Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-03
HArILIrJ GARLAND


VI A'ASt,s1s VII WHICH lOSc Neatly t.oOc
feet higher into the thin and feckless
air. Bozlc and Hoffman and Indian
Creek and Eureka and a half dozen
| other villages lay below
| This WAS the town, the camp, toward
which Raymond had been gazing in
| longing and irrcsolution for two years
| and to which he directed his steps as
| soon us he was able to walk with
| something of his old time vigor.
For week lie did nothing but stroll
| slowly up and down the streets of Bo.
| zlc studying his surroundings, listen
| ing To all that was said and asking
| searching questions of every man who
seemed to know anything of mining
| matters. The altitude at first troubled
him greatly. but he ate well and slept
| we'll, and day by day his strength and
native resolution expanded within him,
ANA he began to definitely seek q place
whereon to try bis hands ut labor.
One night as be sat toosting his shins
before the big fire in the hotel he be.
came immensely Interested in the grand
physical proportions and easy. unstud-
led grace OF a middle aged miner who
stood With his back to the fire replying
to the rapid questions of Il young re.
porter whose head was bent absorbedly
above his notebook and pencil. The
prospector satisfied every requisite of a
mountaineer. His massive head, COW
cred with grizZled hair; his handsome.
weather beaten, smiling face; his worn
laced boots. spattered with mud; his
rusty brown jacket and his broad hat,
worn with careless yet unfailing grace,
figure in the room. and when some one
clapped him on the back and called
out, Hello. Kelly" Raymond realized,
with pleasant warming of the heart.
that he was looking upon Rocky Noun.
tain Kelly, who knew the ranges Of the
west as intimately as the lines on the
palm of his hand.
Seeking opportunity, he touched tho
big man on the shoulder. "Are you
Matthew kelly?"
Kelly turned his keen gray eyes on
his questioner. 81 am, sir What can
l do for YEP
Eve heard you're good natured
man. began Raymond.
Kelly slid his hand into his pocket.
GLOW much is it?"
Raymond laughed. do / look like
that?"
"You look like sick man." replied
Kelly, scrutinizing him. "And hun
CRY man"
I'm neither" Raymond smilingly re-
piled. 1--WE just eaten IT, supper
they serve here, and I'm fairly com
Portable, but l want to ask your ad
had little money and wanted to
break into mining, what would you
do?"
"Take out lease" answered Kelly
promptly.
"Do you know of promising prop
erty to lease%'
II do"
"Will you show it to mel"
II will"
Raymond was amused by the crisp
succnctness. of these replies. 1t was
plain that the prospector was sizing
him up, and favorably.
Kelly indicated chair. "Sit down,
man. We look like citizen with a
lung faded. Where are We from?"
''I'm rancher from the plains"
"And We want to mine?"
Eyes"
Its ninety-nine chances to one ye
lose y'r wad."
Il know it."
"Have We wife?"
81 have not"
"Any one dependin' on yep
"No one"
Kelly relaxed, and his eyes began to
CLEAN friendlily. every well, then,
consent to rob We. I'm the owner Of
one mine into which I've put me last
dollar, but 1 know dandy proposition
which I'd like to display. III take We
with me over the hills when ye're a lit
tie better ACQUAINTED with me. and