Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-08-16

". Now that we knew how. our en-
thusiasm surged up again. We want
ed to get ct It. The strangers eyes
twinkled alphabetically.
Here. boys" said he, II know Just
how you feel Como with me-"
He snatched up our bucket and
strobe back to his own claim. where
he filed the receptacle with some Of
the earth he had thrown out.
rGo pan that" he advised 10 Kindly.
We raced to the water and once
more stirred about the heavy contents
Of the pail until they had doated OF
with the water. In the bottom lay q
fine black residue. and in that residue
glittered the tiny yellow particles We
bad actually PANIED our first gold!
Our friend examined it critically.
that's about twelve cent pan,"
he adjudged 1t.
Somehow in vague way we had
unreasonably expected millions q .
twist of the wrist, and the words,
'12 cents" had a rankly penufaous
sound to US. However, the miner pa
tiently explained that twelve cent
pan was a very good one. and indubi-
tably it was real gold.
Yank, being older and less exdtable,
had not accompanied us to the water
side.
We'll boys" he drawled, that Il
cents is highly satisfactory, Of course.
but in the meantime we've lost about
5000 worth, of boss and grub"
Surely enough, our animals had tired
Of waiting for us and had moved out
packs and all. We hastily shouldefed
our implements.
Don't you want to keep this claim
next meY inquired our acquaintance.
We stopped.
"Surelyr' I replied. "But how do
we do it?'
"Just leave your pick ana shovel IN
the hole"
won't some one steal them7
mo"
'what's to PREVENT I asked little
skeptically.
Miners law" he replied.
We almost Immediately got trace OF
our strayed animals, as q number OF
men had seen them going upstream.
In fact, we had no difficulty whatever
in finding them, for they had simply
followed up the rough stream bed BE-
tween the canyon walls until It had
opened up to a gentler slope and q
hanging garden Of grass and flowers.
Here they had turned aside and were
feeding. We caught them and were
Just heading them back when Yank
stopped short
whats the matter with this hetoT
he inquired. Here's feed and water
near, and it amt 90 very far back to
the diggings."
We looked about US for the first
time with seeing eyes. The little up
sloping meadow was blue and dull red
with flowers, below US the stream
brawled foam fecked among black
rocks, the high hills rose up to meet
the sky, and at our backs across the
way the pines stood thick serted
Far up in the blue heavens some birds
were circling slowly. Somehow the
leisurely swing Of these unhasting bards
struck from US the feverish hurry that
had lately filed our souls. We drew
deep breaths, and for the first time
the great pence and majesty Of these
California mountains cooled our spirits>
II think It's bully place. Yank !"
said Johnny soberly, land that little
bench up above US looks fat"
We clambered across the slant Of tho
flower spangled meadow to the bench,
just within the fringe of the pines. It
proved to be fiat, and from the edge
Of it down the hill seeped a little spring
marked by the feathery bracken. We
entered a cool green place, peopled
with shadows and the rare, considered
notes Of soft voiced birds. Just over
our threshold, as It were, was the sun
lit, chirpy, buzzing, bright colored busy
world. Overhead wind Of many
voices hummed through the pine tops.
The golden sunlight flooded the noun
tains opposite, flashed from the stream,
lay languorous on the meadow. Long
bars Of it slahted through an unguess-
ed gap in the hills behind US to touch
with magic the very tops Of the trees
over our heads. The sheen Of the pre-
cious metal was over the land.
ITO be Continued.)
f..