Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-01

H n fornia boy and girl had been compan-
~ ions since early childhood. Their. love grew
with the years and when he was twenty and she
eighteen, their trOth plighted. But Charles
Desmond had no money and the girl, Jeanne Lee
Fevre, was as poor he. She was a fair young
creature with the blue eyes that belonged by right
to her. as she of French extraction Her
tender mouth and silent figure did not denote the
strength and courage that dwelt within her and
which so recently came into evidence
1t was at this critical moment that stories were
cast abroad of the richness of the Colorado, Mo-
jave and Death Valley deserts Some of the stories
were purely mythical But the facts advanced in
support of the existence of fabulous treasure
somewhere along the eastern slope CT the San ia
cnto mountains, fired young Desmond with the
gold hunting fever-facts which had long been
known as the lost "Peg-Leg Nine" in whose hunt
more than thousand lives had been sacrificed
In fact Desmond had talked with old vet
eran who had lost his leg through an accident
and had gained the sobriquet of "Peg-Leg Peg
Leg, some time previous, had announced his in
tention of starting to walk from Los Angeles, and
though strongly dssuaded from making the at
tempt there being at the time nothing but trail
through the trackess desert, PegLeg, with un-
bounded faith in his ability to endure all kinds OF
hardShipS started from Yuma some time In the
latter part of January.
Nothing more was heard from him until he
staggered into San Diego, thoroughly worn out
and exhausted man, but with fifteen thousand dol
lars in gold nuggets strapped around him.
No amount of questioning could induce him to
but one night young Desmond, catching Peg-Leg
under the influence of liquor, drew from him this
indefinite information: go and find the three
peaks, on the way to Salten, with the small one
in the center, and at the eastern base of that
middle one, you will find all the gold you want"
Enough for the impetuous young man! With
eager haste, he sought his sweetheart and con-
fded in her. She woman-like was 10th to let him
CO. but he persuaded her finally by tales of enor-
nous wealth and the golden promise that they
should wed upon his return. Before Desmond
started away on his trip, old Peg-Leg broken down
by the hardships which he had endured, and the
life he had led sapped +. is little remaining
vitality, and with ample funds yet to his credit in
cry, taking his secret with him.
hope, Desmond set out. He bade a tender farewell
to Jeanne and started bravely forth.
Six months was the length of time Desmond
supplied with canned goods and eatabes enough
to carry him over that period and he relied upon
meeting others in the desert and securing water.
At the end of six months Desmond returned,
telling the story of terrible hardships and disclos
ing money. He had been unable to locate any
mine whatever, and he in despair His mar
riage Indefinitely postponed, and he went to
work at i'll paying business in his little vii
lage
But for several years, the search was kept up
by Others Every few months expedition would
start out and after weeks of suffering from the
intense heat and thirst, few survivors would
turn, hardly recovering from the terrible
strain of their journey Many went forth never
to be seen again, such being the fate of twenty
who left San Diego. None of these searching
rffAr xxfthc had ,,Ot