Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-03

there. One of them was Brights Cove.
1t happened back in the seventies.
Old Man Bright was prospecting. He
had come up from the foothills ac-
companied by new but stolid Indian
wife. After he had grubbed around
while on old italian bar and had
succeeded in washing out little
color, she woke up and took a slight
interest in the proceedings.
You like catch dat?' she grunted,
contemptuously. Heap much over
dare!''
She waved an arm. Old Man Bright
girded his loins and packed his jack
ass. After incredible scrafhbhngs
the two succeeded in surrounding the
ranges and in dropping sheer TO the
mile-wide round valley.
In six years Old Man bright was
worth six million dollars. all taken
from the lodges of Brights Cove.
AS time went on great many
teams and pack trains and sadie am
mails climbed up and down the ROAD.
Brights Cove became quite town.
Old Man Bright made six millions;
other men aggregated nearly TOUR
millions more; still others acquired
deep holes and deficit, 1t might be
remarked in passing that the squa"
ACQUIRED experience, d tdiiSO -
so, and a final honorable discharge,
Being an Indian she quite cheeriuiiy
went back to pounding acorns IN
metate.
In the fifth year of prosperity there
drifted into camp two men. possessed
of innocence three mules and thou
sand dollars. They retained the muies'
and, it is to be presumed, at ieast d
portion of the innocence.
The thousand dollars went to the
80 81, oct
Fallan The Lost Dog consisted quite
simply of a hole in the ground guard
ed by an excellent five-stamp mlii.
The latter's existence could only De
of Barney Fallan-certainly not by
the contents of the hole in the ground
To the older men of the camp 1t SEEM
ed a shame, for the newcomers were
nice. fresh-cheeked, clear-eyed lads 10
whom everything was new anu
strange and wonderful, their enthu-
siasm was contagious, ana their
cheerful command of vernacuiar ex-
ceedingIy heart-warming. California
John, then a man in MS 1orties' trieu
to head off the deal.
Look here, son." said he to Gaynes.
..Don't do it, There's nothin' in it.
Take my word"
But Fallan's got a good stamp
mill all ready for business ana the
Son" said California John. every
once in a while the Lord gets to eX-
uerimentin' maxim brains for a new
opecies of jackass. and me runs
out of donkeys to put EN- in
Meaning mer' demanded Gaynes,
his fair skin turning deep red.
mot at all. Meanin Barney Fal-
Ian
sGaynes brothers were speedily nick
named paid over their good thousand
for Barney's worthless prospect with
the ~imposing but ridiculous stamp
mill. There they set cheerfuliy to
clanking experiment they got the ma
chinery under way and began to run
rock through the crushers
at amt even ore." expostulated
California John. why, son, it's only
country rock Go down on your shaft
until you strike a pan test. anyway!
You're wasting time and fuel and-oh,
hellr. he broke OF hopelessly at the
sight of the two cherubic faces up
turned respectfully but unconvlnced.
will find gold" broke in Jimmy.
eager That's been proved over and
over again. I heard one fellow say
once that they thought they'd never
never find gold in hornblende. But
they did,,
California John stumped home in
Damn little ijits!''' he exploded.
sPfgheaded! Stubborn as a pair OF
mulesr' The recollection of the scrub
frank brown eyes, the close-curling
brown hair, forced his lips to wry
grin. "Just like / was at that age.
he admitted. He sighed. We'll, they'll
only ray of hopes the experience that
: old Bible fellow had with them turkey
( buxzards-or was it ravens?"
The Babes pecked away for about a
month, full of tribulation and Ques-
tions. They seemed to depend almost
equally on optimism and chance. in
both of which they had supreme faith.
A huge horseshoe was tackled over the
door of the stamp mill. Jimmy Gaynes
always spat over his right shoulder
walked under the short ladders lead.
ing to the hoppers. Neither would
they permit visitors to their shafts.
To California John and his friend
Tibbetts they interposed scandalized
objections.
.Ifs bad luck to let another man in
your shaftr cried George. I'm no
high-brow on this mining proposition.
but know enought for that.
BAD as playing opposite cross
eyed man. said Jimmy.
"Or. holding jacks full on eights,
supplemented George, conclusively.
you're about as wise as tree full
OF OWLS" said California John. sar-
Z caStfcally. but, LoTu rove .you'
amt cherishin' any very burnin' am
bition to crawl down your snake
hole"
The Babes used up their provisions:
they went about as far as they could
on credit; they narrowed the feelings
OF the community-and then, in very
mild way, they struck it. Together
they drifted down the single street
of the camp. arm in arm. an elaborate
nonchalance steadying their steps.
Near the horse trough they paused.
Gold" said Jimmy. oracularly, to
George. .is where you find II"
Likewise horse sense" quoth
George.
whereupon they whooped wildly
and descended o.. the astonished
group. To 1t they exhibited yellow
dust to the value OF a hundred dol
lars. "And more where that came
from" said they.
what kind of rock did you find it
in" demanded Tibbetts. after he had
recovered his breath from the young
sters' enthusiastic manhandling.
"Oh. a kind of red, pasty-looking
rock" said they.
"Show u.s." demanded the miners.
'What?" cried Jimmy. astounded.
"and give Old Man Luck the back
hand slip just when he's decided to
buy corner lot in the Gaynes ad-
dition? Not on your. saccharine ex-
istence."
But we'll show you some more
Of this tomorrow q-m..'' said George.
They bought drinks all round, and
paid their various bills. and departed
again feverishly to the Lost Dog,
whence rose smoke and clankings
md next day. sure enough, they left
their work just long enough to ex-
hibit another respectable little clean