Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-09-11
CHAPTER VI-Continued.

Que busca?" the oneeyed one
finally inquired; what are you look
lng forT"
And when Phil ~oracularly answered,
rGold!" the old mar made a motion
20 the boy to go on and sat down on
b neIghboring rock.
"Do you want TO buy a p%rospectT"
he asked. and Bud glanced up at him
,Grimly.
I'VE find our own prospects," an
nwered Phil.
but | know OF n very rich pros
pect." protested Mendez; very rich!'
He shrilled his voice to express how
rich It a
"Yes?" observed Phil; then why
don't you dig the gold out? But, as
for us, we find our own mines. That
Ar our business"
"Seguro!" nodded Mendoz, glancing
"a their outfit a~pprovingly. But | an
Il POOR man-very poor-l cannot de-
nounce the mine. SO | wait for some
rich Americana to come and buy 1t. ]
have a friend-a very rich man-in
Gadsden, but he will lot come; so !
will sell 1t to you"
"Did you get that, Bud?" TESTED Phil
IN English. "The old man here thinks
we're rich Americans and he wants
to sell us a mine"
Bud laughed silently at this. and
Mr. Mcndez, his hopes somewhat blast
ed by their levity, began to boast OF
Is find. giving the history Of the
hagle Tail with much circumstantial-
fly and explaining that 1t was a lost
padre mine.
Sure" observed Phil, going back to
his horse and picking up the bride,
that's what they all say. They're
all lost padre mines, and you "a see
them from the door OF the church,
Come on. Bud. let's go!"
And so you could this!" cried Men
dez, running along after them as they
rode slowly up the canyon, from the
old church that was washed away by
the food! This Is the very mine
where the padres dug out all their
gold! Are you going up this way?
Come, then, and | will show you-the
very place, except that the Americana
ruined 1t with a blast"
= He tagged along after them, vince
ding and protesting while they ban
tered him about his mine, until they
finally came to the place-the ruins
of the Eagle Tail.
1t lay %spraddled out along the hill.
~, a series of gopher.holes, dumps
aud abandoned workings, looking
more like a badly managed stone
quarry than a relic of padre days.
Kruger's magazine of giant powder,
exploded in one, big blast, had de-
stroyed all traces Of his mine, besides
starting an avalanche OF loose shale
that had poured down and filled 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 uE
beside caved-in trenches and a series
OF timid tunnels driven into the neigh
boring ridges.
Under the circumstances 1t would
certainly call for a mining enginee
to locate the lost lead, and De Lance,
looked it over thoughtfully as he be
gan to figure on the work to be done
Undoubtedly there was a mine there
and the remains of an old Spanis'
Smelter down the creek showed tina
the ground had once been very rich
but If Kruger had not told him |
advance he would have passed up tn
Job in a minute.
Well" he said, turning coldly upo
the fawning Mendez, who was a
curves in his desire to please, "wher
"a your prospecto?"
"Aqui, senor!" replied the Mexica.
pointing to the disrupted rock slid
Here it was that the American
Crooka had his mine-rich with gold.
much gold!"
He shrilled his voice emphaticall
and De Lancey shrilled his in repl
"Here?" he exclaimed, gail
blankly at the hillside, and then
Broke into n laugh. "All right, n
1riend," he said, giving Bud a fac
rtious wink; "how much do you wa
for this prospect"
-Four hundred dollars" answer
Mendez In a tone at once hopeful a
apologize. 1T is very rich. Sen
Crooka shipped some ore that was f
of gold. l packed 1t out for him
my burros; but, ! am sorry, ha
no piece of it,"
Yes" responded De Lancey. Il
sorry, too. So, Of course. we cam
buy the prospecto since you have
ore to snow; but ! am glad for u
tSenor Mendez," he continued with
GtSd,y smile; ut shows that you
. A.