DISCUSSING THE FIND--A NEW RESOLUTION--GOING TO CREEDON MINE--A
DISAPPOINTMENT--BETTER INDICATIONS--A NEW MOVE.
Once in the outer cavern, Desmond said:
"It's now a matter of business."
"Well?"
"How shall we divide?"
"You are the finder," replied Creedon; "you are to decide."
"You leave it to me?"
"Yes."
"I'll make it an even divide all round."
"Boy, it's a great discovery."
"What do you think of its value?"
"It depends upon the weight, but from your description I should say we
had a ten-thousand-dollar find."
Desmond's eyes opened wide, and after a moment he asked:
"Does it really belong to us?"
"It does certainly; I am really the appointed heir of the old Mexican,
but anyway treasure-trove goes to the finder who can establish a right
to it."
"We can," said Brooks.
"You bet we can, and it is ours, but it's strange how the old Mexican's
secret has been opened up. Here I've had five years to search for this
gold and failed to find it, and this lad gets on to it in one day."
"It was a mere chance."
"Well, yes, to a certain extent; but if you had not been so persistent
you would not have developed the chance and made the find possible."
"How did the old man accumulate this gold?"
"It's plain enough; he has known some stream and has washed it, and
possibly it took him ten years to gather the heap you found there; but
how well he did it!"
"He did, sure."
"How shall we make a divide?"
"Easy enough if you will let me make a suggestion."
"Certainly."
"We will carry it all out here; we run no risk, no one will ever
penetrate to this retreat; then when we have it all carted out here we
will divide it, a coffee cup full at time."
"Good enough; that suits me."
"But wait; I've a better proposition if you will accept it."
"Go ahead."
"Let's leave it where it is, go on to my mine, and if it amounts to
anything we will have the capital to work it ourselves."
Desmond glanced at Brooks, and the man said:
"That is a good proposition."
Brooks was less suspicious than Desmond, but the lad determined to
accede to the proposition, and it was decided that on the following
morning they would start for Creedon's mine, and the guide said:
"We will start before daylight."
"Why?"
"We had better cross the chasm in the dark; I am afraid you would hardly
recross it if you were to behold once what would be underneath you."
It was so decided.
The party made all their preparations and on the following morning,
before daylight, with the aid of Creedon's ladder the party crossed the
chasm and proceeded on their way toward the place where Creedon's mine
was located. They managed to secure enough game which they cooked and
had for food, and commenced their long march, and it was a long march.
They had been five days on the tramp, and stopped one night to camp,
when Creedon said:
"In the morning we will be on the ground."
The place where they were camped was a mountain glen, and our young
friend Desmond, being in splendid health, was exceedingly happy. The
life thus far had been one of constant excitement, and therefore at his
age one of continuous enjoyment, and besides, to crown all, he was
comparatively rich. As intimated, Creedon had valued the dust at ten
thousand dollars, and when it should be turned into money Desmond could
indeed clear his mother's farm and go to school, and then to college,
and it was his highest ambition to obtain a fine education. He was an
ambitious lad.
Creedon was restless and excited all the evening; for him a great
decision was to be rendered. He had come to know that Brooks was indeed
an expert, and should the latter decide that his claim was of value it
meant that for which he had been struggling a long time, as he had said,
for fifteen years.
Creedon did not sleep; much danger would not have kept him awake, but
the possibilities of the dawning day did cause exceeding restlessness.
Desmond noticed that the woodsman did not sleep and went over and sat
near him.
"What's the matter, lad; why don't you sleep?"
"Why don't you sleep?"
"To tell the truth, I can't."
"Neither can I."
"I don't see what keeps you awake."
"The possibilities of the coming day."
Creedon was in a thoughtful mood, and Desmond asked:
"Why are you so anxious to get rich?"
"Lad, I'll tell you: I am thirty-three years old; I started from home
when I was less than eighteen; my father was a poor man. Living in our
town was a rich man who had a lovely daughter; she was just fifteen. I
had known her from the time we were wee little tots, and we fell in love
with each other, although she was fifteen and I but a little past
seventeen, but her father was rich; he despised low people, and that
girl and I agreed that I was to leave home, go into the world and earn a
fortune, and go back and claim her. We made a solemn agreement, pledged
ourselves under the stars, she was to wait for me even if I did not
return until I was a gray-haired man. Boy, she is waiting yet; she is a
handsome woman now--I have her photograph--and once a year I receive a
letter from her. She has urged me to return; her father is dead and she
has a competency in her own right, but I am not willing to go home,
marry her and live on her money; and besides, I want to get rich--real
rich. I wish to buy her the finest house in our native town, give her
horses and carriages; I'll die before I will return poor. The people in
the town have often and often hurt her feelings by their deridings,
telling her that I had forgotten her, that if I did succeed in winning a
fortune I would never return to her, but would marry some one else. They
told her I was a thriftless vagrant, never would get rich, and through
all this she has remained true to me, and every time I receive a letter
from her she urges me to return. I don't know; if my mine turns out all
right I will return, if it don't I will not return, and here I am just
about to learn what the chances are. It means to me life, love, and
happiness, or a return to the endless longing that has inspired me for
the last fifteen years; but, boy, I will never return unless I have a
fortune."
"No wonder you are restless, and I am now as much interested in our
success on your account as I am on my own."
"I have high hopes, lad--yes, high hopes."
On the morning following the dialogue related, all hands were up bright
and early and they started for the mine, and in two hours were on the
ground. Creedon was pale as a pictured ghost while pointing out to
Brooks the indications, and Brooks also was excited as he made his
study.
We will not bore our readers with an account of the investigations made
by Brooks, but will state that at the end of the second day he was
compelled to announce that the mine was valueless.
Desmond thought he had never seen a more disconsolate look on any man's
face than the one that settled over the face of Creedon when the
announcement was made.
"Your mine don't amount to anything in itself," said Brooks, "but it
carries a suggestion; it is a compass that points to where a valuable
mine may be found. We are not in it yet; to-morrow I will make a survey
and I may get indications that will carry us to the ledge where the gold
ores extend in paying quantities--yes, I think I can read the
indications as plainly as though the road were mapped out."
Brooks spent two days, and then said:
"It's all right; there is a mine somewhere, but I must have the proper
instruments and testing utensils. I will leave you and Desmond here in
the mountains and proceed to the nearest settlement and secure what I
need. Creedon, I can almost promise you that we will find a rich
digging, and it will be more accessible than this one."
"I have a better plan," said Creedon.
"What is your plan?"
"We will go and get the dust that the lad found; we will carry that to
the town, dispose of it, get our money, make our deposits in the bank,
and then start in on the search. Possessing the knowledge that you do,
we will find a mine. I am not discouraged yet."
It was so agreed, and the party made their way back to where they had
their store of dust. Creedon had made some deerskin bags so that the
burden would not fall upon one person. The dust was all secured and they
made a start for the town.
On the night when they made their last halt before ending their trip in
the town, Brooks, the wizard tramp, took advantage of an opportunity to
talk to Desmond alone. He said:
"Lad, to-morrow we will be in the town and we will have money. I have a
proposition. It will take a year or two to develop matters in case I do
locate the mine; you cannot afford at your time of life to spend a year.
I do not need you with me now. I am a man again, thanks to you, and I
will make a confidant of Creedon. He is a manly, honest fellow, and will
watch over me. Our joint interest will make him a splendid sentinel. I
feel that we are sure to win, if not in one direction in another. With
my scientific knowledge and his practical knowledge we will win, but it
may be two or three years. This is a fascinating life for you, but you
cannot afford to lose this valuable time."
"What is it you are about to propose?"
"I can send you home with five thousand dollars and I will still have
money enough to carry on our purpose. You can clear off the farm and go
to school; you are ambitious, and in less than a year you will be
prepared to stand an examination for college, and you can go with a
cheerful heart, for if my life is spared I will win a fortune for you. I
have no use for a fortune myself; I am working for you and Amy."
"But suppose something should happen to you? Do you remember you have
not made your revelation?"
"I propose to provide for that; I will confide to you a document. It is
not to be opened until you are assured of my death, so living or dead
you shall in good time learn the great secret that I have held all these
years."
"I must think this matter over," said Desmond.
"There must be no thinking. I have decided as to what you must do."
"And you do not want me to go back at all?"
"No, I want you to go home to the State of New York; I want you to go to
clear off the farm and go to school, and I will attend to your affairs
out here."
"I will decide in the morning."
That night Desmond thought over the whole matter. He had become
fascinated with the life in the mountains, but when he revolved the
whole matter in his mind he saw that it was indeed wiser for him to
return to his home; and under what joyful circumstances he would
return! He could clear the farm and have money in the bank; he could go
to school and go to college, and devote his whole attention to study
without any worry or fear, and in the morning he greeted Brooks with the
announcement:
"I have decided to obey you."