Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-04-25

rate. ] pounded away for . coupIe a.
hours with will, and none the less am
orge11cally as discovered that the
character OF the ground was changing
IL was gravel had laid bare gravel
winch, before many hours, must prove
70 us of what value our labors had
been. "S
NOW then, that decides it one way
OF another" | said, as I sent the first
pucketful to the surface. eIf there il
no gold there shake the mud of this
claim or my feet for ever
SO determined was I in this reso,u-
tlon that intimated my ascent after
the bucket, and taking my pick ana
shovel with me, cast what / expected
TO be last look into the depths as I
mounted. And yet, in spite of myself.
excitement. and vague half hope were
stirring at my heart.
II there is nothing here, we'll shake
hands and part" | told Ramsey. al.
with our burden between us, we start
ell for the creek. He nodded without
answering, and then in silence we
bent over the gravel, washing it as
for dear life. Two-three-ten minutes
passed, and then we stood erect and
looked at each other. A thimbleful
OF yellowish substance lay at the
bottom of the pannikin.
What is it," Ramsey asked huskily.
Its gold!" I answered, with white
lips. | don't know what we did then.
We dared not embrace each other. for
there were neighbors close enough to
observe any unusual demonstration. /
think we stood gazing at our treasure,
and interfering brief comments
hoarsely.
Then we gathered up our tools and
returned to the claim, feeling all at
once strong as Samson, and young with
an eternal kind of youth. After all,
these brief moments do compensate for
many month of toll and privation!
Past experience had taught us the
wisdom of keeping our own counsel
now, but, In spite of our best efforts,
it was soon understood along the line
that we had bottomed and were wash
ing of sand. A certain esprit de corps
among miners necessitates the COM
parative value of yield being made
known, nevertheless we managed to
secure most of the big nuggets from
the bottom of the cradle before the
final washing off.
Possession has it's own pains and
penalties. For month, while toiling
by day, we scarcely ventured to sleep
at night, lest some one should descend
our shaft and despoil us of our treas
ure, but after time the vigilant watch
on us abated. Some of our neighbors
in adjoining claims had bottomed, and
their proceeds scarcely giving them
wages the value-of our find was grave
ly questioned and finally forgotten.
Before we left that shaft we had sold
eight thousand pounds worth of gold,
while in no other claim on the creek
had the treasure amounted to as many
hundreds. The explanation was not far
to seek. All the gold was large, and
across our claim lay ledge of rock
that, in past ages, had formed barrier
to the descent of the nuggets as the
current washed them from the reef
above, and here, sought for to right
and left, to front and rear, they had
laid for centuries to, enrich Ramsay
and me, just when our worst moment
had come, and when we were nearest
to despair.
OF course, / know people would
laugh if we asserted that that gold had
been left there that we might find 1t
then, but I know that miners and sail
ors and men whose fortunes are not
exactly in their own hands, grow to
believe more in luck, Or chance-call
it what you will-than others do, and
somehow it affords us kind OF con-
ISOLATION, even when things are dead
against us, to think that there is plan
in them somehow, and that they Will
right themselves for us sooner or later,
here, or somewhere.-Wav Maya
zine.