The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-01

as it may seem We could dig gold from the soil almost at will. It would seem that this single fact would keep normally acquisitive men keyed to. a high pitch of endeavor all the time, but it was not so. suppose we need ed a vacation. We began to discuss what we would do when we should see the city again. No one for a moment dreamed that we should quit these rich diggings. We were here to make our fortunes, and the fortunes seemed to be ready for the making. Only, the novelty having passed, it had become hard work. just like the making of any other kind of fortune.
 The Pine family camped below us, used our corral at our invitation and set placidly to work. They were typ ical frontiersmen and settled down in the well built cabin which they quick ly ran up as though they meant to make of it a permanent home. For two months, which brought us up to the end of July, they lived regular and leisurely life. Then one morning, without any warning at all, they rode over to our cabin, leading their horses, fully packed. Old man Pine explain ed. while his five tall steady eyed sons sat their horses quite immobtle in the background. that they had dug enough rold for their necessities, and that they were now going down to the lower country to pick out some good land. These men were the very first l hap pened to meet who had come into the country with a definite idea of set ting.
 After the departure of this strong force, began our discussions as to the safeguarding of our gold. It had now reached a very considerable sum somewhere near $35,000, as I remem- Der it. Bagsby was very uneasy at its presence in camp.
 Buck Barry brought up strongly the advisability of sending our treasure out to a safe place. His argument was given point by the arrival in camp one evening of three evil looking Mexicans, shabbily clothed, but well armed, and mounted on beautiful krr-ses. We fed them well, but saw to Se caps of our revolvers and the security of our cor ral before turning in for the night. In the morning they departed before we were stirring, without so much as a word of thanks. These mysterious visitors had given us no faintest ink ling of their business or destination, Don Gaspar stated fatly that they ho1 come to spy us out, having heard of our presence in the valley from the Indians.
 "And told theIn," said he triumph antly, "that essoon we would be sen out for the food"
 He went on to argue that thus he had prepared their minds for the fact that pack horses would soon be going put. By distributing the gold its pres .nce would be unsuspected.,
 suggested strong guard, but both Bagsby and Don Gaspar opposed me.
 ''There's enough of these yere rob Sers to git us anyhow, even if we all went," said Bagsby, land that's why I want 'to send the stun out now. The place they'll tQckle will be right yere, if they tackle anything at all'-
 I will not weary you with the pros and cons. At the time thought, and l still think, the whole arrangement most i'll advised; but against me was the united opinion of nearly the whole camp, including the most level headed members of my own party. It was finally agreed that Tank, Buck Barry and Don Gaspar should take out the gold.
 They started very early in the morn ing, carrying the treasure in saddle bags and across the horns of the sad de. argued that Tank rode much rthe lightest and had the strongest horse, and managed to get the others to confide to him full half of the metal At the last moment we had modified the original plan to suit ev- erybody. The horsemen encumbered by pack animals were to push on as rapidly as possible in order to reach by nightfall the settlement where dwelt the Italian friend. Once there they could feel themselves reasonably safe. Johnny, Missouri Jones and I would ride with them until noon as a sort of escort for the uninhabited DOT tion of the journey. By that hour we figured we should have reached the outskirts of the regular diggings, where, our experience told us, our com panions would be safe.
 Accordingly we pushed our mounts hard. Unhampered by pack animals, and aided by knowledge of the route, we made great progress. By noon we ] had passed the meadow of our nights camp. After hasty lunch we accom- panied our men a few miles farther, then said farewell and godspeed and hurried back in order to reach home before sunset