Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-04-01
On Good Luck
Trail
Good Luck In More
Ways Then One
BY cLARISSA MAcKIE

down the narrow trail over which he
had been trudging with tired. blistered
feet.
81 don't know why they call this
| Good Luck trall," he muttered, "un
less It Is because you're having good
luck If you get back alive. CAM
think Of any other reason"
He wiped the perspiration from his
heated face, settled the pack on bis
bent back and resumed the steady
upward climb into the heart Of the
Sierras. Somewhere far above him
concealed in a little gully mapped Out
on q rough piece Of paper he carried
next his heart, was hidden treasure
of gold dust Lem Harrison's Uncle
Peter had been forty-niner and
among the first to reach the California
goldfields. He had written letters
home of a wonderful fortune he had
amassed and told in detail how the
precious dust was contained in stout
tin boxes and the whole hoard cached
In this gully until his search for riches
was ended. Then he would gather w
all his treasure and take 1t down to
San Francisco.
Months after that had come news OF
his death In San Francisco. almost
penuiless. His widow, who went west
to bring back his remains, could OBJ
tain no news of the fortune he had
written about and the only clew to
which was small, rough map found
among his clothing. This she gave tr
Lem Harrison's father, who In turn
bequeathed it to his son as curiosity
But Lem possessed the same spirit
of adventure that had prompted his
Uncle rcter to fare forth In search OF
fortune. and after the death OF bis
parents he. too, had turned his face to
the golden west, and tucked inside his
pocket was the map made by his Un
Gle Peter sixty years before. For sew
eral years Lem led a varied life on the
plains.
He had been cattieman and pros
hector and trackwalker for the rail
road, but the lure Of gold drew him
ever farther westward until his feet
had crossed the line into California
and he had at last set forth on deh'
mite expedition in search Of the gold
dust concealed by his uncle.
"If he took 1t down to Frisco with
him why did he make the map" ne
argued with himself at night when he
made his lonely camp. Seems as II
he might have found more gold after
he hid that first lot and so he left II
there and took the second lot down to
the city and blew 1t In. ! don't like to
think that have been deceiving my
self all these years and that when
get to Good Luck gulch I'm going tc
he disappointed. Who knows but
somebody else has found 1t years
back? Pshaw! won't think any
thing more about 1t till get there"
Lem Harrison beguiled his lionel!
way with occasional monologues Al
he mounted higher into the rare uppel
air Of the mountains ne felt a great ex
hilaration. In the distance were snow
capped peaks, and about him Their
were young pines that glistened IN TN
sunlight. He shifted the fresh air ant
whistled cheerily.
According to his map he had another
mile to travel before he would reacf
the entrance to the gulch that was hi
goal. He had crossed and recrossed
crooked stream that latticed the trai
with little runlets, and he recognized
It us the stream described by his uncle
and from whose waters had been wash
ed the precious gold. In Good Luci
gulch this stream had it's creates
breadth.
Three-quarters of a mile farther anf
Just Us the sun was setting he knew
that he was nearing his goal. Th'
mines had thinned out, and he hat
reached an eIninence where he coult
look back over the trail and see 1t drop
ping like sad cOlored string down thu
mountain side.
IF don't find It." he muttered grim
ly, "Tll give this trail new name. II
won't sound like good luck and It'll
smell mighty sulphurous"
He wouldn't go on any farther tina
night. He made camp then and there
so that he might look upon the gulcl
by the early sunlight. The sun hat
dropped beyond the distant peaks, ant
there came the refreshing coolness O.
California night.
A red bar Of light across his eye
awoke him to new day-the day o.
his life. This arrival at Good Lucl
| gulch was the elimination OF his ia
theirs dreams and his own boyisl
hopes. Now he was thirty-three ant
| the treasure might lie still uncovered.
Breakfast was a brief meal. and, Wit
his pack neatly rolled, once more he rs
sumed his journey, silent, tense VIII
suppressed excitement. The pines dis
appeared to give way to wind blow
cottonwoods and ragged rocks, am
then the trail dipped down toward tn
west. He had passed over the summit
and now the trail led down. he hat
lost track Of the stream Of water. h
was OF the right trail. Where had b
missed It?
A half hour later he found 1t agail
and saw that the stream wound aroun'
the mountain from the west side, ant
It was there that he must look TO
Good Luck gulch. The air was softe
and clearer Nere, with q mellownes
that It had lacked on the more rug8et
eastern slope.
Then NIL mt once he came upon TN
pulch. 1t must be the gulch. for tn
stream danced forth from 1t with gilt
tering points of flame, as II each on
had been touched by fairy gold
Through narrow deflle. with scarcel,
n foot's breadth OH either side Of tn
stream. and then he stood In a pocke
2f the mountain-a pocket that race
westward and south and was gree
ind nourishing with soft. velvety tur1
and standing in the midst of 1t was
substantial log house with broa
veranda, on which were comfortabl
chairs.
A COW was pasturing near BY, an
, coming across the turf was youn
girl of about twenty. In one hand sh
swung u shining milk pail, and as sh
came she sang In rich soprano voic'
Lem Harrison watched her. spell
: horpd convinced that once more b