Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-13
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
For two years Bob Melville worked,
slmost without rest, in his mine on
,be slopes Of the Rocky Mountains.
little bv little he took from the earth
rs Greatest treasure, the gold that
mon have fought and bled for since
The dawn of time. Men told him he
MAS working worthless claim, but
Bob had faith in his judgment and
was confident that time would prove
his belief that somewhere in his mine
was vein of pure virgin gold. Fl
rallv the day came when he stood
side by side with Jose, the one man
who had been faithful through the
No years struggle, and gazed down
mon the vein of precious metal that
zigzsgged along the walls of the
shaft
The next morning. with a bag Of
g5N about his neck and his pockets
filed with samples of ore taken from
his mine. Bob left the mine and start
ed East to interest capitalists and Sc
i cure the necca sary machinery for the
Development of his property. The
cold was there in unlimited quanti-
ties. and q hurried assay of the ore
had proved that the claim, If prop
ery developed and worked, would pay
i enormous dividends. His troubles
We're over; the work of the past two
years was finished; the long, silent
nights when he felt that all his eff
forts had been for naught, would
never come again. He was rich!
Employees in Plot.
loco al In RharOp 0f the
mine became anxious for the safety
. Of his master The Mexican laborers,
led by Sanchez PeZaZzo, a swarthy
luTau with a price upon his head.
had been restless since Bob left early
IN the morning. Sanchez had seen
with cleaning eyes the bag of gold
that hung from Bob's neck, and, with
apparent soliCitude for Bob's well
fare, had asked the young mine own
eF many questions about the route
over which he was going to travel.
Half an hour after the mail coach
with Bob aboard had left the mine,
Sanchez sauntered carelessly down a
rav.ne followed by the half dozen
Mexican laborers who had been work.
Ing about the mine. Jose, fearing a
plan TO rob Bob of his mine, fol-
and nearer to the gang of bandits
Who crouched behind rock, and
from the shelter of bowlder Jose
overheard the details of plot TO
oyertake the mail coach, stop it and
ROB Bob OF the bag Of gold and the
rich samples of ore.
Jose erept silently from the hiding
place of the gang and hurried back
TO the camp. He hardly knew what
10 do Alone, he was powerless to
heep the gang from carrying out their
purpose; there seemed no way that
ne could save his master, Then he
recalled a short cut through the
mountains to the road along which
me mail coach with Bob aboard must
pass a fast runner might make ur
me half hours start and stop the
coach before the bandits could ar
range the details of their plan.
Tells Master of Plot.
determined to thwart the villain
Gus Sanchez and his band Of cut
I.hroats, Jose, poor and ignorant, but
loyal to the core, slipped from the
camp and started at top speed
through the mountains. After wha'
seemed a century, he staggered Out
~ me ROAD on the plateau, just as
.He mail coach came around the
ipend In the road. Gasping for breath
MS strength almost exhausted, he
stopped the coach and told Bob what
mad happened
The road where Jose stopped the
sage and warned Bob that Sanchez S
Oand was afoot after his gold swung
over a high promontory. The road
was the only entrance the only exit
20 me plateau, save by scramblins
PAINS down a steep declivity ovel
uWrush and raw rock to the level of the
pain below.
Jose and Bob 1--WE put Jose first be-
ttuse he was guide and master now
,ooN the risk of the descent. They
'aa barely a three minute start OF