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

n For TWO years Bob Melville worked
4lmost without rest, in his mine or
'lte slopes of the Rocky Mountains
4 little by little he took from the earth
"A 5 greatest treasure, the gold that
ben have fought and bled for since
'fhe dawn Of time. Men told him he
ss working a worthless claim, but
|Bob had faith in his judgment and
H. confident that time would prove
his belief that somewhere in his mine
Mas a vein of pure virgin gold. FL
|Fally the day came when he stood
Idle by side with Jose, the one man
kho had been faithful through the
Iwo years struggle, and gazed down
bDon the vein of precious metal that
gagged along the walls of the
thaft
4 The next morning, with a bag of
hold about his neck and his pockets
flled with samples of ore taken from
q IS mine, Bob left the mine and start
"a East to interest capitalists and Sc
RJre the necessary machinery for the
Development Of his property. The
koll was there in unlimited quanti-
Hes and a hurried assay of the ore
had proved that the claim, if prop
Rrly developed and worked, would pay
Enormous dividends His troubles
kere over; the work of the past two
Years was finished; the long, silent
fights when he felt that all his eff
torts had been for naught, would
tever come again. He was rich!
Employees in Plot.
a Jose, left alone in charge of the
mime hanay,1a ha fnk 49,
n his master. The Mexican laborers,
NJ by Sanchez Pezazzo, a swarthy
fuifian with a price upon his head,
bad been restless since Bob left early
n the morning. Sanchez had seen
Fith cleaning eyes the bag of gold
fhat hung from Bob's neck, and, with
apparent solicitude for Bob's well
Fare, had asked the young mine own
r many questions about the route
pyer which he was going to travel
falf an hour after the mail coach
eith Bob aboard had left the mine,
sanchez sauntered carelessly down a
favine, followed by the half dozen
neXican laborers who had been work.
lng about the mine. Jose, fearing a
pan TO rob Bob of his mine, fol-
loWed cautiously. He crept nearer
fnd nearer to the gang of bandits
Gho crouched behind rock, and
rom the shelter of a bowlder Jose
lVerheard the details of a plot to
pVertake the mail coach. stop it and
Ioo Bob of the bag of gold and the
pen samples of ore.
Jose crept silently from the hiding
pace OF the gang and hurried back
p me camp He hardly knew what
40 Alone, he was powerless to
Neep inc gang from carrying out their
purpose; there seemed no way that
y could save his master. Then he
ecalied a short cut through the
Mountains to the road along which
we mail coach with Bob aboard must
PASS, fast runner might make up
,He nalf hours start and stop the
.oaCA before the bandits could ar
anse the details of their plan.
Tells Master of Plot.
DeteIlhined to thwart the villain
,]us sanchez and his band of cut
iIoats Jose, poor and ignorant, but
9ydI 70 the core, slipped from the
amp and started at TOP speed
trough the mountains. After what
eeIhea a century, he staggered out
Hyo me road on the plateau, just as
, 'r man coach came around the
'gna IN the road. Gasping for breath,
~ strength almost exhausted he
.,4 the coach and told Bob what
dl happened.
. ne road where Jose stopped the
,ose ana warned Bob that Sanchez's
",.. vas afoot after his gold swung
we. e' a nigh promontory. The road
, y me only entrance. the only exit
" ", .Ne plateau, save by scramblng
" ", down a steep declivity over
IuSn and raw rock to the level of the
aIn below.
ooSe and Bob 1--WE put Jose first be-
aus ne was guide and master now
, a4 me risk of the descent. They
'' O3rely a three minute start of
-