Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-01-02

spring, 1t was" he observed reminis-
Gently. "This isn't as good, but it's not
to be sneezed at, either. I think I'll
make me 'rocker.R
II can help, can't II" she said ca
gerly.
ssure." he smiled, "You help a lot,
little person, just sitting around and
Keeping me company"
but l want to work." she declared,
i've sat around now till Tn getting
the fldgets."
"All right; I'll give you a job" he
returned good-naturedly. Meantime,
let's eat that lunch you packed up
here"
In a branch of the creek which
flowed down through the basin, Bill
had found plentiful colors as soon as
the first big run-off of water had fallen.
He had followed upstream painstak-
ingly, panning colors always, and now
n then a few grains of course gold
to encourage him in the quest. The
loss OF their horses precluded ranging
far afield to that other glacial stream
which he had worked with Whitley
Lewis when he was a free lance in the
North. He was close to his base of
supplies, and he had made wages
with always the prospector's lure of
q rich strike on the next bar.
I'm the morning" said he, when
lunch was over, "I'll bring along the ak
and some nails and a shovel, and get
busy"
That night they trudged down to the
cabin in high spirits. Bill had washed
out enough during the afternoon to
make a respectable showing OH Hazed's
outspread handkerchief. And Hazel
was In a gleeful mood over the fact
that she had unearthed a big nugget
by herself. Beginners luck, Bill said
teasingly, but that did not diminish
her elation.
AS the days passed there seemed no
question Of their complete success.
Bill fabricated his rocker, a primitive,
boxlike device with a blanket screen
and transverse Stats below. 1t was
faster than the pan, even rude as it
was, and it caught all but the finer
particles Of gold.
A queer twist of luck put the cap.
sheaf on their undertaking. Hazel ran
a splinter Of wood into her hand. thus
putting a stop to her activities with
shovel and pail. Until the wound
lost it's soreness she vas forced to be
idle. So she rambled along the creek
n afternoon, armed with hook and
line on a plant willow in search Of
sport.
The trout were hungry, and struck
fercely 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 or
edge of the creek-prospecting on he1
own initiative, as it werc. She had nc
pan, and only n 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 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 ]
found" she said. "What are they
Bill?"
"Those" He looked at her out.
stretched palm. "Garnets."
"Garnets? They must be valuable
then" she observed.
"Yes, If you can find any of any
size. WHAT'S the other rock?" he in.
quired casually. "You making Il col.
lection of specimens?"
THAT'S just a funny stone I found
she returned. ut must be iron or
something. It's terribly heavy for its
size"
"Eh? Let me see it," he said.
She handed it over.
He weighed it in his palm, scruti-
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 ut your
funny stone"
He held it out for her inspection.
The blade of the knife had left a dull
yellow c
"Oh!" she gasped. "Wly-it's
gold!"
1T Is, woman he detained, with
mock solemnity. "Gold- glitterins
gold!
"Say, where did o find this?" he
asked when Hazel stared at the lug
get. dumb in the face Of this unex-
pected stroke Of fortune.
Just around the second bend" she
cried. ooh, Bill, do you suppose
there's any more there?"
Lead me to it with m trusty pan
and shovel, and Wen see" Bill smiled.
Forthwith they set out. The over
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