The Press., 1917-07-12
Missouri Kid A Mystery of a Prospec-
 tor and His Partner
By ADA TRUAX

One morning young man, who look
 ed to be about eighteen years old, ap-
 peared in Flynn canyon, where gold
 had recently been discovered and into
 which numbers of people were flock
 ing hunting for paying properties. He
 was an attractive looking young fel
 low, with q pair of dark eyes, round cheeks-there was rather too much red In them for a man-and an excellent figure The latter was shown to ad-
 vantage by pair of loose trousers tucked in his boots, wOolen shirt and a conical shaped felt hat. At his neck a silk handkerchief, loosely tied, dis played a handsome throat. Altogether the youth was attractive to look upon.
 He gave no name, but said he was from Missouri. Therefore he. was bound to be called Missouri Bob or Missouri Pete or some such name. But in his case the custom was slightly changed by his receiving the appella. tiOn of Missouri Kid. This was be. cause he was so young looking.
 Missouri Kid seemed to be rather hunting for a person than for gold. He was very guarded in his questions, asking In a general way if any one had seen a man named this or a man named that, so that no one could tell which of the individuals he was inter- ested in. While making his inquiries he worked his way up to Castle Rock, where several holes in the ground had turned out fortunes.
 One Jack Hughes had located claim in this region and was digging away with the hope that vein of rich ore that had been discovered near by might extend through his property. Hughes was a powerful man, of whom everybody was afraid. Several per sons who believed that he might by sufficient digging strike the vein he was looking for offered to grubstake him. But Hughes, though he was much down at the heel and had little or nothing to eat, gruf1y declined their offers and finally, when troubled with a surfeit of them, swOre he would shoot the next man who dared to make him an offer of assistance.
 The next man came along the fol- lowing day. Several persons were about Hughes hole, watching him throw out the dirt, when he heard a voice:
 II say, yo' down there, don't yo' want a pard?"
 Hughes looked up angrily to see Mis- souri Kid gazing down on him as tran quilly as May morning. The miners knit brows relaxed, his firm set jaws loosened, and he stood with hand on his shovel regarding the yOungster with feelings that were evident, but the cause of which was unexplained. He made no reply. The Kid jumped down into the hole, took up pick and asked:
 Where V WOrkin'?"
 "There," said Hughes mildly, point ing to a place where the earth was hard.
 The Kid went to work with the pick, and Hughes resumed his shOVeling. The bystanders stood looking on for awhile, then went away shouting the camp. "
 "B'gosh, Jack Hughes has tuck in a pard!'
 Who's the manY'
 Missouri Kid.''
 - By jiminy! What'd the Kid offer?''
 ''Nuthin'. List asked Jack if he want ed pard and jumped down and went to work"
 The news spread, and before long a crowd surrounded Hughes hole, watch. no hn &hn boy at work together, a sight that re- minded them of a mastiff playing with puppy.
 Most of the men at Castle Rock went into the Alhambra saloon that evening expecting to see Jack Hughes and re- ceive an explanation. But Hughes avoided any interviews that might be in store for him by keeping away. The miners were obliged to content them selves by swapping theories as to why Jack had succumbed so readily to this yOungster when he had sworn venge- ance upon the next man who dared make him an offer. All were of the opinion that the two had met before. but under what circumstances no one could give satisfactory explanation. One man suggested that the Kid had a secret which, if revealed, would send Jack Hughes to prison or to the gal lows. Another believed that the Kid was a detective and had come out to put the officers of the law on to I but Hughes had bribed him with an interest ill his mine. The lat ! ter theory seemed more reasonable l than the first because 1t accounted for ! the sleuth working in the mine. But l all agreed on one point-that the boy | was foolishly putting his head, to speak | iguratively, into the lions mouth. All | teaTen that they would wake up some l and find the Kid dead. That, ! what they deemed the | cause of Hughes submission, was his | only way to get rid of the sleuth and | keep his mine to himself.
 Hughes and the Kid worked on peace | fully together, occupying the same cab- In. No one dared to ask Hughes for | an explanation, and, as to the Kid, he | kept alOOf from them. Now and again | he would disappear, but never for long | He did not tell where he had been, though he made no secret of the mat ter and was seen by various persons In different localities. Then one day Hughes took turn at disappearing Eut this was followed by an important vent. An officer of the law came ooking for a man whose description allied exactly with Hughes. He found is way to the mine where Missouri Kid was at work. The Kid looked up, nd the officer looked down, somewhat urprised.
 We've met before," said Missouri.
 ''Yes, we have. I'm looking for nan, named Hughes"
 He was called away suddenly last light"
 Where has he gOne?"
 Don't know"
 The officer turned away, disgusted. 1e told several persons that he had .pnn sent ont for Hughes that ho had |