The Go Ahead Boys and Simon's Mine by Ross Kay

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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."

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 Gulch run?"

"It's a funny place," explained Zeke; "it runs mostly north and south. It
takes a sharp turn at the lower end."

"Probably that was to let out the water that had been caught in there."

"Probably," said Zeke scornfully. The guide had slight confidence in the
explanations which the boys had to give for the formation of the great
chasms found near the Colorado River and its tributaries. "I'm thinkin'
that the One who made that Canyon could just as well make it the way it is
as the way you say."

"No doubt about that," Fred laughingly had conceded. "It isn't a question
of ability, it is simply how it was done."

"According to what I can find out," said Zeke, "there seems to be styles
in explainin' things, same as there is in clothes. My wife doesn't want to
wear the dress she had two years ago even if it isn't worn out very much.
When I ask her what's the matter with it she says it's out o' style. It's
the same way with explaining how this great hole in the ground came here.
There seems to be a sort of 'style' about it. Some people say it's
erosion, others say it's the work of a big glacier. Then too I have heard
some say as how it was neither and some said it was both. That doesn't
make any difference though, but I know where Thorn's Gulch is and I can go
there if you want to."

"If Simon found a mine what was it?"

"Can't say," replied Zeke sharply. "It might be gold, it might be zinc and
more likely might be copper. Most likely of all though is that he didn't
find no mine 't all."

"There isn't anything more in the diary about it anyway," said Fred, who
now had looked through all the pages without discovering any further
description. "How long is Thorn's Gulch?"

"Somewhere between fifteen and twenty miles," answered Zeke.

"Whew!" whistled John. "If we're going to look up the lost mine we'll have
some 'looking' to do I'm thinking."

"Right you are," said Fred soberly. "Do you think we had better try to
find this place?"

"That's for you to say," said Zeke. "It's all one to me whether I help you
find a copper mine or whether I keep you from, tipping over in the boat.
I'm inclined to think the boat business is a good deal safer than the
other."

"But we can't throw away a clue like this," protested Fred. "Here it is,"
he added, again looking at the map. "Two Crow Tree and Tom's Thumb and
then across the Gulch about half way between the two places on the other
side is Split Bock and then back of that is the stake. I don't know what
these figures mean."

"I do," said John confidently, "it's a half-mile northeast, then you go a
quarter of a mile southeast and then you turn and go a quarter of a mile
north northeast. Why, it's just as simple as the multiplication table."

Zeke smiled and shook his head and although he did not speak it was plain
that he did not accept John's explanation of the somewhat mysterious
figures as correct.

"Did you ever hear of Two Crow Tree?" asked John.

"I never did," said Zeke solemnly.

"Well, did you ever hear of Tom's Thumb?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Then, it's plain," said John, winking at Fred as he spoke, "that we'll
have to get somebody who is more familiar than you are, Zeke, with this
part of the country."

"Huh!" snorted Zeke. "Don't you believe it. There ain't nobody in these
diggin's that knows the country like I do."

"But you don't know where Two Crow Tree is or Tom's Thumb, to say nothing
about Split Rock on the opposite side of the canyon."

"That doesn't mean that I can't find them," retorted Zeke. "You mustn't
forget 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.

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