by Old Sleuth
CHAPTER VI.
DISCUSSING THE FIND--A NEW RESOLUTION--GOING TO CREEDON MINE--ADISAPPOINTMENT--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 wehad 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 rightto it."
"We can," said Brooks.
"You bet we can, and it is ours, but it's strange how the old Mexican'ssecret has been opened up. Here I've had five years to search for thisgold 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 persistentyou 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, andpossibly it took him ten years to gather the heap you found there; buthow 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 everpenetrate to this retreat; then when we have it all carted out here wewill 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 toanything 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 toaccede to the proposition, and it was decided that on the followingmorning 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 hardlyrecross 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 thechasm and proceeded on their way toward the place where Creedon's minewas located. They managed to secure enough game which they cooked andhad 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 youngfriend Desmond, being in splendid health, was exceedingly happy. Thelife thus far had been one of constant excitement, and therefore at hisage one of continuous enjoyment, and besides, to crown all, he wascomparatively rich. As intimated, Creedon had valued the dust at tenthousand dollars, and when it should be turned into money Desmond couldindeed 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 anambitious lad.
Creedon was restless and excited all the evening; for him a greatdecision was to be rendered. He had come to know that Brooks was indeedan expert, and should the latter decide that his claim was of value itmeant 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, butthe possibilities of the dawning day did cause exceeding restlessness.Desmond noticed that the woodsman did not sleep and went over and satnear 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 homewhen I was less than eighteen; my father was a poor man. Living in ourtown was a rich man who had a lovely daughter; she was just fifteen. Ihad known her from the time we were wee little tots, and we fell in lovewith each other, although she was fifteen and I but a little pastseventeen, but her father was rich; he despised low people, and thatgirl and I agreed that I was to leave home, go into the world and earn afortune, and go back and claim her. We made a solemn agreement, pledgedourselves under the stars, she was to wait for me even if I did notreturn until I was a gray-haired man. Boy, she is waiting yet; she is ahandsome woman now--I have her photograph--and once a year I receive aletter from her. She has urged me to return; her father is dead and shehas 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--realrich. I wish to buy her the finest house in our native town, give herhorses and carriages; I'll die before I will return poor. The people inthe 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 afortune I would never return to her, but would marry some one else. Theytold her I was a thriftless vagrant, never would get rich, and throughall this she has remained true to me, and every time I receive a letterfrom her she urges me to return. I don't know; if my mine turns out allright I will return, if it don't I will not return, and here I am justabout to learn what the chances are. It means to me life, love, andhappiness, or a return to the endless longing that has inspired me forthe last fifteen years; but, boy, I will never return unless I have afortune."
"No wonder you are restless, and I am now as much interested in oursuccess 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 brightand early and they started for the mine, and in two hours were on theground. Creedon was pale as a pictured ghost while pointing out toBrooks the indications, and Brooks also was excited as he made hisstudy.
We will not bore our readers with an account of the investigations madeby Brooks, but will state that at the end of the second day he wascompelled to announce that the mine was valueless.
Desmond thought he had never seen a more disconsolate look on any man'sface than the one that settled over the face of Creedon when theannouncement was made.
"Your mine don't amount to anything in itself," said Brooks, "but itcarries a suggestion; it is a compass that points to where a valuablemine may be found. We are not in it yet; to-morrow I will make a surveyand I may get indications that will carry us to the ledge where the goldores extend in paying quantities--yes, I think I can read theindications 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 properinstruments and testing utensils. I will leave you and Desmond here inthe mountains and proceed to the nearest settlement and secure what Ineed. Creedon, I can almost promise you that we will find a richdigging, 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 tothe 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 hadtheir store of dust. Creedon had made some deerskin bags so that theburden would not fall upon one person. The dust was all secured and theymade a start for the town.
On the night when they made their last halt before ending their trip inthe town, Brooks, the wizard tramp, took advantage of an opportunity totalk to Desmond alone. He said:
"Lad, to-morrow we will be in the town and we will have money. I have aproposition. It will take a year or two to develop matters in case I dolocate 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 Iwill make a confidant of Creedon. He is a manly, honest fellow, and willwatch over me. Our joint interest will make him a splendid sentinel. Ifeel that we are sure to win, if not in one direction in another. Withmy scientific knowledge and his practical knowledge we will win, but itmay be two or three years. This is a fascinating life for you, but youcannot 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 havemoney enough to carry on our purpose. You can clear off the farm and goto school; you are ambitious, and in less than a year you will beprepared to stand an examination for college, and you can go with acheerful heart, for if my life is spared I will win a fortune for you. Ihave no use for a fortune myself; I am working for you and Amy."
"But suppose something should happen to you? Do you remember you havenot made your revelation?"
"I propose to provide for that; I will confide to you a document. It isnot to be opened until you are assured of my death, so living or deadyou shall in good time learn the great secret that I have held all theseyears."
"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 toclear off the farm and go to school, and I will attend to your affairsout here."
"I will decide in the morning."
That night Desmond thought over the whole matter. He had becomefascinated with the life in the mountains, but when he revolved thewhole matter in his mind he saw that it was indeed wiser for him toreturn to his home; and under what joyful circumstances he wouldreturn! He could clear the farm and have money in the bank; he could goto school and go to college, and devote his whole attention to studywithout any worry or fear, and in the morning he greeted Brooks with theannouncement:
"I have decided to obey you."
