Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-03-01
On Good Luck
Good Luck In More
Ways Then One
BY cLARISSA MACkIE
BY cLARIssA MAcKIE


less i Is because you're having good
luck II YOU get back alive. can't
think Of any other reason.
lie wiped the pcrspiration from his
heated face settled the pack on his
bent back and resumed the steady.
upward climb into the heart Of the
Sierras. Somewhere fur above him.
concealed IN little gully mapped ont
on rough piece Of paper he carried
next his heart. was II hidden treasure
OF gold dust Lem Harrisons Uncle
Peter had been fortynincr and
among the first To reach the California
goldnelds lie had written letters
home Of wonderful fortune he had
amnssed aud told in detail how the
precious dust was contained IN stout
tin boxes aud the whole hoard cached
I'm this gully until his search for riches
was ended Then he would gather up
all his treasure and take II down To
San Francisco.
Months after that had come news OF
his death In san Francisco. almost
penniless His widow. who went west
To bring back his remains. could oh
tain no news Of the fortune he had
written about and the only clew 70
which was u small rough map found
among his clothing This she gave to
Lem Harrison's father. who In turn
hequeathed IL to his son as n curiosity
But Lem possessed the same spirit
~ adventure that had prompted his
Uncle Peter 10 fare forth ia search of
fortune. and after the death Of hi>
parents he too had turned his face 10
the golden west. and tucked inside his
pocket wns the map made hv his I'm
Gle Peter sixty vears before. For sey-
eral wears Lem led a varied life on the
plains.
He Ind h"cn eatil"man and pros
rector and frackwaiser for the rail
road. Int the lure of gold drew him
ever farther westward until his feet
had crossed the line into California.
and he had NJ last set forth on def
mite expedition in search Of the gold
dust concealed 10y his uncle
,lf he took il down 20 Frisco with
him why did he make the map" he
argued with himself nj night when he
made his lonely camp. Seems rs u
ne might have found more gold after
he hid that first lot and So he left II
there and took the second lot down 10
the city and blew It In don't like TO
think that have been dcceiving my
self M these years and that when
got 10 Good Luck gulch I'm going 10
be disappointed Who knows IN,
somebody else has found il years
back: rshaw' won't think any
thing more about II till get there"
Lem Harrison heguiled his lonely
way with occasional monoloeues, A.
he mounted higher into the rare upper
air of the mountains he felt great ex.
hilaration In The distance were snow
capped peaks. and about him there
were young pines that glistened in The
sunlight lie suited the fresh air and
whiStled eheerily
According IA his map he had another
mile 20 iraye! before h. would reach
the entrance 10 the euich hat was his
goal He had srossed and recrossed "A
crooked stream that iatiiced the trail
with little runietS. and he recognized
IL ms the stream described by his uncle
and from whose waters hail been wash
ed the precious gold In Good Iucl,
cnlch this stream had lis greatest
breadth
Three-quarier~ ~ mile farther aud
Just as the sun WAS setting h. knew
that he was nearing his goal. The
pines had thiuned ont. and he had
reached an euinence where he could
look back over tile trail and see II drop
ping like q sad colored string down the
mountain side.
III don't mud H. lac nuttered grim
~. 'Ill give this trail a new name. II
won't sound like good luck and it'l
smell mighty sulphurous"
He wouldn't 70 on any farther thai
night. He made camp then and there
80 that he might look upon the gulch
by the early sunlight The sun had
dropped beyond the distant peaks, AMI
there came the refreshing GOODNESS oi
a California night
A red bar Of light across his eye-
awoke him to II new day-ihe day Of
his life THIS arrival NJ Good Lnrk
gulch wns the elimination ~ his a.
theirs dreams and his own boyist
hopes Now he was thirly-thrce and
the treasure might he still uncovered.
Breakfast was brief meal. and. with
his pack neatly rolled. once more be re-
sumed his journey, silent. tense with
suppressed excitement. The pines dis
appeared "a give way 10 wind blown
cottomwood= and ragged rocks ana
then the trail dipped down toward ih'
west lie had passed over the summit
and now the trail led down lie hai
lost track ~ the stream ~ waief lie
was on tile right trail Where bad %.
missed g.:
i..Ig t.t.r fat.t IA. fouut In a.rtf