The Prescott daily news., 1918-04-20

 lost It's soreness she was forced to be idle. So she rambled along the creek one afternoon, armed with hook and line on a pliant 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 bouders on edge of the creek-prospecting on her own initiative, as 1t 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 large, rusty pebble, snuggled on the downstream side of an overhanging rock right at the waters edge. It at- tracted her first by its symmetrical form, a perfect oval; then, when she lifted 1t, by Its 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, BNl?"
 'Thoser" He looked at her out stretched palm. "Garnets."
 "Garnets2 They must be valuable then" she observed.
 "Yes, if you can find any of any size. Whats the other rockr he in- Quired casually. "You making a col lection of specimensT
 That's just funny stone I found," she returned. ''It must be iron or something. It's terribly heavy for its size"
 "Eh7 Let me see it," ne said.
 She handed 1t over. He weighed 1t in his palm, scruti- nized 1t closely, turning 1t over and over. Then he took out his knife and scratched the rusty surface vigorously for few minutes.
 Huh! 1" he grunted. Look at your funny stone."
 He held 1t out for her inspection. The blade of the knife had left dull yellow scar.
 "Oh" she gasped. "why-lt's goldw
 Tt is, woman" he acclaimed. with mock solemnity. "Gold - glittering gold!
 Say. where did you find this7" 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 there2"
 Lead me to 1t with my trusty pan and shovel, and we'll see," Bill smiled.
 Forthwith they set out. Tine over hanging boulder was scant ten min- utes' walk up the creek.
 Within five minutes his fingers brought to light second lump, double the size of her find. Close upon that he winnowed 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- lation of black sand and gravel, glean- ing as a 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..
 "Is that truly all gold, Billr she whispered incredulously.
 Tt certainly is-as good gold as ever went into the mint" he assured. "All laid In nice little nest on this shelf or rock. That's real, honest pocket. And well-lined one. If you ask me-"
 My goodness !" she murmured There might be wagonloads of it in this creek"
 There might, but 1t isn't likely" Bill shook his head. "This Is n simon pure pocket, and 1t would keep a grad uate mineraloglst guessing to say how It got here, because it's different proposition from the wash gold in the creek bed. It's rich placer ground at that-but this pockets almost un- believable. Must be forty pounds of gold there. And you found it. You're the original mascot, little person."
 lie bestowed bearlike hug upon her.
 NOW what" she asked. "It hardly seeHs 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. We'll just consider our selves extra lucky. and keep right on With the game till the high water makes us quit"