Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-09-14

roar of falling water. Ii seemed IL
have cleared itself Of muffled vibra-
tions. Yaqui mounted a little ridge
and halted. The next instant Gale
stood above bottomless cleft into
which a white stream leaped. His as
founded gaze swept backward along
this narrow swift stream to its end in
a dark, round, boiling pool 1t was a
huge spring, bubbling well, the out
cropping of an underground river
coming down from, the vast plateau
above.
YaQui had brought Gale to the
source of Eorlorn river.
Flashing thoughts in Gales mind
were no swifter than the thrills that
ran over him. He would stake out
claim here and never be cheated out
Of it. bitches on the benches and
p troughs on, the steep walls would car
ry water down to the valley. Ben
Chase had built great dam which
would be useless If Gale chose to turn
FOrlorn river from its natural course.
The fountain head tof that mysterious
desert river belonged to him.
His eagerness, his mounting passion,
was checked by Yaqui's unusual ac-
ton. The Indian showed wonder,
hesitation, even reluctance. His
strange eyes, surveyed this boiling well
as if they could not believe the sight
they saw. Gale OWNED instantly that
Yaqui had never before seen the
source of FOrlorn river. If he had
ever assembled to this plateau, prob
ably 1t had been to. some other part,
for the water was new to him. He
stood gazing aloft lat peaks, at lower
rampants of the mountain, and at
nearer landmarks of prominence.
Yaqui seemed at fault. He was not
sure of hiss locatiOn.
Then he strobe past the swirling
pool of dark water and ybegan to as
cend a little slope that led up to a
shelving cliff. Another object halted
the Indian. 1t was a pile of stones,
weathered, crumbled, fall en- into ruin,
but still retaining shape' enough to
prove it had been built here by the
hands Of men. Round andA round this
the Yaqui stalked, and h IS curiosity
attested a. further uncert Htnty. 1t
was as if he had come upon lsomething
surprising Gale wondered sabout the
pile of stones. Had it once been
prospectoris claim?
'Ughp grunted the INDIAN; and
though his exclamation expires sed no
satisfaction, it surely put an 4 end to |
doubt. He pointed up to the sroof of /
the sloping yellow shelf of = stone. |
Family outlined there in red wel e the |
imprints of many human hands with |
fingers spread wide. Gale had o ften
seen such paintings on the walls Of
the desert caverns. Manifestly tha.se
told YaQui he had come to the spot Aor
which he had aimed
Then his actions became swfft-and
Yaqui seldom moved swiftly. The,
fact impressed Gale. The Indian (
searched the level door under the
shelf He gathered up handfuls Of
small black stones, and he thrust
them at Gale. Their weight made !
Gale start, and then he rrembled. The
Indians next move was to pick up a
piece of weathered rock and throw 1t
against the wall 1t broke He
snatched up parts. and showed the
broken edges to Gale. They contained
yellow streaks, duh glints. faint trac-
ngs of green. 1t was gold
Gale found his legs shaking under
him; and he sat down, trying to take
Ill the bits of stone into his lap His
fingers were all thumbs as with knife p
blade he dug into the black pieces of Fl
'ock. He found gold. Then he stared
Town the slope, down into the valley =
With its river winding forlornly away 4
INTO the desert. But he did not see 4
my Of that. Here was reality as =
weet, as wonderful, as saving as a
ream come true. Yaqui had led him I
o ledge of gold. Gale had learned
nough about mineral to know that 1
bis was a rich strike. All in a second !
e was speechless with the joy of it. Ia
tut his mind whirled in thought about q
his strange and noble Indian, who
eemed never to be able to pay debt. '
elding and the poverty that had \
ONE to himl Nell, who had wept i
yer the loss of spring. Laddy c
no never could ride again Jim h
ash, who swOre he would always look u
fter his friendl ThOrne and Mer-
edes All these people, who had Z
zen good to him and whom he loved, L
ere poor. But now they would be n
oh. They would one and all be his I
srtners He had discovered the h
'urce Of Forlorn river, and was rich b
water. Yaqui had made him rich o
gold Gale wanted to rush down le
e slope, down into the 6valley, and bl
II his wonderful news %
Suddenly his eyes cleared and he
W the pile of stones. His blood %
rned to ice, then to fire. That was ST
e mark Of a prospector's sclaim. But T.
was old. very old. The, ledge had h
yer been worked. The slope was W.
Id. There was not another single
1icatioD that a prospectOr had ever n
-. s------ .