The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-06-21

Sh0vel ana pail, Until the WOUND
lost Its soreness she was forced to be
idle. So she rumbled along the creek
one afternoon, armed with hook and
line on 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 1t were. She had no
pan, and only one hand to work with,
but she knew gold when she saw it
and, after all. 1t was but an idle
method Of killing time.
In this search she came upon q
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 1t, 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 prodlgiously.
'Look at these pretty stones I
found" she said. "What are they,
BillY
"Those" He looked at her out
stretched palm. "Garnets."
"Garnets7 They must be valuable
then," she observed.
Eyes. If you can find any Of any
size. What's the other rockT' he in
quired casually. "You making a col
lection of specimensP".
"That's just funny stone I found"
she returned. "It must be iron or
something. It's terribly heavy for it's
size."
"Eh? Let me see It." he 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 n few minutes.
"Huh!" he grunted. "Look at your
funny stone"
He held 1t out for her inspection.
The blade Of the knife had left a dull
yellow scar.
"Ohw she gasped. "why-it's
goldw
ut Is. woman" he declaimed, with
mock solemnity. "Gold - glittering
goldi
"Say. where did you find thisf" 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 theref
Lead me to 1t with my trusty pan
and shovel, and we'll see," Bill smiled.
Forthwith they set out. The over
hanging boulder was a 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 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-
lation Of black sand and gravel, CLEAN
ing as q result Of his labor bakers
dozen Of assorted chunks -ons giant
that must have weighed three pounds.
He sat back on his launches, and
looked at his wife, speechless.
"Is that truly all gold, Billf" she
whispered incredulously.
"It certainly is-as good gold az ever
went into the MINT" he assured. "All
laid I'm nice little nest on this shelf
Of rock. That's real. honest pocket.
And well-lined one, II you ask me"
my goodness she murmured.
There might be wagonloads OF Il In
this creek"
'aThere might, but IL isn't likely" !"
Bill shook his head. '.This Is q simon
pure pocket, and It would keep grad
uate mineralogist guessing to say how
It got here. because It's y 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 Il. You're
the original mascot. little person."
He bestowed q beorllke hug upon
her.
"Now what" she asked. sTt hardly
seems real to pick up several thou
sand dollars In half an hour or 80 like
this. What will we dof'
"Do3 Why, bless your dear soul" I"
he laughed. "We1l Just consider our
selves extra lucky, and keep right on
with the game till the high water
makes us quit"
Which wns contingency nearer at
hand than even Bill. with q flrst.hand
knowledge Of the North's vagaries In
the way Of food. quite anticipated.
Three days after the finding Of the
pocket the whole floor Of the creek
was awaGh. His rocker went down
stream overnight. When Bill saw
that he rolled himself cigarette, and,
putting one long arm across his wife's
shoulders said whimsically:
"What d'you say we start homer