The Go Ahead Boys and Simons Mine | Page 6

either that those names may be the ones that Simon gave the
places. They may not be on the map at all and nobody else may ever
have called them by those names."
"Well, shall we try to find the place? That's the question," said John
somewhat impatiently.
"Not until the other boys and Pete come back here."
Pete was the name of the second guide and on most occasions Zeke
professed to despise his judgment and belittle his information.
"Oh, Pete will do just what you say is the thing to be done," said Fred,
winking at John as he spoke.
"That 's likely," assented Zeke. "All the same I'm not going to start off
with you two boys and leave the other two here for Pete to look after.
I'm afraid Pete couldn't keep off the coyotes, to say nothing of the
buzzards."
"Zeke," said Fred abruptly, "how long do you think it took the coyotes
and the buzzards to strip those bones that we found?"
"Not more than a half-hour."
"What?"
"That's right," said Zeke positively. "A job like that doesn't take a

half-dozen coyotes any time at all. And I'm thinkin' they had to divide
with the buzzards anyway."
John, who apparently for a few minutes had not been taking much
interest in the conversation now looked up from the place where he was
standing and said sharply, "I'm for looking for that lost mine."
"That's a good one," laughed Zeke.
"What is a good one?" demanded John tartly.
"Your lost mine. There wasn't any mine anyway. All there was to it was
a prospect. Old Simon maybe thought he had found a lead, but unless
'twas a good deal surer than any other one he ever found, it wasn't
worth much, but all the same I'm for tryin' to find it if the other boys
and Pete agree to it."
CHAPTER III
TWO UNBIDDEN GUESTS
By this time the boys and their guide had returned to the place where
they had left their companions. Their two companions already were
there and the return of their friends was greeted by a shout from both
Grant and George.
Other things, however, speedily were forgotten when Fred related the
story of their gruesome discovery in the sheltered place or cave on the
sloping side of the mountain.
Both George and Grant at once united in declaring that the decision
which their friends already had made to seek for the lost mine was to be
highly commended. Again and again the diary was inspected and the
part wherein Simon Moultrie had recorded his discovery of the great
lead was read aloud again and again.
Pete, the guide, a silent, bronzed man of thirty, openly scoffed at the
idea that any discovery worth while would follow their attempts to find

the spot indicated in the diary of the lost prospector.
"Nobody knows," declared Pete, "whether you found the bones of
Simon Moultrie or not."
"That doesn't make any difference," declared Fred sturdily, "if we can
only find the place he spoke of. Zeke says he knows where Thorn's
Gulch is--"
"Huh!" interrupted Pete. "I guess ev'rybody in this part o' th' country
knows where Thorn's Gulch is."
"But," continued Fred, winking at John as he spoke, "he doesn't know
where Two Crow Tree is nor just where Tom's Thumb is located. Of
course you know, so we came back to the camp."
"If I don't know I can find 'em, I guess," assented Pete sturdily.
"That's just what Zeke said," laughed Fred. "What we're looking for
isn't somebody who can find them, but somebody who knows where
they are."
"Don't you worry none about that," said Pete. "We'll find the spot if
there's any such place."
The camp was located in a most attractive spot, high above the roaring
river. It was on the sloping side of the towering border. A natural
pathway lead to the plateau above, while a spring of clear water was
conveniently near for their needs.
In spite of the July day the air was cool and the smoke of their
camp-fire was carried swiftly down the canyon. The sublime sight of
the Grand Canyon was before them, although from their camp they
were unable to see the largest of all the great gulches.
The sides of the various canyons, which the swiftly flowing Colorado
had made, were carved and fretted almost beyond belief. The various
strata of rock and soil that had been exposed to view by the centuries of

action of the mighty river were marvelously tinted. Indeed, George
declared that the blues, the grays, and reds and mauves were only less
impressive than the overwhelming size of the Grand Canyon itself.
Grant, however, was positive that the sculptured sides of the vast hole
were equal in