Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-07

was no longer there to work with them, and
that all apprehension as to their security
was allayed. Frenchy, Jim, and the Others
appeared to have forgotten every hour up
to the present one, and worked and laughed
and TESTED as they drove the long trench
that was to locate the runs of pay dirt. The
bedrock was stripped for long distance,
and now came the persistent work of pan
ming. Jim, Hardpan, and Hank were all
STOPPING over the waters edge laboriously
washing out the samples, when Eve and
the engineer hailed them.
For some reason she was not the first to
Shout, and her voice and words had lost their
wonted freedom. Instead she spoke gravely,
following Jack S query as to the showing
Il hope it proves rich," she said, and
Hardpan, looking up, grinned half seriously
and half resignedly, and answered:
mo, it amt provin' exactly rich. In fact,
she's runnin leaner than we'd ever believed
she could
But it may get better?" she asked.
Better? Oh, yes!"
He dipped the pan he had been working
into the water. rinsed it clean. and tossed it
back by his side, then Strengthened up. He
looked across at Jim, who was carefully
working down a sample from distant end
Of the trench, and then leaned toward her
and ran his fingers through his beard.
"The fact of the matter is he said slowly
and in quiet voice, "that it amt and can't
be what we thought it was, Miss Eve. The
paw amt well defined. She's spotted, as
sure as there's Lord in Heaven
The girls face expressed intense disap-
pointment "Yet there is still chance of
its being rich?" she asked.
"In spots, Miss Eve, in spots. But don't
say nothin' to Jimmy, please He took off
his hat and rubbed his forehead contempla-
- l.. Il Ia
this ground maxim good. It'll break him
all up, l suspect, when he knows she amt
very liable to do more at the best, than pay
back the money we've sunk in it. He's
young, and it hurts worse when we're young,
somehow, than it does when we're old.
young Teller amt been through it SO often.
He's what they call sanguine about every
thing he undertakes. | don't want it to
come to Jimmy all OF sudden, Miss Eve.
I'm lyin to him every once in awhile, and
saltin' pan now and then SO it'll come to
him easy like that we've bet our money
on lame pony. That's the truth
THEY were quite distance from the
others, and she looked across at them,-
at the splendid young giant bending his back
and swinging his bare arms as he PANIED.
the contour of his sturdy muscles showing
beneath his blue shirt, his body poised easily
on his narrow hips; at Frenchy, the wlry
little man, deadly as death itself, fearless,
valiant, faithful, squatted out beyond,
frowning at the tail prospect as he held his
battered old pan up where the light might
catch the last stray CLINT Of yellow; at the
taciturn Hank, who had dropped back into
a trench and was steadily extending it; and
at his fellow miner, to whom she had never
spoken, who was rolling boulder out of the
way. "The blue shirted men, she had once
called them in jest Now they assumed the
appearance of honest toll unrequited, mere
pygmies there in the heart of great wilder
ness, dwellers in the midst of peaks and
clouds, battling hopeless fight against the
idiosyncrasies of Nature and tickle Fortune
She became aware that the old prospector
was watching her. She looked for an instant
deep into his honest, patient eyes. Some
light seemed to have gone from them, some
hope had been extinguished.
But your she asked What of you?"
"Me:" he smiled almost sadly. ooh. it
don't matter about me, Miss. I'm only an
old, old man. Good for nothin', nohow
Quite used up. l can go on prospectin';
keep on trampin' the hills until the good
Lord says. Hardpan, the time has come for
you to rest Then it will be easy to do it.
But Jimmy! It's different with him. Oh,
Young Miss Eve | wished YOU knoWed him