Year: 1872




Of sanctity and delicacy pervaded al


his speech. We urged that he should


spend q few days with Us, but he
could not. He said IT would give him
= great pleasure to DO so, but his call tC
, the new field of labor in the West wa:
pressing and Imperative.


On the next morning, at the break.


fast table, our guest was even more
sedate and thoughtful than on the
previous occasion, and when ques-


toned on the matter he told US that


he had been visited by the same dream
} again.


'This time" he said, "the vision
came with wonderful distinctness.
not only beheld the vast chambers oil
a virgin silver, but 1 saw an exact pro-
, file of tine Overlyi3g territory. 1t was
a wild, desOl9te spot, by deep ravine
through which the snow of winter
seemed to find release in spring, rush.


ing down deep craggy hillside to a


dark, understanding swamp below


This would not impress me so serious


ly were it not that once before a


dream OF the same import proved a


startling reality"


We conYersed further on the sub


ject, and after breakfast Mr.. Meek


more took a pencil, and upon the


blank leaf of an old atlas he drew a
picture of the spot he had seen in his


dream and he pointed ont where, be-


meath the roots of an old stumpy


pine tree he had seen out groupings OF
the precious metal.


He had drawn the picture, he told
70 01n H,r,rr Sr-fA l.


had been; but he advised us to think


no more of it. Even if it were posi-


bic that the dream had substance, the


body of the mine was far below the
surface; and moreover, the Lord on
ly knows where the spot was located,


even allowing that the spot existed.


For once in NV life I had allowed


my cupidity to get the better of my


out-spoken honesty. / allowed the
reverend guest to depart, and did not


tell him that I knew where there was


a spot exactly the original of that


which he had pictured, even to every


rock, shrub, tree and ravine. And


that spot was upon the wild lot, which


had been purchased by John Twist,


and which John Twist owned still.


That very afternoon, armed with


an old ak and pick, and sailed forth


to the rough outside Of the Twist lot.


1 knew exactly where the pictured lot


was to be found, and when l had


reached it l was more than ever
struck by. the faithfulness Of Mr..


MeekmOre's draught. The accuracy
in detail was wonderful. And when


reflected that this draught had been


made by one who was an utter and


absolute strager to the place-made


from the simple impression of a


dream-is it a marvel that l was


strangely influenced? found the old


tree which the reverend dreamer had


very particularly described, and went


to work at the roots.


And ere long my labors We're re-


warded. Beneath one of the main


roots found a lump of pure white


metal as large as a hens egg; and


upon further chOpping and digging


found several more smaller pieces.


They had evidently been broken from
a molten mass, and upon rubbing of
the dirt 1 found them all pure and
bright.


That night 1 slept but little.
could only lie awake and think Of the
vast wealth that lay buried in that


bleak hillside. But what could do ?
, The lot was not mine, and 1 should
run greGt risk if 1 troubled another


mans property. And moreover, if


made furtt er explorations while the
land was not mine, the secret might
be divuIged and the vast wealth
snatched from me. l must purchase
the Twist lot, and had no doubt that
l could buy it for mere song. On
the next day / rode over to see my
cousin, and when l had spoken of the
Twist lot, he informed me that not
only that lot, but q number of Others
were for sale. They had been adver-
tised, and would be sold at auction in
two weeks. He called me q fool when
I told him that 1 should bid on the
Twist lot; but told him 1 had look
ed it over and made up my mind that
my sheep could find plenty of graz
ing there throughout the summer
months. He asked me if l hadn't
already got all the sheep pasture
needed; but l told him he need not
trouble himself. During the next two
weeks I kept quiet and held my


tongue, giving no opportunity for my
secret to become known. On the ap-
pointed day I went over to the settle
ment where the land was to be sold.
1t was to be put up in hundred acre


lots and to be sold by the original
plans of Whitney purchase. Lot No.


l was put up first and sold for one
quarter of a cent an acre.


, The next lot was the 'Twist lot, u
so called. and I heard it whispered
that iron and copper had been found
upon it. A stranger in jockey clothes
started it at fifty cents an acre. An.


other stranger, who wore a blue frOck
and top boots, bid seyenty-five. Then
there was more talk about iron and
ere. The man in the jockey suit said
that he had positive assurance thai
pure iron ore had been found in some
! of the guIches, and he bid one dollar


an acre. At this point 1 entered the
I contest and bid one dollar and TWEEN
! ty-five cents. Up-up-up twenty


five cents at a time, until at length
I had bid ten dollars an acre. PeO
I pie called me crazy. Ten dollars al
+ acre was more than the very bes
! land in the whole country was worth
{ But held my bid and kept my OWL


counsel.


: And the Twist lot was knocked
g down to me at just one thousand dol
S lars. The terms were cash. l tOlC
e them to make out the deed while
: went home for the money. Ant
e away rode. 1 emptied my old stock


ing of gold and silver, and found nin'
: hundred and fifty dollars. l borrow
f ed the other fifty without trouble a
? the settlement, and straight-way pro
q ceeded to the office of Squire Simp
S kins, where the deed had been made
5 The instrument was duly signed ant
9 sealed, and when the Squire had as
I sured me that the payment of tn
f money would make all safe, hande,


over the gold and silver.


J., 1 observed that the name of JOhl
D Twist had been recently signed, an
: ent.


n He was here a few minutes ago,
s said Simkins, "and will be bac
4 again for his money. He's fellin
d pretty good, should judge, since h
=. has got rid of his hundred acre lot 70
?, twice as much as it cost him, and fO
r a thousand times more than any san
t. man would think it was worth"
l. Half an hour afterwards I called a
/. the Squire's again. Mr.. Twist ha
is Just gone out with his money
l. "There he is now," said Simkin!
e '.just bound off"


Ie looked out of the window and sa'
r at the door of the inn on the OppOsit
IT side of the way, a tall man, in u bOt
sr tie green coat, with bright glarin


buttons. just mounting a horse; an
It 1 recognized the man.


e. "WhO is that man?' I asked ''h
y with the green spectacles and brigi
q buttons"


le ''That," said Simkins, sis Mr.. Joh
|, TWIST


v In moment more the man in I'll
IS bottle green coat had ridden ava,
se with his heavy saddle-bags benin
t. him; and buttOned up within tn;
II coat beheld my reverend guest!


rushed upon me that the Rev. Pa
N MeekmOre and John Twist were OF
K. and the same person! And that W;
e, not all that flashed upon me!
b A few days afterward 1 took m
a Jumps of white metal to a man WI