The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-02-12
The Rugged
PrOSpectOrs.

There's no way. Becker, for us to
keep soul aud body together till spring
except to go into the mountains and cut
wood"
"And freeze our fingers and our
noses and our feet. We may as well
starve TO death"
"It won't be long. This is the early
part OF January. The spring III be
along In a couple of months. and we
can go TO prospecting again.
"Prospecting1 How many years
have been digging holes In the
ground for nothing. i tell you. Trim
mer, I'm through with prospecting,
and as soon as can get regular jot
I'm going TO take It,"
"But you can't get a Job just now,
and we've nothing to eat Come, cheer
up. It's always darkest before day"
The two ragged. discouraged men
climbed the mountains of Calaveras
county, Cal There was chance of
their making some thirty or forty dol
lars month, on which they could
easily live and buy some clothes, but
II was a sad come-down from the
roseate dreams with which they had
oegun to hunt for a fortune. They
| found an old abandoned miners cabin,
10 which they made their home, a
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 II 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
q snowstorm came down on them and
covered the ground TO depth of two
feet. The prediction as TO frozen
members was not verified. for there
was plenty OF wood to keep up Gre.
We've got such a pile of brush here
from chopped Off branches" said Trim
mer to his partner one afternoon. that
we'd better get rid OF It,"
So they touched flame to II. and II
was soon roaring and cracking. send
ing out a pleasant heat. Ii melted the
snow beneath IL and left al area OF
hot ground.
Here's a good chance for roast"
said Becker. I'm going to make an
oven In this hot earth. and we'll cook
our deer meat"
"a good idea" replied Trimmer. 1--WE
haven't any currant jelly. but. the
haunch viii taste pretty good without
IT,"
So Becker began to dig a hole for the
baking. At the depth Of two feet be
struck a bed Of rock.
"Goodr' he exclaimed. Its hot stone
and will keep its heat Give me the
meat"
The venison was brought In bak-
ing pan, and Trimmer was about to
place IL In the hole when Becker stop
ped him.
Hold on TIL chip OF piece Of the
stone to see what it's like" he said
II thought you were through with
prospecting" Trimmer remarked satir-
ically.
$50 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 sec
everything be takes out"
He broke OF a bit Of his oven bed.
the venison was placed In the hole and
covered over. and the two men listened
10 the welcome sound Of its sizzling
Becker took the piece Of rock into rs
cabin. where be lighted a candle. for
II was now dark and the brush had
burned to cinders. Trimmer was over
the oven basting the venison when he
heard 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. bis eyes standing out Of his
head as big as butter plates.
what do I think of it! Why. great
Scott. man: It's live rockr'
That's what II is" replied Becker:
nothing more nor less-that Is. IL
know live rock when l see II. and I
think I do"
shaker shouted Trimmer. "we've
struck II. and struck It big"
IL was a supper of another kind from
roasted venison that the partners par
took OLA probable realization OF their
vanished wild dreams. The meat was
savory. but their minds were not on H.
They were laying plans. Experience
had taught them what 10 do. They
would keep their secret. They would
pre-empt their claim. They would
learn the dip angle and the length and
breadth OF their newly discovered
ledge.
Spring came. and the partners were
still ostensibly cutting wood. while
they were really gathering informa.
ton. One day Becker went down into
the valley. appeared at an assay office.
handed in the chip OF rock he had bro
ken from the floor OF his improvised
oven and left II to have II assayed. He
went back 10 the assayers the next
Gay, got his report and started up the
mountain Trimmer saw him coming.
but so cautious were the men In guard
Ing their secret that he withheld in-
quiry till both were 10 the cabin and