The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1912-05-24

muitcrcd In an awcstricken voice, ~
he swung his pick into the yielding
surface
Sometimes he started small slides
" earth that covered up his work aud
compelled him to dig again. once
he was swept hfty feet down the can.
Non side but he noundorcd and scram.
BLEED up again without pauslng Tor
breath lie hit upon quartz that was
so rotten that II was almost like clay.
and here the gold was richer than
over II was vcrltablc treasure
chamber For q hundred feet up and
down h. traced the walls Of the vein.
lie even climbed over the canyon lip
TO look along the brow Of the hill for
signs Of the outcrop. But that could
wait, and he hurried back 10 his find.
lie toilod on IN the same mad haste.
until exhaustion and an lntolcrable
ache In his back compelled him to
pause lie Strengthened up with even
q richer piece of gold laden quartz,
stopping the sweat from his forehead
had fallen 10 the ground II now ran
into his eyes. binding him lie wiped
II from him with the back Of his hand
and returned to scrutiny Of the gold
II would run thirty thousand to the
ton. fifty thousand. anything he knew
that And as he gazed upon the vel.
low lure. and painted for air. and
wiped the sweat away. his quick vision
lcaped and set to work lie saw the
spur.track that must run up from the
valley and across the upland pastures,
and he ran the grades and built the
bridge that would span the canyon.
until II was real before his eyes
Across the canyon was the place for
the mill. and there he erected II; and
he erected. also. tho endless chain Of
buckets. suspended from n cable and
operated by gravity. that would cross
the canyon TO the duartzcrusher.
Likewise. tho whole mine grew before
him and beneath hlm-tunnels. shafts.
and galleries. and hois,ing plants. The
blasts OF the miners were In his ears,
and from across tho canyon he could
hear tho roar Of the stamps The
hand that held the lump OF quartz
was trembling. and there was n tired.
nervous palpitatlon apparently In the
pit Of his stomach II came 10 him
abruptly that what he wanted was
n drink-whisky. cocktails. anything. q
drink. And even then. with this new
hot yearnlng for the alcohol upon
him. he heard faint and far. drifting
down the green abyss Of the canyon
Dedes voice. crying
Here. chick. chick. chick. chick.
chick! Here, chick. chick, chickl"
lie was astounded at the lapse Of
time. She had left her sewing on the
porch and was feeding the chickens
preparatory TO getting supper The
afternoon was gone lie could not
conceive that he had been away that
long
Again came tho call: Here. chick.
chick. chick. chick. chick! Here. chick,
chick. chick"
II was the way she always called
first Ave. and then three lie had long
since noticed H. And from these
thoughts Of her arose other thoughts
that caused great fear slowly
TO grow In his face For II
seemed 10 him that he had almost lost
her Not once had he thought Of her
In those frcnzied hours and for that
much. AZ least, had she truly been lost
to him lie dropped the piece of
quartz. slid down the slide. and start
ed up the trail. running heavily A.
the edge Of the clearing ho eased
down and almost crept TO a point Of
vantage whence he could peer out,
himself unseen She was feeding the
chickens, tossing 10 them handfuls OF
grain and laughing NJ their antics
The sight Of her seemed to relieve
the panic fear into which he had been
flung, and he turned and ran back
down the trail Again he climbed the
slide but this time he climbed higher.
carrying the pick and shovel with
him And again he toiled frenziedly.
but this time with a different purpose
lie worked artfully, loosing slide after
slide Of the red soil and sending II
streaming down and covering mp all
he had uncovered hiding from the
light Of day the treasure he had dis.
covered he even went into the woods
and scooped armiuls Of last years
fallen leaves which he scattered over
the slide. liut this he gave up rs
vain task, and he sent more slides Of
soil down upon the scene Of his tabor.
until no sign remained Of the OUT nut.
ting walls Of the vein Next no re.
paired the broken pipe. gathered his
tools together, and started M the
trail lie walked slowly. feeling a
great weariness as OF man who hl'
passed through trightful cri Us uo
put the tools away took .rl H...E
Of the water that aga'0 '..n1 IN .lrh
the pipes and So 20 IN the bench
by the open .or ped. Wa
aside prcpa Oh r'pr.r. and The
FOUND ~ "r footsteps CAV. him a
E.7t
He L., tho 1almy mountain air
In great gulps. like diver fresh.risen
from the sea, And. as he drank In
the air, he gazed with all his eyes at
the clouds and sky and valley. as II