The Lamar register., 1904-07-13

had scratched it. staked out 9
claim and sold it to Jenny's father for
a hundred and twenty-five thousand
dollars. He's made two millions out
of it. | made love to Jenny, anu 1
think she would have had me. but
went to San Francisco and dropped
the hundred and twenty-five thousand
on the mining exchange. l went back
and asked Jenny to wait until made
another fortune. She said she'd think
about it. | guess she did. A year
later she married man who Is now u
United States Senator. So l broke
my neck, lost my fortune and my
sweetheart all in less than year"
And what have you now?
"This mountain chateau" replied
Blake. with lordly sweep of his arm.
land hole in the ground back of 1t.
Then have fine view of the valley,
a good appetite, slumbering con-
science, and-and Dog, here. who
never upbraids me for being seven
kinds of q fool.
John told the story Of the dying
sailor and his map. and read an ex-
tract from Peter Burt's letter. Then
he produced the map. and they spread
it out on the table and examined 1t
by the light of the lantern.
Il followed the trail all right" ex-
planned John. until the storm set in,
and then had to feel my way. Be
fore | lost my bearings | was about
two miles from the point where this
sailor claims to have found gold. l
ali
could go no further, and then curled
up behind that rock in the hope that
the storm would cease"
Blake studied the map with grow
ing interest and excitement. With a
splinter from log as marker he
traced the trail.
II know every foot OF it," he ex-
claimed, resting the point of the
splinter on a round spot on the map.
Here is Fishers Lake. You came
that far by stage. Here is the creek
which you follow for seven miles un-
til you come to the old Wormley trail.
You take that to the cliffs, and go
along the cliffs until you cross four
brooks and come to the fifth one. You
were within hundred yards of that
key to this thing"
John handed him the letter.
"'From the east face of the square
rock, on the north bank of the brook.
at the edge of the Cliff" read Blake.
Il know the rock well. Let's see.
| Thence east along the bank of the
| brook in a straight line four hundred
and twenty-five feet, and then north
| at right angles. sixty-seven feet to the
base of the tallest pine in the neigh
| borhood.'"
| Blake rushed to the door. forgetful
of the storm. to verify his suspicious.
| He pushed it open an inch. but q
solid bank of snow blocked the way.
Where do you suppose the base of
| that pine tree is?" he demanded.
Without waiting for reply he found
a hatchet and tapped the clay floor
until he located spot which gave a
deadened sound. Then he chopped
away a few inches of packed dirt and
sank the blade into a solid substance
| There's the base of the big pine
tree described by your dead sailor
and I'll bet my life on it," he shouted
| And here are sections of the tree" ho
continued. pointing to the logs which
formed the foundation of the cabin
I'm dead sure of it. John. It's about
a hundred and forty yards from here
| to the edge of the cliff. | know. fol
measured it. And its about twenty
| wards to the brook What is more
conclusive. this was by far the largest
tree anywhere around. That's why
located the cabin here. Let's see
what comes next" His eyes glis
tened with excitement.
| The instructions were to measure
three hundred and eighteen feet nortii
from the base of the tree and thence
east to carefully described rock
which Blake remembered This was
the base of the incline. Within hun
dred yards of this rock the key 10
<ated three golG,bearing quartz
| ledges.
| ITO he cOntinued)