Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-08
The Furnace of Gold
Continued from Page 10

opened I'd in his labors the ledge. They
were mere vawnlng mockeres of mining. but
az least had served a charlatans requirements.
a few tools lay about abomlnably neglected.
The location was rather attractive. on the
whole. The clear stream of water had coaxed
few quaking aspens and alders into being,
among the Stunted evergreens. Grass lay
greenly along the bank, charming relief to the
eve The sandy soil was almost level in the mar
row cove. which was snugly surrounded by
hills except at the lower extremity, where the
brook tumbled down wide ravine.
Van on his horse. gazed over toward the
Indian reservation idly. How vain, in all like
lihood. were the wonderful tales of gold lying
within its prohibited borders! What a mad
ness was brewing in the camps all around as the
day for the reservation opening rapidly APP
preached How they would swarm across its
hills and valleys. those gold seeking men! What
a scramble it would be! And all for-what!
There were tales in plenty OF men who had
secretly prospected here on this forbidden land
and marked down wonderful treasures. Van
looked at his sated possessions. What chance
for an orgy OF sailing the reservation claims
would afford
WITH his pony finally secured to a tree near
w at hand. the horseman walked slowly
about y gold pan lay rustlng half filled with
rock and dirt by d bench before the cabin. 1t
was well worth cleaning and taking away. to-
gether with some Of the picks, drills, and ham
mers.
He carried it over to the brook. There he
knelt and washed it out, only to find it far more
rusted than it had first appeared. He scooped
it full of the nearest gravel and secured 1T
roughly with his hands. Three times he re-
peated this process. washing it out in the
creek.
Ready to rise with it. cleaned at last. he
caught up a shallow film of water tirted 1T
about with a rotary motion, to sluice out the
last bit of stubborn dross-then paused to
stare in unbelief at a few bright particles down
at the edge, washed free of all the gravel!
Incredulous and not in the least excited. he
drew small glass from his pocket and held 1T
on the specks. There could be no doubt of
their nature They were gold!
Interested. but doubling the Importance OF
his find Van paved up half painful OF gravel
and dipped the receptacle full of water. Then,
stirring the sand and stuff with his hand, he
banned it carefully.
The result at the end was such string OF
colors as he had never washed in all his wide
experience To make superficial prospect OF
the claim, he proceeded to pan from dozen
different places in the cove, and in every in
stance got an exceptional showing of coarse
yellow gold with which the gravel abounded.
He knelt there motionless at last, beside the
stream. singularly unperturbed despite the I'M
portance Of his find Briggs had slipped up.
absolutely. on the biggest thing in many miles
around BY sailing and selling quartz claim
to man with modest sum of money.
The cove was placer claim rich as mud in
gold. and with everything needed at hand.
Then and there the name of the property was
changed from the See Saw to the Laughing
Water claim.
CHAPTER XII.
Alsy Stirs Up Trouble