The Go Ahead Boys and Simons Mine | Page 4

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."
CHAPTER II
A CLUE
The thoughts of the two boys speedily were withdrawn from the physical prowess of their guide. At that moment he had again taken the little book he had found in the pocket of the coat of the dead man, and, opening it, said, "I'm not sure, boys, whether this man was Simon Moultrie or not. It sounds just like him, but there's so little writing that I can't tell."
"What does it say?" inquired John eagerly.
"Why, it's a diary. Some days he didn't write anything and other days when he did write, the pages are torn and the writing is so blurred that no one can make out what he means."
"Let me see it," said Fred, extending his hand as he spoke.
Taking the little book Fred saw that it apparently was a diary as Zeke had suggested. It was for the year 1914. One entry was quite distinct wherein the unfortunate man had recorded the story of his journey to Tombstone for fresh supplies.
When he commented upon this fact, Zeke said, "That's what makes me think it might have been Simon. As I said to you he only came in twice each year and then stayed just long enough to get supplies to last him for the next six months. Of course he may have come in when I didn't know anything about it."
"When did be make his trips?" inquired Fred.
"Usually about October and. April He didn't like to lose much time from his prospecting so he would come in just about the time the snow was gone and get fitted out for his work that summer."
"If he wont in last April," suggested John, "he must have lost some of his supplies."
"Nobody knows just where he made his head quarters. It's more'n likely though that the coyotes, if they could talk, might be able to tell you more about what became of old Simon's bacon than any living man could."
"Here's something!" exclaimed Fred excitedly. "This is worth while," he added, after he had looked carefully through the various pages of the diary and in the back part of the book, distinct from the numbered pages, he had found the following entry:
"June 1st.
At last I have found it. It seems good after twenty-three years of disappointment to be able to say that I have found a good lead and that there is a sure enough vein here. I thought I was on the right trail when I was in the middle of Thorn's Gulch and I found pretty soon that I had struck it just right. I followed the lead four days and every day I was more convinced that I had found something at last worth while. The assay will be great. Soon I shall have all the money I need, and my poor old sister will no longer be broken hearted for me. I was determined to find a mine and now I have one that is worth all my long working and waiting."
"Any name signed to that?" inquired Zeke quickly when Fred ceased reading.
"No."
"Then you can't be sure it's Simon's."
"Yes, you can, if the book belonged to him, as you think it did. It's plain this Simon, if that was his name, was an educated man."
"How do you know that?" inquired John.
"Why, the words are all spelled as they ought to be and his penmanship is good. The only thing is that there isn't a name signed nor any sign that will show who wrote it. Hello!" he added quickly, "here's something on the next page that ought to interest us."
"What is it?" inquired John, approaching and looking over the shoulder of his friend.
"It looks to me like a map," said Fred thoughtfully. "Here's a place that is marked Thorn's Gulch and over here on one side is a spot marked Two Crow Tree, and a little further up on the same side is Tom's Thumb. Across the Gulch is a place marked Split Rock. Not far away from it is another mark which he calls his stake. Then right opposite it are three other marks,--1/2 m N.E., 1/4 m S.E., 1/4 m N.N.E. Here's a picture of it," Fred added.
X Two Crow Tree. X Tom's Thumb. .---------------------------------------------- . Thorn's Gulch . .--------------------------------------------- . . X Split Rock. / / Stake 1/2 m N.E. | | o 1/4 m S.E. | | 1/4 m N.N.E.
[Illustration: Map]
"That's interesting," said Zeke thoughtfully. "I know where Thorn's Gulch is."
"How far is it from here?" inquired Fred.
"Oh, I should say it is a good forty miles."
"Is it hard to get there?"
"I haven't ever been this way," replied Zeke, "but I'm thinkin' we can make it."
"In which direction does the