| Show STUDENT LIFE found the tloat and then prospected and discovered that mine They wusn’t accustomed to quartz or underground minin' — they wusn't satIn mem'ry of the isfied to stay strike they marked a cedar tree with a ol’ blue bucket they left handin’ on a limb” It was not the peculiar word order nor the story so far told that was sounding the chords of Claire's Xo far sympathy and admiration from it The magnet lay in his d expression and his deep appreciation for the pioneer prospector that had faced dauntless-l- y the perils of the wild frontier Jack Dalton now followed the winding trail of Sanford and Bell through the mountain passes and river canyons of the rougher West lie landed them in Alder Gulch where placer gold was rife — but cast in the “riffles” of other men The “pardners” prospected the surrounding country for several summers long Their minds reverted frequently to their Saw Tooth “find” of a dozen years gone by They planned to return to ‘‘discovery" They prospected through the summer months and part of the It was exceedingly winters too strange They had lost their bearing the Blue Bucket discovery was always in another canyon Each summer's winding from the cylinder of time brought back the declining but determined men Bob Bell went out from cam) one cold mornBut he never ing late in autumn returned A heavy snow fall that night drove Sanford to a wintering open-hearte- 'lob less severe lie was alone now but the “high water" season found him again Saw Tooth bound — to find his “pardner" — and to locate the long lost mine The old prospector camped one night near the head- waters of the Middle Fork He was attracted by a peculiar mound across the “crick” — it was the gravel around an old prospect hole He hung over the edge of that deep caving shaft and saw — the lifeless head of his old comrade He had fallen but he still stood firm The ice had gathered around his neck When life ebbed away it formed his last support As Bill looked the walls caved once more Bob Bell was under ground Sanford was growing old and grey The brave old mountaineer had nothing to live for now — only that mine His faculties were clouding fast Could he distinguish that monument they had left so many years ago? Still the old man was resolute He could never give up It is a strange phenomenon — the magnetism of gold How luring ! ! :1- -- Claire's deeper affections had never responded before Her heartstrings had been vibrated by that She flushed great human soul through pride when she thought of She shudher own weaknesses dered at the strange contrast between herself and that great noble “Menelich” whom she was learning to love so well “My father wus a prospector too” said Jack going on with his story “It wus him that found th |
