The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-14

ACot4
There's no way, Becker. for us to
keep soul and body together till spring
except to 20 into the mountains and cut
wood
~Anl freeze our fingers and our
noses and cur feet We may as well
starYe to dcath.n
"It won't be long, This is the early
part of January. The spring II be
along in a couple Of months. and we
can go tc prospecting again.
Prospecting? How many years
have ! been digging holes in the
ground for nothing. tell you, Trim
mcr, I'm through with prospecting,
and as soon as l can get regular job
I'm going to take It."
But you can't get a Job just now,
and we've nothing to cat. Come, cheer
up It's always darkest before day"
The two ragged, discouraged men
climbed the mountains OF Calaveras
county, Cal. There was n chance Of
their making some thirty or forty dol
lars a month, on which they could
easily live and buy some clothes, but
it was a sad come-down from the
roseate dreams with which they had
begun to hunt for fortune They
found an old abandoned miners cabin,
in which they made their home, u
dispiriting place in which to live. for
IL was a perpetual reminder OF an
others failure. But they were not hunt
ing for gold in this region they were
keeping themselves alive.
Every morning as soon as 1t was
light the sound of their axes rang In
the wood and continued till the early
winter twilight came on Cord after
cord was stacked up. each cord repre-
senting days of hard labor. Meanwhile
a snowstorm came down on them and
covered the ground to a depth of two
feet. The prediction as to frozen
members was nos verified. for there
was plenty OF wood to keep up Gre
We've got such pile OF brush here
from chopped of branches" said Trim
mer to his partner one afternoon, that
we'd better get rid of it,"
So they touched flame TO Il. and it
was soon roaring and cracking. send
ing out a pleasant heat. 1t melted the
snow beneath It and left an area Of
hot ground.
Here's a good chance for a roast"
said Becker I'm going to make an
oven in this hot earth, and wen cook
our deer meat"
"a good idea " replied Trimmer. Sve
haven't any eurrant jelly, but the
haunch will taste pretty good without
It,"
So Becker began to dig n hole for the
baking. at the depth Of two feet he
struck a bed OF rock.
Good" he exclaimed. "Its hot stone
and viii keep its heat Give me the
meat"
The venison was brought IN 2 bak
ing pan. and Trimmer was about to
place It I'm the hole when Becker stop
ped him
Hold on till l chip of piece Of the
stone to see what It's like" he said.
IT thought you were through with
prospecting" Trimmer remarked satir.
ically.
80 ] am. This isn't prospecting;
it's only yielding to a habit Any man
who has been hunting in the earth as
long as we have will want to see
everything he takes out"
He broke OF q bit OF his oven bed.
the venison was placed in the hole and
covered over. and the two men listened
to the welcome sound OF its sizzling
Becker took the piece of rock into his
cabin. where he lighted a candle, for
II was now dark and the brush had
burned TO cinders. Trimmer was over
the oven basting the venlson when he
beard his partner call.
Come here. Trim"
Trimmer went to the cabin where
Becker was holding the chipping OF
rock TO the candle.
what do you think of that?" asked
Becker. his eyes standing out Of his
head MS big as butter plates.
What do think OF It! Why, great
Scott. man; it's live rockg'
That's what It Is" replied Becker;
nothing more nor tss-that is, IL !
know live rock when see It, and !
think l DO.
"Shaker' shouted Trimmer. We've
struck It. ana struck It big"
It was a supper OF another kind from
roasted venison that the partners par.
took ora probable realization OF their
vanished Wild dreams. The meat was
sayory, but their minds were not on II
They were laying plans. Experience
had taught them what to do. They
would keep their secret They would
prsempt their claim. They would
learn the dip angle and the length and
breadth OF their newly discovered
ledge.
Spring came. and the partners were
stlib ostensibly cutting wood, while
they were really gathering inf1sma
tioR One Gay Becker went down into
the valley. appeared at an assay ONCE
AaIEied I'm the chip of rock he had bro
zen from the sooF OF his improyised
Owes and left X 20 haze Il assayed We
wsns back to the assayers the mex
day. cot ais Gepogt as6 startes up tAs
0aorntein Trimmer saw him coming
but 90 cautious were the men Ia guard
Saei Rhelr secret tha9 ne withheld Hb
nufHv tiil hnfh Rfara On fhB pahfu and