Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-12
CONTINUED FROM LAST SUNDAY
CHAPTER. XIV.
AT CRoss-PURPosEs

- there for the night without think-
ing that the precious metal could De
found so near them.
If they had discovered the pay-streak,, as
Kirk had. it would be natural that they
would try to conceal the fact until they coulo
locate the vein, and if they had not touna ~,
the least suspicious action on the part OF Bart
or the boys might cause them to suspect l'S
existence
'Now's the time when we've got to have
our wits about u.s." said Bart, slackenlng his
pace triHe, in order that he might have an
opportunity of warning the boys before they
were SO near that the prospectors could over
hear him. "Most likely these men know VINO
we are, and they'll be apt to watch us Know
ing that we wouldn't have let such rich dig.
gings at Promise Guch, unless we'd known Oh
something better"
"Then why not keep on further down the
valley?" asked Kirk.
"That would look queer. 1t is time for us
to camp for the night, and why shouldn't
we stop where we've got company! No, we
must halt here. and the first thing In the
morning we will start out as if we were IN
the worst kind of a hurry to get down the
valley"
By this time the little party were so near
the strangers that further conversation would
have been unwise, and Bart hailed the men
as if he was delighted beyond measure to
have met them, and, followed close by hlrk
and Dory, walked directly up TO Where Vhe
prospectors were sitting.
Even then it was impossible to say whether
the earth had been disturbed since the day Oh
which Kirk had found the nuggets, for the
men had their tent equipage scattered over
SO much ground that both of the boys were
certain they were trying to hide something.
"Hello, pard!" cried one of the men, rec
ognizing Bart and his companions at once,
chow comes it that you're down this way,
when you've got a bonanza up at Promise
Gulch?'
eve sold that, or at least we let it out, and
we thought we'd see what there was down
this way" said Bart, as he began to unload
the burros.
(Which way are you going, or is that
secretw
And as the eldest of the men asked the
question, both began to help the newcomers
unload and set up their tent.
1--WE are going down toward the Huerfano
Pass. 1 heard more than a year ago that
blossom rock had been found there"
"Come to think of it, l heard myself that
some decentlooking ore had been brought
from there about the time strike was made
at the Cliff. But how did you, tumble on to
such a lucky find up, yonder!
color there; but I never thought enough Of
it afterward to fret over it much. When
brought the boys out hunting, l concluded
we might as well see how it would pan out,
SO we put in the suice-boxes and opened it
up.
Then Bart told what they had done. in the
ravine, dwelling at great length on the fact
that they could get water there so easily, and
comparing the facilities for mining with those
in that portion of the valley toward which
they were supposed to be travelling.
During this conversation, the tent had been
set up; the burros turned out to feed with
the bronchos belonging to the prospectors,
and supper had been cooked.
The men accepted the invitation to "turn
to on the grub,6 and the evening passed in
such an apparently pleasant fashion that a
stranger would have been surprised to know
that at least three of the party were in an
agony of apprehension regarding what the 9th
'Wen start by SUNRISE" Bart said, in an
ordinary tone of voice, just before he went
to sleep.
And Kirk felt as if his mine was already
in possession of others.
As matter of course, he could have staked
out claim, and have held possession of it;
but by doing SO, the Others would have also
staked out their claims, and the result might
have been such a division of property as
would have rendered each share impracticable
to work unless by actual ownership.
This course could be pursued when it was
certain that the men had discovered the
secret, and Bart was prepared for such plan
in case of an emergency; but, first, however
he proposed to take some risks in order to
gain possession of the whole.
Next morning, before sunrise, the boys and
the guide were getting ready for departure
while the prospectors moved about as if try
ing to find an excuse for delay.
"Shall we go when they seem determined tc
stay?" Kirk whispered. to Bart when they
went out to catch the burros
eyes; for we are not sure yet that they