The Prescott daily news., 1915-02-16
CHAPTER |.
NtIFNT LN I. Ihe Mystery of the Snotted cola-

a p'tCA NelNet hole yawned. ~< hubble lay strewn all about
 the ledges. To a layman this ruoDie would have explained nothing: 'o miner 1t would instantly have ex- plalned the nature of the hole. Pres. eIlly burly man emerged from the noie' squlnting. He eyed the lump of quartz Ill his hand-always a little. but never quite enough gold to make it worth While. The prospector flung the quartz savagely upon the accommodating ruDole and leaned disheartenedly against the log support to the entrance ol the mine. His grubstake was fast dWlndllng, and ill another four days ne would have to hike some thirty-tyo HilieS to the nearest town for supplies.
 Done. He had paid $500 every one or them earned at the risk of his neck, for this damnable hole in the ground. He filled and lit his pipe and fell to dreaming what he would do when he struck it rich.
 By and by the dreams faded and the bitter realities returned. He rose lamely and carefully picked his way down to the lriShmans shanty. The two of them shared their noon meals on pleasant days.
 flows she comin'?"
 Same old story" answered Trainor, erstWhile strong man of the Eclipse circus
 Wei, well; it's peggin away that brings it. l got lump t'day that don't look so bad. 1 should say that she run fifteen tn ton. I guess them wildcatters are th' chaps that make tn real p0ndulix-widders an clerks an childer.'
 In Trainor's life there had been but triing monotonies. He had been sailor in the south seas, lumberjack in the north, q coWpuncher, q fireman on T north Atlantic liner. He had come from poor but respectable Ohio family His father nor his grandfa- ther had ever stepped over the state boundary lines. But in him there was n revcrsion to the type of pioneer who had established the Trainor family when Ohio was q 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 (for Autographs were far beyond the reach of this circuS) as Mimi La France,
  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 a thousand dollars. perhaps less. He was discouraged.
 One day he staggered ont into the brilliant sunshine. X lump of quartz was cutchcd tightly in his hand. When he grew accustomed to the daz- Zliny light he turned the stone over and over, his heart beating as it had never beaten before There were veins in it-broad flakes of it-gold, gold, gold.
 "Donovan. Donovan!" he cried
 The old Irish prOspectOr came out of his hole. blinking.
 I've got il. I've got it!'
 Donovan snatched the quartz from the hand of his friend.
 Holy Virgin. We've struck it! If it's all like that we're A rich man. Man. man, there's hundred dollars in that lump alone,'
 Trainor collapsed on a pile of worth less rubble and laid his head on his arms. He had done it all ill these few months. He was rich, rich! And all his dreams were going to come true! TAc Irishman gazed down at him rue fully, but philosophically.
 An me that's been proSpectin' twen- ty years an aint hit my pile yet. WcU. God bless yc. man. I'm glad ye got it. An now let's go take look"
 Like all men who suddenly stumble upon q virgin fortune, Trainor instant Iy began to plan how to protect it. He had some bank attorneys draw up pa per. leaving the mine to his wife, in ease of her death 10 his child, to her husband It was subtly understood that the brother-in-law. Kecne, should never be able to touch it. These west eru bank attorneys were simple and hottest men.
 Before he had time to write to his