The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1908-09-18
THE FINDING OF THE FLEDCELINC
BY SHANNON BIRCH
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz

The camp-fres were dying at inter |
walls along the trail that led up the |
eastern slope Of the mountains, to the |
pass that hid the restless prospectors
from the new-found wealth OF Nugget
on. lying in the gulches at the foot OF
the western slope Of the mountains
where rose the headwaters Of the
Fever river.
i The wagons. composing the largest
camp on the trail, had one by one been
driven forward from their camping
ground on their journey up the noun
tain side, except one, whose owner,
without hesitation, took the trail down
the mountain. As no camp rule had
been broken. he was permitted to
move on down the mountain side, and
arrived In the middle Of the day at the
last camping place next to the one
where he had separated from the
train. Arriving at this point the trav-
,eler unhitched his team, with the evi-
dent design Of remaining in his loca-
tion for some length of time.
Thomas Wickersham had long been
q citizen of Grass Valley, in the new
country Of Kansas, before he began to
depart from his customary habits of
slumber and dream, time after time,
that he was engaged In Telling giant
tree whose decayed interior was the
receptacle OF an immense hoard of vir-
gin gold. Beyond the fact that his
dream occurred with great persisten-
cy. Thomas Wickersham was unable
to 60 In explanation Of this phenom-
snon. His mind had not dwelt on the
possession of gold above his neighbors.
What surprised him greatly was the
Photographic likeness Of one dream to
another-always the same surround
tngs. the same landscape, the same
mountains, the same ravine, with the
same great tree leaning above 1t, him
self sinking his ak deep into the fibers
OF the tree, its fall. and the pebbly
gold that ran from the hollow and
spread In a mighty heap upon the
ground-ecstatic possession of illimit-
able wealth, that vanished with the
Punishment Of sleep.
AuAS uoNlu6, tucu HAVING,
wore on Thomas Wickersham. whose
attention. no doubt, was the more
deeply engaged in a coincidental mat
ter because Of it. This matter was the
sudden discovery Of gold fields Of un-
usual richness at Aladdin creek, one Of
the head-waters Of Fever river, west.
beyond the mountains.
Thov,oo Uytnhar,bor,p o.rtSa,ou,
dream must have aroused In him an
adventurous spirit, for he was pos
sessed at once with determination to
try his fortunes In the gold fields, and
the expiration Of few short weeks
saw him rolling westward In company
with other emigrants, In train OF can
vas-covered wagons. bound to the e.
dorado of Aladdin creek.
1t was Thomas Wickersham who re-
turned to the abandoned camp, be-
cause 1t was the place Of his dream,
every feature coinciding with its de-
tail. The discovery had been unex-
pected. Chosen to ride ahead to locate
the place selected for the camping
ground for the night. Wickersham had
suddenly found himself face to face
with place as familiar to him as the
Country lying around Grass Valley.
During the night he determined to
move with the train a days journey
up the mountains. beyond the fear of
inQuisitive companions, and then re-
turn TO probe the mystery.
The day on which he arrived back,
and more than half the following
day. we're spent In preparing for ef-
fective investigation. First the great
tree was to he felled, and II no show
er of gold came Of that. then some.
thing else might be done. Having Sc