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THE GO AHEAD BOYS
AND
SIMON'S MINE
BY
ROSS KAY
Author of "Dodging the North Sea Mines," "With Joffre
on the Battle Line," "The Search for the Spy," "The
Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island," "The Go
Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave," "The
Go Ahead Boys and the Racing
Motor Boat," etc., etc.
_ILLUSTRATED BY R. EMMETT OWEN_
_I leave this rule for others when I'm dead:
Be always sure you're right--THEN GO AHEAD
Davy Crockett's Motto_
NEW YORK BARSE & HOPKINS PUBLISHERS
=BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN=
* * * * *
=THE GO AHEAD BOYS By Ross Kay=
_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, 75 cents, postpaid_.
1 THE GO AHEAD BOYS ON SMUGGLERS' ISLAND
2 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE TREASURE CAVE
3 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE MYSTERIOUS OLD HOUSE
4 THE GO AHEAD BOYS IN THE ISLAND CAMP
5 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE RACING MOTOR BOAT
6 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND SIMON'S MINE
(_Other volumes in preparation_)
BARSE & HOPKINS
PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
1917
* * * * *
_The Go Ahead Boys and Simon's Mine_
[Illustration: In spite of their recent exertions and the loads they were
carrying they all began to run. page 203]
PREFACE
In this book the writer has endeavored to relate a story of stirring
adventure and at the same time eliminate all sensationalism and improbable
elements. The thread of the story was given him by a man who was familiar
with the life and experiences of prospectors. Indeed, there is warrant for
almost every event recorded in these pages.
The author has no desire to make his young heroes either preternaturally
brilliant or possessed of too precocious brains. They are normal, healthy
American boys fond of travel and adventure and naturally are meeting
experiences such as come to men doing what they were doing in certain
parts of our country. Self-reliance, determination, the ability to decide
quickly and to act promptly, the strength of will which prevents one from
abandoning too easily a course of action which has been decided upon,--all
these are foundations upon which any successful life must rest. If these
qualities can be acquired in the early years then life is just that much
stronger and better.
The Go Ahead Boys, in spite of their many experiences are typical boys of
America, and as such wish to express to the many friends they have made
their hearty appreciation of the interest which has been expressed in
their wanderings and adventures.
Ross Kay.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I A GHASTLY DISCOVERY 11
II A CLUE 21
III TWO UNBIDDEN GUESTS 30
IV TWO THIEVES IN THE NIGHT 40
V A START AND A LOSS 48
VI DIVIDED 57
VII TWO NAVAJOS 65
VIII WAITING 75
IX DOWN THE RUSHING RIVER 84
X A RATTLER 92
XI A PERILOUS FALL 101
XII A WRECK 109
XIII ALONE IN THE CANYON 118
XIV CLIMBING 126
XV THE SEARCH 134
XVI A STARTLING ARRIVAL 143
XVII A DEPARTURE BY NIGHT 151
XVIII RESTORING THE MAP 160
XIX A JOYOUS RETURN 169
XX TWO CROW TREE 178
XXI THE RETURN OF THE STRANGERS 187
XXII SPLIT ROCK 196
XXIII ON THE RIM 205
XXIV A SMALL CLOUD 214
XXV CIRCLES 224
XXVI CONCLUSION 234
THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND SIMON'S MINE
CHAPTER I
A GHASTLY DISCOVERY
"Look at that!"
Instantly Fred Button and his companion halted and the two boys stared at
the sight to which their attention had been directed.
Even their guide, who at that time was several yards behind, hastened to
join them and was almost as shocked by the sight as was his young
companions.
"What is it? What is it?" whispered John.
"Can't you see?" retorted Fred. "It's a skeleton of a man. The skull is
over there," he explained as he pointed to his right. "The other bones
have been scattered. Probably some wolves or buzzards have been at work
here."
For a brief time no one spoke. The bones before them were unquestionably
those of a man. They had been bleached by the sun and their very whiteness
increased the ghastly impression.
"What do you think has happened?" inquired John in a low voice.
Fred shook his head and turned questioningly to the guide.
Zeke, the name by which the guide was commonly called, also shook his head
as if the mystery was not yet solved. Without speaking he approached the
place where the skeleton had been discovered, and a moment later with his
foot unearthed a sleeve of a coat which had been buried from sight by
drifting sands of the desert.
Stooping, Zeke pulled hard and soon drew forth the coat. The garment
itself was somewhat torn, but still was in a fair state of preservation.
Turning to his companions Zeke said abruptly, "Better look around, boys,
and see if you can find something else. My impression is that you'll find
a set of prospector's tools not far away."
In response to the suggestion the two boys at once busily began their
search. A shoe, worn and plainly torn by strong and savage teeth, was
brought to Zeke. Later a pick ax, spade and hammer also were discovered
and added to the pile.
Meanwhile Zeke had been searching the garment which he had discovered and
in one pocket he had found a small book which evidently interested him
greatly.
Thrusting his discovery into his pocket, Zeke turned to the boys and said.
"What do you think? Shall we bury these bones or shall we try to take them
back?"
"Back where?" inquired Fred. "To our camp or back to civilization?"
"I shouldn't do either," suggested John. "We can bury the bones here and
mark the spot so that if we ever find out who the man was we can tell his
friends where they will find what is left of him. What do you think?" he
added, turning to the guide as he spoke.
"I think that's the best thing to do," replied Zeke quietly. "Personally I
haven't any strong feeling about what happens to my carcass after I have
left it."
"Have you any idea who or what this man was?" Fred asked.
"I found this in his pocket," responded Zeke, displaying the little book
he had taken from the coat.
"What is it? What is it?" inquired Fred eagerly.
"It looks to me like it was a diary. Some of it is missing and some is
faded, but it looks to me on the whole as if the man was keeping an
account every day of what he was doing and where he went."
"Can't you find his name in there somewhere?" inquired John.
"I haven't yet. I have a suspicion that these bones belong to old Simon
Moultrie. He was an odd stick and I guess was more than half crazy. He was
prospecting most of his life, leastwise as soon as he came out to these
regions. The funny part of it all was that he wouldn't go with anybody and
wouldn't let anybody go with him. Once or twice he thought he had struck
it rich, but I never heard that anything panned out."
"What makes you think the dead man was Simon Moultrie?"
"Mostly because he hasn't been heard from of late. It must be seven or
eight months since he has shown up. You see he used to come in twice a
year for supplies and then he would start out prospecting and not show up
again for six months, or until his supplies ran low."
"How old a man was he?" inquired John.
"Sixty-three or sixty-six, I should reckon," replied Zeke glibly. "He was
a bit off, same as I was telling you, and had just gone dippy on the
subject of finding a mine."
"And you say he did find one or two?"
"He thought he did find one or two, but when he came to follow them up,
why the stuff didn't assay worth a cent, or else it was just a little
pocket he had happened to find. What do you think ought to be done with
these bones?" again inquired the guide.
"The best thing to do is to bury them and mark the spot just as John
said," said Fred.
The suggestion was speedily acted upon and taking the spade which had been
found Zeke soon digged a grave in the soft soil. Then carefully and
silently the bones of the unfortunate man were collected and covered. A
bleached limb of a mesquite tree which had doubtless been torn away and
been carried far from its location by one of the terrific wind storms that
occasionally sweep over the region, was thrust into the ground at the head
of the little grave. Next a piece of paper was taken from his pocket by
John. Upon it he wrote, "The grave of an unknown man, supposedly Simon
Moultrie. The bones were found July 13, 1914, by Fred Button, John Clemens
and Zeke Rattray."
"Don't you think," inquired John, "that I had better put our addresses on
this paper too?"
"Good scheme," replied Fred.
Accordingly the permanent address of each member of the party was added to
the brief statement.
"Do you suppose we'll ever hear from anybody?" inquired John in a low
voice.
"I don't know," answered Fred, shaking his head as he spoke. "It's one of
those things you never can tell about."
Fred Button was one of the four boys who among their friends and
themselves, for the matter of that, were commonly known as the Go Ahead
Boys. They were schoolmates and classmates and were nearly of the same
age, John being the only one who was eighteen, while his three companions
were each seventeen years old.
In various parts of their country they had been spending their recent
vacations together. The list of books given at the beginning of this story
will indicate the various parts of the country in which they had met their
adventures.
At the present time, however, when this story opens, they were nearly two
thousand miles from home.
Across the continent they had journeyed together and together also they
had spent ten days viewing the wonders of the Grand Canyon of the
Colorado. The apparently perilous ride on the backs of donkeys down Bright
Angel Trail had been greatly enjoyed, as well as certain other inspiring
expeditions which the boys had made, sometimes in company with others and
sometimes with a single guide for the quartet.
So enthusiastic had the young travelers become over their experiences that
at last they had obtained the consent of their parents to make an
expedition of their own. Two guides were secured who were familiar with
the entire region and two strong skiffs were purchased. In these boats the
boys had planned to follow a part of the dangerous Colorado River. They
had no desire to incur the perils that belonged to many of its swirling
rapids and tossing waters. In other places, however, the river was
comparatively safe and there the boys planned to follow the course of the
stream with their strong and heavy little boats.
Inasmuch as Fred's father was a prominent railway official he had obtained
for the boys certain privileges which otherwise they might not have had.
Fred himself was the most enthusiastic member of the party. Shorter than
any of his comrades his weight was still nearly as great as any of the
four. His solid, sturdy little frame was capable of great endurance and
there were few experiences he enjoyed more than tiring his long, lanky
comrade John, who as one of his friends brutally expressed it was as much
too tall as Fred was too short.
Out of consideration for Fred's physique, among his friends he was known
as Pigmy and Pee Wee, the former title sometimes being shortened into Pyg.
John, however, rejoiced in his name, or if he did not rejoice, at least
was accustomed to respond to the appellation, String.
The remaining members of the little band were George Washington Sanders,
one of the most popular boys in the school in which all four were
students. Frequently he was referred to as Pop, a distinction by which his
friends indirectly expressed their admiration for one who was laughingly
referred to as the "Papa of his Land," just as the great man for whom he
was named was the "Father of his Country."
Grant was the member of the Go Ahead Boys who easily led in whatever he
attempted. In the hundred yards dash he had established the record of the
school. His standing in scholarship was high, while his fund of general
information was so extensive that he had received the appellation,
Socrates. This nickname, however, recently had been shortened by the
time-saving lads and Grant was more frequently called Soc than by the name
which his parents had given him. His ability as an athlete was scarcely
less than his success in the classroom. And yet Grant by no means was one
who withdrew from out-of-door life, or enjoyed less than his friends the
stirring adventures in which they all had shared.
Zeke Rattray, the guide, was a tall, bronzed, powerful young fellow about
twenty-five years of age. For several years he had dwelt in the region,
serving as guide for various exploring parties or prospectors. The Go
Ahead Boys had smiled incredulously when Zeke had informed them that when
he came originally to the state because he was expected to die "back
east," (in Iowa) of tuberculosis. "I weighed just one hundred and nineteen
pounds when I landed out here," he explained, and then as he stood erect
and threw back his powerful shoulders his young companions laughed. It did
not seem possible that the strapping young giant, who now weighed at least
two hundred pounds, ever had been reduced to such a condition as he
described.
The immense strength of Zeke had never impressed the Go Ahead Boys more
than when he finished his simple task of interring the bones which had
been discovered by Fred and John.
"If I should meet him on the street alone," whispered Fred to John, "I
should kindly give him the whole sidewalk. I believe that he could do
what Grant says he can. Just look at those hands."
"What does Grant say he can do?"
"Why he declares that Zeke can bend the barrel of a rifle."