The Go Ahead Boys and Simons Mine | Page 2

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