The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-12
The RugSed
ProSpectOrS.

| Copyright 1908. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
This Is a true story. 1t happened In
1886.
There's no way, Becker, for us to
keep soul and 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 we'll
starve to death"
"lt won't be long. This is the early
part Of January. The spring II be
along I'm a couple Of months. and we
can go to prospecting again.
prospecting? How many years
have been digging holes in the
ground for nothing. 1 tell you, Trim
mer, I'm through with prospecting,
and as soon as can get a regular job
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 Calayeras
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 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,
dispirlting place In which to live, for
it was perpetual reminder Of an
others failure. But they were not hunt
ing for geld In this region; they were
keeping themselves alive.
| Every morning as soon as It 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-
sentlng days of hard labor. Meanwhile
a 'snowstorm came down on them aud
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 n flre.
We've got such n 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 1t, and 1t
was soon roaring and cracking, send
ing out pleasant heat. 1t melted the
snow beneath 1t and left an area of
hot ground.
Here's a good chance for roast"
said Becker I'm going to make an
oven I'm this hot earth, and wen cook
our deer meat"
"A good idea," replied Trimmer eve
haven't any currant Jelly, but the
haunch will taste pretty good without
| It,"
SO Becker began to dig hole for the
baking. At the depth OF two feet he
struck bed Of rock
"Good!' he exclaimed. It's 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 1t In the hole when Becker stop
ped him.
Hold on till chip off piece OF the
stone to see what It's like" he said.
81 thought you were through with
PloSPecuhBt ITllnlher Teunhrkeu Shtlr-
lcally.
80 am. This isn't prospecting;
It's only yielding to habit. Any man
who has been hunting In the earth as
long as we have win want to see
everything he takes out"
He broke of bit of hs' re9 bed
the venlson was placed in . hole and
| pnvarad ovar and tho fxtyn MOI, Itat.,,s,,
to the welcome sound OF its sizzling
Becker took the piece Of rock into his
cabin, where he lighted n candle, ,fof
1t was now dark and the brush had
burned to clnders. Trimmer was ovJr
the oven bastlng the venison when ia,
heard his partner call. ff
Come here. Trim" t
Trimmer went to the cabin whdre
Becker was holding the chipping of
rock to the candle.
what do you think OF thatT asked
Becker, his eyes standing out OF his
head as big as butter plates
"What do | think of III Why, great
Scott, man; it's live rockg
That's what 1t is" replied Becker
nothing more nor less-that IS i'll
know live rock when I SEQ IT. ana !
think do"
Shake" shouted Trimmer We've
struck II, and struck It big"
II was supper Of another kln0lfro
roasted venison that the partners, par
took of-a probable realization or their
vanished Wild dreams. The moat, was
sAvOry but their minds were not an N
They were laying plans. Experiencel
had taught them what 10 do. They
would keep their secret. They wo1id
pre.empt their claim they wou5d
learn the dip angle and tie length and
breadth OF "their newt llscovered
ledge - f
Spring came, ana thqpartners were
still ostenslbly cutting wood. while
they We're really gathering informa,
lion. One day BeckeFwent down into
tue valley. apneared 4 an ASSAY oeico.