Show THE prospector AND IUS HIS I US BURRO it re by will C higgins we were up bright and early ear ily said the prospector to his burro and we were more than ever grateful to the two indian women for their timely aid in helping us to escape from the crater in which we had been imprisoned it is true that we might have found some way out eventually while we would ifould not have been short of something to eat as long as the rabbits and quail supply held out but as we had not yet reached the hermit stage we still valued freedom above everything else jim and his squaw wife seemed to have much to tell each other and appeared to be as much devoted to one another as if she had been of white blood she was comely looking however and very capable and as long as they suited each other I 1 had no kick coming As for lueta we had a pleasant time discussing past events and she told me how much her father the chief appreciated the presents we had sent him and how he looked upon jim and myself as brothers she also told me that the chief at the time we had been attacked by hostile indians soon after we had reached the old spanish mine had sent runners to the nearest white settlement for aid fearing that we might be overcome if the fight should be waged too long and that even now she was expecting the arrival of reinforcements from the outside of course this help would have been greatly appreciated at the time of our battle royal with the indians but now that the peril was over and seeing that jim and I 1 had not as yet had time to thoroughly explore ex alore our new possessions I 1 cannot say that I 1 was very much elated at the prospect of strangers visiting us just at that time we had but little time to discuss the proposition however for a little after our noon repast our visitors arrived there being ten in the bunch including a mining man who was out scouting for a bunch of capitalists I 1 found also that the leader of the band was an old friend of mine and lie he was very much interested in my account of our ur adventures and said he would stay sady and see us through and would help us in the thor ough exploration of our new newfound found bona boli aDza so we set about to make our visitor visitor comfortable continued the prospector 1 and we greatly appreciated the store of provi and supplies they had brought along alone with them for we were running mighty loy low in coff coffee ee and sugar as well as in other lines our guests made themselves entirely at home turning their horses into the little meadow where they soon made friends friend with our burros and selecting some of the stone cabins for sleeping quarters included in the ten who had comp come to our rescue there was a fine appearing young indian buck from one of the reservations and I 1 noticed that he very quickly began to herd up with lueta which was very natural for while of different tribes they were of the same race and had a language in common I 1 must say that I 1 felt rather funny around the gills over this situation for I 1 was becoming very f ond fond of the girl and yet I 1 knew deep down in my heart that there could never be anything more binding between us than the strongest bonds of friendship and so as time went on I 1 began to approve of their growing intimacy and jims squaw also seemed pleased for Top feather for this was the redskins red skins name appeared to be made of the right kind of stuff for a week jim and myself accompanied by the mining expert who was not of the leggings stripe carefully examined the underground der ground workings of the old spanish mine and we even went down into the crater and spent a day in prospecting the gold bearing gravel along the banks of the little stream finding that the dirt was rich and well vel worth working in the main tunnel level beyond the drift where we had bad gone down in the where the breaking of 0 jim and an the rope had made prisoners of the face of me we came upon a crosscut feet in 1 which presented a breast of ore six width every inch of which was composed compose the y yel of high grade gold quartz in which of low metal stuck out like pinheads pin heads and we course we were mightily pleased bially so as in the center of the ledge there was an inch streak that was nearly pure account accorn for gold and we could now nov easily the that tu the treasure in bars and ingots ingols former owners of the mine had stored store away vault off 0 fro and secreted in the walled in 0 had the main tunnel level that jim tinie tile ali fortunately broken into during the the hostile indians had driven us into 11 aft A er tunnel for protection and safety bre tha or three days of development on accod had lia of quartz the mining man who satisfied danied the rescue party seemed US ad as to the value of the mine ne and anade nia alloying al lOvIng offer of for the property us to make an exemption of the tr from had found in the vault or chain chamber ber off g s this thi the tunnel level of course prom lucli a a comparatively small sum for su the ising property but jim and I 1 a of tale matter over and decided to accept inasmuch as the mine was in such an isolated locality with transportation facilities so crude and limited while it would take a larrel barrel of money to properly equip the mine and place it upon a big productive basis the next morning after the decision the mining man left for the nearest settlement through which he could procure the money for payment for the mine for we were to have the cold cash turned over to us before we would make out a deed and bill of sale all of our visitors excepting went with him and we had an enjoyable time while awaiting the return of the mine purchaser with his money during this interval we made a thorough inventory of the treasure in the vault or chamber jim and I 1 dividing the gold between us each share we reckoned amounting to about we also made a divvy of the jewels precious stone and fine raiment which added another to our individual holdings in about two weeks our purchaser returned accompanied by a notary public and it did not take long to complete the sale and when the transaction was completed we had a stack of the long green in front of us that looked like a small mountain the next day lueta and 1 I jim and his squaw and Top feather left for the north end of the blue mountains where father the chief and his tribe had their camp we all walked and lead our burros which with the horse brought by Top feather were loaded down with the treasure we had with us and you may be sure that we were accorded a royal welcome notwithstanding the fact that members of the band who had been hostile to us had been nearly all killed in our battle with them at the old spanish mine after the kind reception given us jim and I 1 made another division of our wealth to the chief we gave an and to each of the fhe braves who had battled with us in the tunnel we gave a thousand besides dividing jewels and finery among them all on lueta whose friendship had enabled us to make the killing and who had been faithful to us to the last we bestowed and also gave her a rich dower in jewelry and blankets for the love making between her and Top feather had been going steadily on all this time and within a week after our arrival in the camp of the chief an indian wedding was in full swing with lueta and Top feather as the contracting parties 1 I was now ready to depart for some one ne of the border towns but jim and his squaw had decided to remain with the indians with whom they had made a big hit I 1 took jims money with me to deposit in ms his name at the nearest bank and accompanied by an escort of young bucks set out tor for my destination but not before top feather had promised me to show jim and 1 I the location cation of another lost mine which he thought ought would be even richer picking than the he old spanish mine we had just found and sold the agreement between us being that I 1 was to return to the blue mountains sometime during the next three months in order to start out on the search so I 1 knew I 1 would see my old friends again 1 I want to tell you old long ears concluded the prospector 1 I shall never forget the old spanish mine of the thrilling experiences we had in finding and holding it nor will I 1 ever forget the kindnesses of the old chief his daughter lueta or the life sacrifice made for us by her brother and there you are and then some |