of coarse gold,
which was worth fully 5000.
Then, as II remembering hat he was
wasting time, he turned on his heel and
dashed back again like schoolboy,
throwing his arms about his partner
and hugging him in the excess Of his
JOY.
Then, actuated by one common inn
pulse, the two men gave wolfish yell
OF exultation, and fell to work once
more, tearing out the moss and soil
desperate energy. They had reached
and dear ones, and, with superhuman
strength, they went at the work of dig
ging and washing, unmindful OF all else.
Meanwhile Tom and his friends had
returned to their digging. With their
crude implements IL would be a waste
OF time TO attack the ledge, and they
determined TO stick 10 the gravel until
Taylor returned. They had only dug
up very small part OF their claims as
yet.
The following day Tarbox saw a thin
column OF smoke several miles away,
and said TO Avery:
There's more of them coming"
"They may not be coming here" re-
piled the old miner.
Eyes. they are" was the confident
reioinder. these two men saw our
fire and followed IL up. That party Oft
there probably has been following their
smoke, and so IL goes. When one crow
finds anything TO eat, you know, others
soon follow. The only wonder Is that
we have kept the place to ourselves so
long. There'll be n hundred men here
In a fortnight and a thousand in a
month"
About shutdown that night party OF
four miners appeared from the woods,
and after few words with the latest
corners staked of claims and went into
camp.
Day by day they continued TO arrive,
but as yet there was room for all. There
was no rush. because all who came
found gold so plenty that they remained,
and at the end of three weeks there
were not over threescore men on the
ground.
II was now time for Dick Taylor to
return. and our friends began TO be
anxious about him. Their fears were
groundless, however, for one afternoon
he made his appearance, mounted on a
horse and leading half dozen others.
With him were two well-dressed stran-
gers, who looked keenly about them as
they rode down the valley.
After greeting his friends, he intro
duced the strangers 10 the party and