Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1914-12-04
CHAPTER III.
The Fifth Mans Story.

The day following the night on
which babe goodby to you boys--flve
years ago-l started for Butte, Mont.
There | was employed by one of the
big mining companies In my capacity
as mining engineer And there
worked for three years and found
some happiness In the thought that |.
John Gaunt. was respected in that
great mining camp as an engineer OF
high professional talents. But felt
that the money they paid me was not
sufficient. and | began to make plans
for lettering myself financially.
Just then old friends Of mine from
New York hit Butte One was Josh
Clarke. u prospector who had never
made big strike and was always
more or less On his uppere The
second man was Bill Adler. much
more successful prospector
why. hanged II 1t amt John
Gaunt!" Adler exclaimed, upon meet.
Ing me at the entrance to one Of the
copper mines.
Glad to see you, boys" | said.
Where from and where bound?"
I'm just up from Central America, !"
Adler replied Say. Gaunt, there's
gold down there--heaps Of 1t for the
picking. I'm looking for a man with
little more capital than | possess
to 60 in with me and make prospect
ing trip down therein Honduras"
Tell you what" put in the irrepres.
sible Josh Clarke. you two fellows
put up the money and pay my fare
down there-and I'll go with you.
Three's safer company than two in
that country where the natives will
kill you for your hat-you bet"
The result of this encounter with
my old friends was that invited them
over to my rooms and there, at last, l
agreed to hazard what little money
had on the proposed prospecting trip
in Central America.
"l'll pilot this crowd right back to
the place where | left off, unless we
learn OF better place" Adler said.
1T was away In the mountains in the
lnteror-far from white men. had
spotted gold there, but hadn't any
money to get machinery in and work
the claim
The result of all this was that | re-
signed my good position as mining en-
gineer in Butte, went to New York
with my two friends and there EN-.
parked on tramp ship bound for
Honduras.
We QUILTED at the little coast town
where the vessel put US off--and start
ed for the interior. After weeks Of
hardship and privation we arrived at
little settlement of grass huts where
all the inhabitants were blacks--the
settlement in which Adler had made
his headquarters on his former visit
TO the ccdntry.
These blacks spoke Spanish One
day while we we're gathering equip
ment fer the dash into the mountains
happened to overhear one of the
blacks talking to a group of his fell
lows Said this black:
"El Toro was here today and bought
provisions. Strange thing about El
Toro. He always pays In gold. Where
does he get that gold?"
This talk of gold alone would have
aroused my deepest interest, consid'
ering that had everything at stake
on finding gold on this trip, But the
black talked of Ell Toro'-a bull-and
told how FL Toro had bought provi.
sions. How could bull buy provi-
sionS? | accosted the blacks and the
one who had been telling of El Toro
answered my questions about the bull
thus:
''El Toro, SENIOR" he said. rs mad.
man. He came here as an explorer
years ago He took black man with
him into the interior on scientific ex.
petition in search of rare specimens
of our animal and flower life. In the
1 Jungle this scientist went mad, So
did his black man, whom he calls
| Chacha. The result was, senior, that the
white scientist and the black man both
remained In the jungle. They bull
husband there they still live to thi:
day. We leave them alone, because
they attack any man who approache:
their huts-attack with spears Zero
ciously and murderously. So we sta!
away. The thing that amazes us, how
ever, is--where does Ell Toro get thu
gold, OF which he always has
plenty--to pay for his supplies"
In consequence Of this information
my two friends and held council
OF war. If that mailman had plenty o
gold it was because he was getting tn,
gold out Of the mountain on which b
was camping, We should Investigate