The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-06-19

stroyed all traces Of his mine, besides
starting an avalanche Of loose shale
that had poured down and filed the
pocket.
Added to this, Aragon and his men
had rooted around in the debris in
search Of the vein, and the story OF
their inefficient work was told by
great piles of loose rock stacked up
beside caved-in trenches and a series
Of timid tunnels driven into the neigh
boring ridges.
Under the circumstances it would
certainly call for a mining engineer
to locate the lost lead, and De Lancey
looked 1t over thoughtfully as he be-
gan to figure on the work to be done.
Undoubtedly there was mine there
and the remains of an old Spanish
smelter down the creek showed that
the ground had once been very rich
but If Kruger had not told him in
advance he would have passed up the
job in minute.
WELL" he said, turning coldly upon
the fawning Mendez, who was all
curves in his desire to please, where
is your prospecto?"
"Aqui, senor!" replied the Mexican,
pointing to the disrupted rock slide.
| Here 1t was that the Americana
Crooka had his mine-rich with gold
much gold!"
He shrilled his voice emphatically,
and De Lancey shrilled his in reply.
"Here?" he exclaimed, gazing
blankly at the hillside, and then he
broke into a laugh. All right, my
friend" he said, giving Bud a face
tious wink; how much do you want
for this prospect"
-Four hundred dollars" answered
Mendez in tone at once hopeful and
apologize. 1T is very rich. Senior
Crooka shipped some ore that was full
Of gold. packed it out for him on
my burros; but, am sorry, ! have
no piece Of it,"
Eyes" responded De Lancey, Il am
sorry, too. So, Of course, we cannot
buy the prospecto since you have no
ore to show; but / am glad for this,
Senior Mendez," he continued with a
kindly smile; "it shows that you are
an honest man, or you would have
stolen a piece of ore from the sacks.
So show us now where the gold was
hot a.
member, and perhaps, if we think we
can find it, we will pay you to de-
| nounce the claim for u.s..
At this the one good eye of Cruz
Mendez lighted up with a great hope
and, skipping lightly over the rock
piles with his sandaled feet, he ran
to a certain spot, locating it by look
ing across the canyon and up and
down the creek.
Here, senores," he pronounced, lis
where the mouth Of the old tunnel
came out. Standing inside it l could
see that tree over there, and looking
down the river l could just see the
smelter around the point. So, then,
the gold must be in there" He point
ed toward the hill.
Surely" said De Lancey; but
where?"
The old Mexican shrugged his shout
ders deprecatingly.
II do not know, senor," he answered;
but if you wish to dig will denounce
the claim for you"
"For how much?" inquired De Lam
cey guardedly.
I For one hundred dollars" an
swered Mendez, and to his delight the
American seemed to be considering 1t.
He walked back and forth across the
slide, picking up rocks and looking at
them, dropping down into the futile
trenches of Aragon, and frowning
with studious thought. His pardner
however, sat listlessly on a boulder
and tested the action Of his six
shooter.
"Listen, my friend" said De Lancey
coming back and posing his finger i'm
pressively. "If should find the ledge
the one hundred dollars would be moth
ing to me, sabe? And if should spend
all my money for nothing it would
be but one hundred dollars more. But
listen! have known some false Mex
leans who, when an American paid
them to denounce a mine, took ad
vantage of his kindness and refused to
give it over. Or, If it turned out to
be rich, they pulled long face and
claimed that they ought to be paid
more. Now if"
"Ah, no, senor!" clamored Mendez
holding up his hand in protest; Il am
poor man, but l am honest. Only
give me the hundred dollars"
mot a dollar do you get!" cried DIG
Lancey eternly; mot dollar-unti
you turn over the concession to the
mine. And If you play us false'-he
paused impressively-"cuidado, hom
bre-look out!"
Once more Cruz MendeZ protested
his honesty and his fidelity to any
trust, but De Lancey silenced him i'm
patiently.
Enough, hombre!" he said. "Wordi
are nothing to us. Do you see my
friend over there?" He pointed Il
Bud, who, huge and dominating
| A..