The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1915-12-08
CHAPTER 4.
The Mystery Of the Spotted Collar.

huOOlC 6lISWu
the lodges. To layman this
rubble would have explained nothing;
to miner it would instantly have ex-
planned the nature of the hole. Pres
emily a burly man emerged from the
hole, squirting. He eyed the lump of
quartz in his hand-always a little, but
never quite enough gold to make it
worth while. The prospector flung the
quartz savagely upon the accommodating
rubble and leaned disheartenedly
against the log support to the entrance
Of the mine. His grubstake was fast
dwindling. and in another four days
he would have to hike some thirty-two
miles to the nearest town for supplies.
Donel he had paid $500. every one
of them earned at the risk of his neck,
for this damnable hole In the ground.
He filed and lit his pipe and fell to
dreaming what he would do when he
struck IL rich. a
By and by the dreams faded and
the bitter realities returned. he rose
lamely and carefully picked his way
down to the Irishmans shanty. The
two OF them shared their noon meals
on pleasant days.
'How's she comin'T
Same old story" answered Trainor,
erstwhile strong man Of the Eclipse
circus.
well, well; it's peggin' away that,
brings it 1 got a lump t'day that
don't look so bad. / should say that
she'll run fifteen tn ton. guess them
wildcatters are tn chaps that make tn
real spondulix-widders an clerks an
childer."
In Trainor's life there had been but
frifiiDg monotonies. He had been
sailor in the south seas, lumberjack
in the north, a cowpuncher, fireman
on a north Atlantic liner. He had
come from a poor but respectable Ohio
family. His father nor his GRANDPA
ther had ever stepped over the state
boundary lines. But in him there was
a reversion to the type Of pioneer who
had established the Trainor family
when Ohio was wilderness. He
could not settle down; he must be on
the move continually, and when at
length he joined the circus he found
that roaming, uncertain life much to
his fancy. There he had met Mimi
Keene, known on the handbills flor
Autographs were far beyond the reach
of this circus) as Mimi La France.
world renowned tight rope walker.
Remarkable as it might seem. these
two loved each other fondly, and one
day the lust TO wander died in the
mans heart, and he wanted roof
over his head, children about his knee
and money in his purse. When the
opportunity to go hunting for gold
came he hesitated not an instant
he had been hammering away at the
grim, unyielding rocks for eight
months, making only such trips to
town as were necessary for food Per.
haps the rubble extracted represented
q thousand dollars, perhaps less. He
was discouraged.
One day he staggered out into the
brilliant sunshine. A lump Of quartz
was clutched tightly In his hand
When be grew accustomed to the daz-
ziing light he turned the stone over
and over, his heart beating as il had
never beaten before. There were veins
In it-broad fakes of it-gold. gold.
god!
~Donovan! Donovan!" he cried.
The old Irish prospector came out OF
bis hole, blinking.
I've got it! I've got it,
nn.aro. cnofnhal <ho <ror,
the hand of his friend.
holy Virginl Ye've struck it! II
fits all like that ye're a rich man.
Man. man, there's a hundred dollars
I'm that lump alone!"
Trainor collapsed on a pile of worth
less rubble and laid his head on his
arms. He had done it all in these few
months. He was rich, rich! And all
his dreams were going to come truel
The Irishman gazed down at him rue
fully, but philosophically.
AN me that's been prospectin' TWEEN
C years an amt hit my pile yet!
Well. God bless We, man. I'm glad We
got it An now let's go take look"
Like all men who suddenly stumble
upon virgin fortune. Trainor instant
~ began to plan how to protect it. lie
had some bank attorneys draw up pa
pcrs leaving the mine to his wife. In
case of her death to his child, to her
husband. Ii was subtly understood
that the brother-in-law, Keene, should
never be able TO touch it These west.
ern bank attorneys were simple and
honest men,
Before he had time to write to his
wife Trainor was killed by q prema.
ture explosion. He was buried under
the rubble his own hands had tori
from the mountains side. and the kind
" Donovan started out to nDd the
Eclipse circus.
The caravan was at that time 29(
miles to the south. about to turn In
for the winter. But Donovan fount
n By mistake he ambled into thu
oen's dressing tent A young mar
Nth shrewd dark eyes and sinistel