The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-10-20

as u Tic aSCctuc u d AsAS
in the waste Of Its empty space.
Hall Cainet in the Home Journal.
The Diamond Drill.
BY GEORGE BEARDsLEY.
Copyrighted. 1900: Daily story Pub. Coz
And 1t was coal?" I demanded
eagerly.
I was sorry to press the old man so
closely for the exact truth, but I had
probably a more practical interest in
his narrative than anybody who had
ever listened to 1t. For ! owned a
modest acreage Of that prairie myself
and l had a romantic curiosity to
know what was under the surface. For
this reason / had hunted up Barden-
quaint and broken enthusiast-"Must-
Be-Coal" they had called him in
Pfatteville for twenty years. The pros
pector- had grown so accustomed to
light treatment Of his hobby that i
was naturally received at first as just
one more heartless scoffer. But he
must have detected a note Of sincerity
In my questions, for before many min
utes we sat cheek by jowl upon the
sidewalk, and he was only relating in
the dusk the progress of his boring Of
ten years before, but was exploiting
his whole theory of river valley coal
beds. In better days and better
strength he had made pilgrimages to
most Of the great coal mines lying
near Nebraska. walked every foot
o. the way said he, with; quiet pride.
Was gone two years from home, lost
my eye in an accident in the Boss
NINE"
There was a story sequent Of that.
too. It was said ythe woman he loved
refused to marry a disigured man.
Then you came back to P%latteville-
satisfied"
Yes, came back satisfied we was
on the right side o. the river for it,
I soon noticed that he never said the
word "coal" II he could avoid it.
But lately he had one other interest,
/, come to contend with the coal hope
for supremacy In his life. Besides the
notion Of hearing Barden's account Of
the drilling, I had a desire If possible
to see something Of young Walt, who
lived with him. I had seen the youth
about town with a girl Of singular
beauty, and had partaken 30 far of
the village gossip as to know that the
young persons were engaged to be
married. How genuine was my inter-
est In tho prospector's account will
appear when I say that I very soon
the lovers and all else not
closely pertaining to the sinking Of
the shaft and its result. Inch by
inch. through sand, water, gravel, clay,
more water---down forty feet I follow
ed In imagination the course Of. the
steel-felt alternately hope and dis
appointment as in Barden's subdued
voice these were echoed across ten
years. At length he told how the drill
threw up ga little piece Of black stun
bout as big as that,'-he held up a
SCARED hand. the thumb to the first
joint thrust out between the fingers.
Wa IT coal?"
He hesitated, hunting, no doubt. for
language that would be conscientious
and at the same time favorable. Then
he answered slowly.
"Er--well. I wasn't quite sure-an'
them at was with me couldn't just
make out for certain..so we carried 1t
to. Muzzy. the blacksmith. He worked
In the mines once. and Muzzy took 1t
and chewed It up. and-We called It
coal"
When one feels like signing and
laughing both at once the proper cue
10 num- Not until after a long
pause did / venture to ask, Have you
never followed It up?"s
"Oh, it's nj 8 without q diamond
drill. The drill ] had that time /
made myself. It would take q good
point to reach the-to get down to 1t.
How much would q drill cost?nssI
was prepared for four figures.
well, Il good. one would cost nieh
up to seventy-hye dollars. prob'ly
i ground my heel IN the sand. This
bankruptcy.
He have felt the circuitsofSsym.
plathy to 81 establishsd5 between us.
lory he said5 IA Asecnhding half wis.
PER-: Is S sS NJ ss$s
would lyou---likas to come olut-an..
Iies the hole7, #
Heiled me into narrow garden.
rhere.@in the midst of tomato vine.
Rassths excavation. some four o. AYa
~ across the tor. Barden paused
3nsths edge ofsit she miEht have
pallseds i grave's sdgs. There vas