Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-12-13
Copyright: 1914: By Harold Mac GrathD
 CHAPTER l.
"rke Mystery of the Spotted Collar


 On the side os rugged mountain, g black velvet hole yawned. Rubblc lay strewn all about the ledge. To a layman this rubble would have ex- plained nothing; to a miner it would instantly have explained the nature of the hole Presently a burly man emerged from the hole, squintng He eyed the lump of quartz in his hand. Always a little. but never quite enough gold to make it worth while. It might run ten or twelve the ton. But what capitalist would interest himself in such dribble? The prospector flung the quartz savagely upon the accomplishing rubble and leaned disheartenedly against the log support to the entrance of the mine Every bone in his body ached and every nerve responded. His grub stake was fast dwindling, and in another four days he would have to hike some thirty-two miles to the nearest town for supplies.
 Done! He had paid $500, every one of them earned at the risk of his neck, for this damnable hole in the ground.
 He filled and lit his pipe and fell to struck it rich.
 By and by the dreams faded and the bitter realities returned. He rose lamely and carefully picked his way down to the Irishman's shanty. Tho two of them shared their noon meals on pleasant days.
 "How's she comin'?"
 Same old story" answered Train or, erstwhile strong man of the Eclipse circus.
 Well, well it's peggin' away that brings it. got lump tday that don't look so bad. should s.y that she'll run fifteen tn ton. guess them wild-catters are tn chaps that make tn real widders an clerks an childer."
 Trainor shrugged and muncned his slice of bacon and after hour or so returned to his diggings.
 In Trainor's life there had been but trifling monotonies. He had been a sailor in the South seas, a lumber jack in the north, cowpuncher, q fireman on North Atlantic liner He had come from poor but re- spectacle Ohio family. His father nor his grandfather had ever s,epped over the state boundary lines; but in him there was reversion to the type of pioneer who had established the Trainer family when Ohio was a wilderness. He could not settle down; he must be on the move continually, and when at length he joined the cir GUS he found that roaming uncertain life much to his fancy. There he had met Mimi Keene, known on the hand bills lfor Autographs were far beyond the reach of this circus) as Mimi La France, world renowned tight rope walker. Remarkable as it might seem these two loved each other fordly. and one day the lust to wander died in the mans heart; and he wanted a roof over his head. children about his knee, and money in his purse. When the opportunity to go hunting for gold came, he hesitated not an instant.
 He had been hammering away at the firm unyielding rocks for eight months, making only such trips to town as were necessarysfor food. Per maps the rubble extracted represent ed thousand dollars, perhaps less. He was discouraged.
 One day he staggered out into the brilliant sunshine. A lump of quartz was clutched tightly in his hand. When he grew accustomed to the dag zling light he turned the stone over and over. his heart beating as it had never beiore. There were veins in it broad flakes of it; gold, gold, fold. He stood there several minutes. en- thralled, with tumble of dreams re- volving around in his brain. Then he let out yell that could he heard across the valley. Down the rubble he dashed, risking his neck dozen times.
 Donovan! Donovan!" he cried.
 The old Irish prospector came out of his hole, blinking.
 Eve got it! I've got it,"
 Donovan snatched the quartz from the hand of his friend.
 Holy Virgin. ye've struck it! IT it's all like that, we're a rich man. Man, man, there's hundred dollars in that lump alone,"
 Trainor collapsed on a nile of worthless rubble and laid his head on his arms. He had done it, all in these lew months. He was rich, rich, And all his dreams were going to come true! The Irishman gazed down at him ruefully but philosophically
 An me that's been prospectin, twenty years an ain't hit nv bile yet. Well. God bless ye, man I'm giad ye got it. An now let's go take a look" eo '"Ae
 Like all men who suddenly stnm- Die upon a virgin fortune, Trainor instantly began to plan how to nro .ect II. He had some bank attornevs uiaW up papers leaving the mine to ms Wife, in case of her death to bis child, to her husband. It was snh,lv understood that the brother.inNl.w neens, should never be able to toncb it. These western bank attoruavs rueva were simple and honest men
 But no dream of ours ever heoor,as rounded out; what We realize is hut poor fragment. Before he had inc 10 write to his wife, Trainor ~ wne k1IIad bvy MdS