Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-12-31
CHAPTER XII

Arrived at San Miguel de Padua
about midnight. Webster found the
climate temperate, in fact, decidedly
cool. Billy was waiting for them and
was properly amazed, but not scan
dalized when Don Juan Cafetero,
abusing the station hands In horri-
BILE hodgepodge Of English and Span.
lsh, superintendent the landing of the
baggage on the platform.
81 had to bring him with me-" Web
ster explained. "I'm going to wean
him, and after that baby quits cry
ing for his bottle, believe me, Bill,
we'll have the prince Of a foreman for
our mine. Quite character, Is Don
Juan, when you dig down into him."
"Dig far enough into that ruin and
you'll find fire crackers" Billy admit
ted. However, John, I'm afraid he
won't explode. The powders damp.
How die you leave Dolores?"
EFT as fiddle, Bill"
'How does she stack up on better
acquaintance, johnny"
"She's a skookum lass. She sent
her love and I promised to send you
back to her P. d. @. SO don't bother
me with talk about her. You'll see
her again in week or ten days. I
hope"
"No? Is that so. Johnny? Bully
for you, you old wampus cat. Tell
Don Juan to steer you over to the
Globo de Orc. He knows the place.
I've got to go and hire mule or
some other quadruped for Don Juan
IL we're to avoid late start In the
morning. Good night, old fellow"
They were up at daybreak, and
with three heavily laden pack mules
in charge of two semi-naked mozos,
while the cook logged comfortably
along on his big splay feet In the rear,
they set out for Billy's concession.
For 30 miles they followed the high
way, and then debouched to the south
west along neglected road just wide
enough to accommodate the clumsy
OK carts of the poems. The country
was sparsely settled and evidently CIV
en- over to stock raising.
Darkness had descended on the val
ley by the time they had pitched camp
at the claim. They were up at
dawn the following morning, however,
and Immediately after breakfast Jack
Webster went to his duffle bag and
brought forth a dozen little canvas
sacks and prospector's hammer
"Now then, William, my son." he an
nounced, flight the lantern and Wen
see if you've forgotten all taught
you about mining"
They clambered up the dump to a
point where two light steel rails pro.
jected over the edge. On top OF the
dump, lying beside the rails, were two
small, rusty, steel ore cars; the rails
led from the edge Of the dump to the
mouth of a tunnel In the hillside ant
therein.
Webster stood moment, looking |
around him. How did you happen to
locate this ledger" he demanded.
"Was 1t grass root stuff. with an out
cropping here at the foot of the hill?
No, of course, 1t wasn't. You haven't
enough ore on the dump. What the
devil were you driving att"
"0nly small portion Of that dump
Is mine, Jack, and l didn't locate the
ground originally. | came into this
valley from the south, and as worked
up the range. found a bald spot
close to the top Of the hill, and gal
lows frame over an abandoned shaft.
Naturally, l went down the shaft to
see why 1t had been abandoned. To
my surprise, found 12-foot vein
Of free-milllng ore, on contact be-
tween andesite and Silurhn limestone.
The ledge stood straight up and down, !
Severest In Two Years.
Chicago,-An earthquake, the sever.
- raonrdad have IL, twn vaara 10 ha. -,