Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-22

second prospector's outfit, or fragment
thereof, which his exhausted outfit on
tanned drew from him a reply hat rather
mystiied n somewhat troubled his
auditors. A partner, he declared, had
started with him on the trip to Rands-
burg, each of them having a burro and
outfit. When they began to suffer for
water and food the partner cleared out
one night and failed to. return. 1T was
afterWard that / found this mine, which
somebody had abandoned, evidently"
concluded the explanation. n nothing
HDre would the man say on the subject
of his vanished partner.
There the matter was allowed to rest.
Brown agreed to put up the necessary
capital to work the strangers mine in
return for a half interest in it, provided
his most trusted expert, after eXamin-
ing the property, gave him an encourag-
ing report. In any event, he would give
the ~prOspector and expert a generous
outfit, with fresh burros, for their trip
to the spot in which the possible bonan-
"a lay. These terms were satisfactory
n at daylight next morning a start was
made.
The prospector and his future COM
panion slept together that night. Soon
after IL o'clock the latter was aroused
and told that their journey must begin
then, as they might be followed if they
waited until daylight. Regarding the
man before him in the light of a victim
of too long nervous strain, the expert
agreed to his p%rosposal, and the more
readily since the light of the moon and
stars shone down brightly on the level
before them. The animals were packed
and the bonanza hunters set out at a
brisk etrudge, the prospector saying that
he knew the way to the secret treasure
so we'll that there was no risk of losing
their way. He toiled confidently ahead
of the other, occasionally glancing at the
heavens, but never speaking a word.
Sunrise showed the wayfarers only
sand, scrub cactus and here and there, a
patch of bunch grass, whichever a
their eyes We're turned. After camping
for breakfast they pitched a small tent
they had and under it's shadow snatched
a few hours of sleep. With the exception
of a stop for the midday meal, they
tranaped all the rest of the day. and after
supper the prOspector insisted on cOn-
tinuing the journey until his companion
refused for sheer WEAKNESS to so fur
Their. Before turning in for the night,
which his morose partner had already
done, Browns employe being rested, be-
thought him of some bunch grass they
had passed a little way lack on the I'M
marked trail and decided to get it for the
burros. He rose quietly and proceeded
IA. A1o = A11AA ia 1G Cv loL AlJ-
turbed the sleeper in the little tent.
But before quite reaching the fodder he
heard hurrying footsteps in his rear n
looked around-to see the eccentric pros
pector in the act Of leEeling a long-bar-
relied revolver Ut his heal I.
Hold on. What's the ma-ter?' he
cried.
knew they Would be followed and that
now the prOspector. vas going out to
bring the track ars into their camp vhile
he lay asleep. ''Tll kill anybody who
tries to rob ne Of my chances of getting
rich," he added in a shrek, waving his
weapon in II air. The expert told him
about the bunch grass ana pointed it out.
After further talk the p%rospectcr grew
calnaer, even assisting in gathering the
grass, and together the two went back
to their tent. There h p%rospector was
induced to surrender his revolver to his
now worried companion, who tied it up
securely in a sack, which he used for a
pillow. saying it would be returned next
morning, when we're both feeling bet
ter
Both men then lay down and appeared
to sleep. In a little while, quite worn out,
the expert slumbered in reality. He
soon afterward, with a sudden
start, into consciousness, and found him
self alone. Leaving the tent he looked
about in every direction, but could not
see his partner. The strange disappear
of the eccentric prospector put all
thought of further rest then out of the
question.
1t was we'll along in the morning when
the truant showed up again, haggard.
spent with hare walking and
in the eyes than ever. He talked
to himself.
Hes crazy, sure" exclaimed the ex-
pert, as he dived for the pistol in the
sack. At sight of it the prospector yelled,
rushed a distance from the tent and be-
gan talking loudly sentences that were |
almost incoherent.
"He wants to steal my mine. My mine! !
That other n tried it. and where is he
This one oo-but I'll fix hin--just
like the other one. Just the bones and
clothes"
These We're among the fragments of
that reached the mining expert.
The other mans frenzy soon ended in a
fit, during which he rolled on
the hard, scorching ground with foam OH
MS lips. While he lay thus, the expert,
that their prospecting trip
terminate here, tied his COM
p%anion's limbs securely, fastened him !
carefully to a litter made of the tent J
poles, which he hung evenly between the
burros, rudely harnessed together, and.
besides only the supply of water
me food. he headed back for Randsburg. |
BY dint of guessing and good luck the |
guardian of this odd outfit reached the
outskirts of the mining district, out
quite a distance from his starting point, !
before his supplies gave out.
After reaching Mr.. Browns office the
turned his helpless companion
to the town marshall. A physician
pronounced him to be hopelessly insane
destined, apparently, for only a brief
period of life. Nothing lucid could be OBJ
aimed from him by coaxing or question
In canvassing the matter it was gen.
agreed at Randsburg that on the
hight the ~prospector stole out of the lit
lie camp in the desert he must have rec
,gnized that he was in the vicinity of
his former partner di%Sappeared. It