The daily Alaskan., 1905-04-11
AT THE BOTTOM
 OF HIS LUCK
Torieinall

prospcctor sat alone m the Snade or tree reading a letter His clothes were in tatters, his shoes, were minus the principal part of tltlr soles, and of his felt hat there was little left bui the brim. He had thrown on his hay ersack and laid 1t on the gfiss beside him. It contained no food, for he had eaten the last morsel that morning 10 breakfast But it did contain all th, prospector possessed in the world-ten pounds of gunpowder and magnify lng glass. The former he kept tc turn up ground, wherein he hoped gold might be hidden, the latter to examine speei- mems of ore.
 This was the letter he read;
 Dear Ted-I have had no word from you since your letter a month ago, which was full of despondency, l hope you have done nothing rash. You say Colorado is full of sink holes commcmoratlng blighted hopes. You must remember that there are a few holes commemorative Of the realiza- lion of wild dreams There Is on old say ing, When you have put your hand to the blow never look back I am sorry that you felt constrained to undertake line of work with so great an element or luck in it: but since you have, stick 10 what you have undertaken, Don't de- spair tin you have hunted all over the state. Remember that prizes go Co the few. The commonplace goes to the many. I have agreed Co cast my lot with you consequently I partake of your condition, I may not have been wise In doing 50, but I have put sry hand Co the blow, and I'll never look pack" Your loving
 LUCY.
 The young man folded the letter and put 1t iR his pocket. ''rhe mistake was in the beginning" he unused. "rhe old man wouldn't consent to an en- gagement on my going to work in the regular way because, he said, would slave all my life, and it success came t would not come for many years. Meanwhile his daughter would be growing old. resolved to stake all In trying to make money In hurry, and have lost. But what a splendid ind cation of character there is in her let ter! have no right to keep hcr tied down to my hard luck till her beauty is gone, and men, after alL are attrac, ed by beauty and sentiment lEnUe t good stuff iu Lucy, and she will Wak. some man a treasure or w,lN Be cause cant have her shall de.y l. to anotherY Shall | by a dog t0 D mangCrg No. have resolved wEdt Co do, and m do it My clothes shah h found by the river bank, Tbou, whu she gets the news, Shell thinE ui So'Ng ouc clsc, and there's plcu,y cf then. wanting her.
 His eye lighting on bit ot cart. which looked as ir it might contain gold. he took his magujryiUg glass troO his havcrSaCk and mechanically exam. incd the specimen, meeting with thr usual disappointment lt contained gold, but not tn paying quantity, With sigh he hooked the handle ot h.S maenifyng glass on to twig that lay without the shade to watch, as he had often done before the concentrated rays Of the sun move slowly along the surface ot the ground. The strong light nmminCd the soil, revealing small particles of gold, The sun moved slow ly, and the prOSpcCtor was tired and dlscouragcd. He fell asleep,
 He was awakened by the smell oi burning cloth. His first act was Co clan his hand to his pocket, thlUkine that he might have placed his pipe lighted, in 1t. The pipe was thcrc but cold. Next, he looked about him. On his havCrsack was a round spot ot bright light cast from the sun through the magnifying glass, and a thin tilm of smoke indicated that the havcrSack was burning. Then he rcmcmbcred thr gunpowder.
 Several things passed rapidly through the prospector's mind-frst and fore most, that he would be blown to atoms; secondly, that bona ide death would render a sham one necessary; thirdly, that if he escaped being killed gun powder sham death would sound more probable than a drowning one; at any rate it would be more original These three transitions of thought occupied one second-a second of naction- the next he was on his feet and In two or thr> more some distance from his haversack knceling behind big stone.
 He was none too soon, There was an explosion that threw him on his back, and he lay for awhile stunned. Then he stood up and viewed a great hole where the explosion had taken place.
 NOW" he said lugubriouSly, I've got to the bottom of my luck. Ten pounds of good blasting powder, rag. ged haversack and first rate magni flying glass gone up in smoke, Well its better to be at the bottom than the top; at the top you're sure to fall st the bottom you can only rise"
 Tho e,-,o af hohff Tod him fN oNNmine