The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1905-11-10
HOW CY
EATON MADE
HIS PILE
By ARTHUR L. MEsERvE

"A around the hospi,able board OF our
mutual friend. Cy. Eaton, partaking OF
the generous fare. when one Ct them ca.
claimed. bringing his hand down with
such force upon the table as to cause the
glasses to jump about:
How was II that you made your for.
tune so quick. cy.? II thought | stood
u ghost OF a chance, | would be on to-
norrow."
All OF " gazed up Into the face Of our
host as our friend said this, and almost,
held our breath Is We waited for his an-
IWor.
We knew tina, be had sonc TO CALI
fofala n poor mau. ami that In loss than
two years he has returned with an
abundant store % the yellow lust How
be- had obtained 50 much In 5 q short a
tme. rome OF Us had ever learned.
Perhaps you would no, care to ~
through 80 much as | have, even 10 make
your pile, said our host, quietly.
Il Will 81 through anything was the
nsw Nothing short uf death should
atop me-
But | endured that. In fact. I was
dead and buried"
Dead aud burled?" We all repeated.
In a breath.
"Yes.'
-iIow could that be-" We said again.
Our host threw open his shirt front.
o.: upon his breast We saw the liyid
marks Of u knife.
The scar vas Just above his heart and
II seemed a wonder how he could have
received Il. and still be alive to tell US
the story.
We expressed our surprise both BY
looks aud words.
You want to know how II was that
made ms pile 20 quick. We'll. II Isn't
often hat | tell the story. but |
will do ~ tonight to please you.
You have seen the scar left by
the wound which sen, ms 10 my
grave. for. boys. | was buried once. Us
surely a. We all expect to be.
you all know that when | went to
California | was as poor as u church
mouse had all THAI | could do 10 pro-
cure my outfit aud get the money with
which to pay my passage. But | man
ascd TO get there at last. ard for n time.
even then, Il did seem as though | WA
doomed to bad luck. Everything | tried
failed 10 prosper with me. and at last
+! went TO the mines. There, for u time,
my luck was little. II any. better. My
claim proved TO be worthless, and after
a time | abandoned Il. and, In company
with Bill Harris and Seth Grant, ! set on
on a tour Of exploration among the
mountains. ! knew thar people had
made a grand strike In discovering new
placers, and told the boys that / did
not see why II might not be our luck
To do the same. They were Of the same
mind, and Tor a couple of weeks We
toiled and hunted among the noun
tains, but an TO no purpose. our provi-
sions by this time were running short.
aud In n little time I knew that We should
be Obliged to return 10 the settlement.
"One day we set out upon our explora.
ton Ms usual. Toward noon We became
separated, and | found myself alors
among the rocks that overhung Q deep
canyon, al the bottom OF which flowed
. Wild mountain stream. II was moth
Ing new for Us to separate IN this way,
but we had an understanding that we
were to mees al nishtfall at o stat.a
point ahead.
For q couple Of hours | toiled onward.
using my rick here ana there, wherever
! thought there might be a chance to
fnd the yellow dust,
Tired al last with my tramp. I threw
myself down In the shadow of q rock
not far from the edge Of the canyon.
Stretched out at full length upon the
easth. ! lay musing upon the hard luck
that had followed me thither. Like tho
old man OF the sea that chung to the
shoulders Of Sinbad. | could not throw
Il on.
Lying there full Of these thoughts.
my eyes -andered about the spot. and I
noticed, n little way on, a sort OF fun
~hel-shaied hole In the rock. II did not
interest me very much, for ! had seen
many such In that section. Why | speak
OF II here, you Will soon know.
Tired with my days tramp, I at last
fell Into that drowsy condition which II
half sleep and half awake. From II l
was startled by the sound OF footsteps
close beside me. Opening my eyes. /
saw. standing beside me. three as vii
demonstrating Mexicans as I eve, be-
held.
81 knsv n 4 miputsi n vns NO sliuht