Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-05-16

idle. So she rambled along the creek
one afternoon, armed with hook and
line on a plant willow in search of
sport.
The trout were hungry, and struck
fiercely at the bait. She soon had
plenty for supper and breakfast.
Wherefore she abandoned that diver
sion and took to prying tentatively
in the lee of certain boulders on
edge of the creek-prospecting on her
own initiative, as it were. She had no
pan, and only one hand to work with,
but she knew gold when she saw it
and, after all, it was but an idle
method of killing time.
In this search she came upon a
large, rusty pebble. snuggled on the
downstream side of an overhanging
rock right at the waters edge. 1t at
tracted her first by it's symmetrical
form, a perfect oval; then. when she
lifted it, by it's astonishing weight.
She continued her search for the pink
ish-red stones, carrying the rusty
pebble along. Presently she worked
her way back to where Roaring Bill
labored prodigiously.
'Look at these pretty stones I
found" she said. "What are they,
Bil1?"
"Those?" He looked at her out
stretched palm. "Garnets.''
"Garnets? They must be valuable
then" she observed.
Eyes, if you can find any of any
size. What's the other rockr' he in
quired casually. you making a coll
lection of specimens?'
THAT'S just funny stone found"
she returned. SIT must be iron or
something. It's terribly heavy for it's
size"
''Eh? Let me see it, he said.
She handed it over.
He weighed 1t in his palm, scrutf-
nized it closely, turning it over and
over. Then he took out his knife and
scratched the rusty surface vigorously
for a few minutes.
''Huh!' he grunted. "Look at your
funny stone"
He held it out for her inspection.
The blade of the knife had left q dull
yellow scar.
"Ohl" she gasped. "why-it's
gold I"
'It is, woman" he detained, with
mock soiemnity. "Gold glittering
goldi
"Say. where did you find this?" he
asked when Hazel stared at the mug
get, dumb In the face of this unex-
pected stroke of fortune.
"Just around the second bend" she
cried. "Oh, Bill, do you suppose
there's any more there?"
LEAD me to it with my trusty pan
and shovel, and We'll see," Bill smiled.
Forthwith they set out. The over
hanging boulder was scant ten min
utes' walk up the creek.
Within five minutes his fingers
brought to light a second lump, double
the size of her find. Close upon that
he wfnnowed a third. Hazel leaned
over him, breathless. At last he
reached bottom. The boulder thrust
out below in a natural shelf. From
this Bill carefully scraped the accumu-
latfon of black sand and gravel, CLEAN
ing as result of his labor a bakers
dozen of assorted chunks one giant
that must have weighed three pounds
He sat back on his launches. and
looked at his wife, speeches..
us that truly all gold. Bill?" she
whispered incredulously.
at certainly is-as good gold as ever
went into the mint" he assured. "AII
laid in nice little nest on this shelf
of rock. That's a real, honest pocket.
And well-lined one, if you ask me-"
my goodness ~ she murmured, |
There might be wagon1oads of it in
this creek"
There might, but 1t isn't likely"
Bill shook his head. 'sThfs is a simon
pure pocket, and it would keep a grad
uate mineralogist guessing to say how
1t got here, because it's a different
proposition from the wash gold in the
creek bed It's rich placer ground,
ut that-but this pockets almost I'M
believable. Must be forty pounds of
gold there. And you found it. You're
the original mascot, little person"
He bestowed q bearlike hug upon
her.
Nov what?" she asked. .sIt hardly
seems real to pick up several thou
sand dollars in half an hour or so like
this. What will we do?"
DO? Why, bless your dear SOUL
ne laughed. "WeT just consider our
serves extra lucky. and keep right on |
with the game till the high water |
makes us quit"
Which was q CONTINGENCY nearer at /
hand than even Bill, with a sfirst-hand |
knowledge of the North's >vagarfes in |
the way of flood. quite anticipated.
Three days after the finding of the /
pocket the whole floor of the creek
was awash- His rocker went down
stream overnight. When Bin saw
tnat ne rolled himself cigarette, and,
putting one long arm across his wife,s |
shoulders, said whimsfcally.
what d'yOu saw wo ctarf bov,,,sn