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

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"And the last one at the bottom," joined in George, "was '1/4 m. n.n.e.'"

"There," Grant said with satisfaction as he held his drawing up for
inspection. "I think we have reproduced Simon Moultrie's map closely
enough to tell us about where we are and where we've got to go."

"Are we still going on?" inquired Fred.

"Of course we are going on," declared Grant. "We'll start just as soon as
the others join us. Look yonder!" he said, abruptly leaping to his feet
as he spoke and pointing to a distant spot on the side of the Gulch.
"There's something moving over there."

CHAPTER XIX

A JOYOUS RETURN

Keenly excited, the three boys instantly arose and advanced nearer the rim
of the Gulch. Around the bend of the next great buttress or projection
they saw two forms moving slowly which they instantly recognized as men.

"That's Zeke and Thomas Jefferson!" exclaimed Grant in a low voice.

"What has become of the other two men?" inquired George.

"You'll have to ask them,--or Zeke and T.J.; perhaps they will be able to
tell you something after they get back here."

Grant's surmise proved to be correct. Within a half-hour both Zeke and the
Indian returned to the camp.

Neither was willing to describe the details of very much of his effort to
overtake the two white men who had gone from the camp. It was manifest,
however, that both white men had disappeared and that along with them had
gone one of the packs, now doubly valuable in the eyes of the boys.

"Didn't you see the men anywhere, Zeke?" inquired Fred.

"Not a sign."

"Did you find out where they went?"

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Why not seein' 'em, I'm not sure where they are nor where they went."

"But you think they went--"

"I'm not doin' very much 'thinkin'' just now," replied Zeke as he at once
began his preparations for the evening meal.

Fred however, was not to be turned aside so easily.

Approaching the place where Zeke was working he said, "Do you think those
men have tried to go to the place where Simon Moultrie staked his claim?"

"I don't know nothin' 'bout it," replied Zeke, without looking up from his
task. "My only 'pinion is that if there's any such claim and we don't get
there pretty soon there won't be much for us to look for."

"Why do you suppose John and Pete don't come back?"

"Because they have not returned."

"Don't you think that Kitoni found them?"

"I don't know much about it. I'm thinkin', however, that if they are to be
found, the Navajo will be as likely to find 'em as anybody."

"I wish I never had started on this trip!" exclaimed Fred manifestly
downcast at the outlook.

"It doesn't make any difference what you 'wish'," said Zeke gruffly. "You
have started and you're here. I don't know of any way of gettin' out of
Thorn's Gulch outside of flyin' or walkin'."

"I guess you're right," replied Fred dolefully. "Hello, what's that?" he
added abruptly. From far away had come a faint shout. Fred was positive
that he had heard a call, but Zeke, ignoring the words of the Go Ahead
boy, abruptly arose and ran to a place far to the left of the camp.

His startling action when it was seen by the Go Ahead boys at once caused
every one to follow his example.

Again the faint call was heard and this time it was answered abruptly by
Thomas Jefferson, whose voice carried far and was almost as sharp as the
report of a pistol.

"Who is it? Who is it?" demanded Fred.

The Indian made no reply, but as the distant call was heard again he
repeated his call, which this time was distinctly answered. As yet no one
was able to see the place from which the cry had come.

"Do you think anyone is in trouble?" inquired Grant anxiously of the
guide.

"No," replied Zeke.

"Do you think any one is in trouble?" inquired

"That's more than I can tell."

"Why don't you call Pete?"

"No use. Thomas Jefferson has answered the call and there isn't anything
more to be done except to wait until they get here, then we'll see whether
any one is missin' or not."

"Come on, fellows, let's go down and see!" shouted Fred to his companions,
who at once prepared to obey the suggestion.

"Here, stop that!" ordered Zeke sternly. "You're not goin' to do anything
of the kind. We've got one boy lost now and that's enough. My dad used to
tell me that one boy was a boy and two boys was half a boy. I don't know
just how much four would be," he added quizzically, as he glanced at his
young companions. "We've got troubles enough now. Just hold your horses
and wait, and we'll soon find out what we all of us want to know."

Striving to possess their souls in patience the Go Ahead Boys waited while
the minutes slowly dragged on. Again and again Fred impatiently shouted,
but for some reason there was no further answering cry. It might be that
the little party had passed under some projecting shelf of rock which cut
off all sounds from above.

Just as the sun set, however, to the great delight of the boys they
discovered three men slowly climbing the side of the gulch almost directly
below them.

Instantly the Go Ahead Boys cheered and shouted, although no replies were
made to their hails.

From what they were able to see they concluded that not one of the three
missing members of the party was disabled. They were all toiling slowly up
the sloping side, and it was soon manifest that every one was able to make
the effort for himself.

Twenty minutes later John, Pete and Kitoni gained the place where their
friends were awaiting their coming.

"You never had any one so glad to see you in all your life," shouted Fred
as he ran to John and tried to throw his arm around his neck. As Fred was
the "pigmy" of the party his efforts were ridiculous, but they
nevertheless served to remove a part of the tension under which all were
laboring.

"Are you all right, Jack?" demanded Grant. "I am now," replied the tall
Go Ahead Boy somewhat ruefully.

"What happened to you?" asked Fred.

"I got lost too. We waited for you to come back and when you didn't come
after a long time, I started out to look for you. Pete told me not to do
it, but of course I knew better than he did and nothing would do but I
must try it. It's lucky I'm here, let me tell you."

"Did you find your way back to the place where Pete left you?"

"I did not. He found me. Now then, what happened to you? We didn't know
but that you might have fallen over some rim or been bitten by a
rattlesnake or swallowed by a mountain lion. The first thing we knew was
when Kitoni came along and told us."

"Did you go back to the place where you were when I left you?"

"What do you think we'd do? Of course we went back. We didn't know but by
some kind of fool-luck you might have gone back there and if we weren't on
hand we knew you wouldn't know the place and most likely would go on past
it and then be lost on the other side. You see we were in a tight box."

"I'm sorry," said Fred ruefully. "All I can say is that from this time on
I'm going to stick so close to the crowd that nobody can lose me."

"You'd better!" said John threateningly. "I thought I was done for, when I
got lost too. I thought of Fremont and Kit Carson and the Forty-niners and
all the old chaps that came out over the Santa Fe trail. I have heard my
father tell what fights they had with the Indians and how their water and
supplies ran low and all that, but if any of them had any harder time than
I had then I'm sorry for him, that's all. There was just one thing that
made me hang to it."

"What was that?" inquired Grant.

"Why it was what my father had told me. He said that the difference
between men isn't very much,--I mean what makes one man succeed and
another man fail. He says it's just that little difference though that
counts. I remember he told me about one of his classmates in college who
was the brightest fellow in the class. He started in all right on any line
of work, but just before the job was all ready to be clinched he usually
gave up. My father says that is the way it is with men. They may be all
right up to the last point, but that last point is the one that counts.
That's the 'final punch' that counts most."

"Well, I'm glad you got out of it all right anyway," said Fred cordially.
"Did you see any bears or mountain lions or snakes."

"Not one, but I saw some lizards which scared me almost as much as if they
had been rattlers. They were ten or twelve inches long. They had a funny
way of running and every few steps would turn around and look at me."

"I'm not surprised," said Grant soberly, breaking in upon the
conversation. "I understand precisely the feeling of those lizards.
There's only one of your kind in all the world."

"You're right for once in your life," retorted John. "Now tell me," he
added, "what your plans are. What is the next thing to be done?"

"Now that little Johnnie has arrived," laughed Grant, "I think the best
thing we can do, if Zeke and Pete agree, is to stay here to-night and
start on early to-morrow morning."

"Start where?" demanded John.

"Why for Simon Moultrie's claim."

"I had almost forgotten about that," laughed John, "but I guess that's as
good a trip as we can make."

By this time Zeke had supper prepared and the boys responded to his
announcement with a zeal that caused the guide to say, "You boys must not
forget that one of our packs is gone. We may have to go short on our
rations."

The statement at once led to the story of the coming of the two white men
and their strange departure. Grant explained how Zeke and Thomas Jefferson
had each made a search, but the two men had disappeared. It was suspected,
however, that they had gone farther into Thorn's Gulch and were determined
to make their own search for the lost claim of Simon Moultrie.

"If they get there first," said Zeke dryly, "we may have our troubles
staking any claim when we come."

"Well, we shan't get there unless we start," declared Fred, whose mood now
had changed completely. "I'm for starting as early as we can get John up
to-morrow morning."

"Never you mind your Uncle John!" declared that worthy individual. "I
shall be ready before you are."

Whether or not it was the rivalry of the boys that caused them to rise
early the following morning is not known, but the sun had not yet appeared
above the eastern horizon when after a breakfast, prepared by Zeke and
Pete, the Go Ahead Boys, together with the guides and the two Navajos, who
now by common consent had become members of the party, once more began
their search for the claim which Simon Moultrie had staked.

CHAPTER XX

TWO CROW TREE

The party was compelled to move somewhat slowly as Fred and George had not
yet entirely recovered from their recent experiences. Their spirits,
however, were high, and in the bracing air of the early morning the
troubles of the preceding night were forgotten.

Zeke and Thomas Jefferson led the way while Pete and the other Navajo
formed a rear guard. The packs had been rearranged so that now the burdens
were lighter for every one. Indeed, the loss of the pack which their white
visitor had taken had made the guides somewhat anxious concerning the
outlook for supplies. A journey of one hundred miles at least would be
required to obtain fresh provisions and at least a week would be necessary
if one of the guides should be sent to obtain them. There might be
difficulty too in bringing in the supplies even if they should be
obtained.

In a measure the boys reflected the feeling of their leaders, but their
confidence in the speedy outcome of their quest was keen and as a
consequence other things were ignored or forgotten.

As the morning waned the conversation lagged somewhat and the hour was
near when they planned to stop for their noonday meal and rest. They were
now walking along the rim of the great Gulch. Their pathway had led upward
and indeed there were places immediately below them where it was more than
doubtful if they would be able to proceed.

At a sudden sharp call from Zeke the remaining members of the party
hastened forward to the place where the guide was standing.

"Look ahead of you," said Zeke. "Do you see anything?"

"I see rocks and the rim of the Gulch, plenty of sand and lots of sky,"
replied Fred glibly.

"Look along the rim," suggested Zeke, ignoring the flippant manner of the
Go Ahead Boy. "What do you see about a mile ahead of us?"

"I don't see anything different from what I said," laughed Fred.

The other boys, however, were silent for a time while they peered intently
in the direction indicated by the guide.

Suddenly Grant said in a low voice, "Zeke, do you mean that tree yonder?"

"That might be it," replied the guide.

As he spoke two large, black birds suddenly arose from a branch of the
distant tree and flying lazily disappeared beneath the rim of the Gulch.

"That's it!" exclaimed John eagerly. "That's it! That's the tree Simon
Moultrie marked out in his diary. Zeke," he added excitedly, "isn't that
the Two Crow Tree?"

"It may be," replied Zeke.

"Then let's go ahead and not stop until we get there. It isn't more than a
mile or two away, is it?"

"About that," replied Zeke.

The suggestion of the Go Ahead boy was at once adopted. The entire party
increased their speed and rapidly moved forward.

Twenty minutes had elapsed when they stood beneath the tree which had been
discovered by Zeke.

"What kind of a tree is it?" inquired Fred.

"It's a Two Crow Tree," retorted George glibly.

"I wish I was dead sure of that," spoke up Zeke.

"Don't you think it is?" demanded Grant.

"Yes, I think it is, but of course I can't be sure."

"What shall we do now?" demanded Fred.

"Cook our dinner here and decide what we'll do next."

As soon as the simple meal had been prepared the young prospectors were
summoned to the repast. Their interest was so keen, however, in the tree
under whose branches they were seated that all the Go Ahead Boys were
ready to declare that the first landmark indicated by Simon Moultrie had
been found.

"The only thing for us to do," said Zeke after he had listened to all that
the boys had to say, "is for Thomas Jefferson and myself to leave you here
while we go ahead to see if we can find anything that looks like Tom's
Thumb. If we find it then we may be pretty sure that we're on the right
track."

"How will you know?" inquired John.

"Have to use our common sense," said the guide sharply.

"Did you ever see Tom's Thumb?"

"If I did I didn't know it by that name," said Zeke. "What do you boys
think we had better look for?"

"I say a rock shaped like a man's thumb," said Fred.

"I don't," spoke up John. "What I would look for would be a place in the
mountains ahead."

"I suggest a formation in the rim of the Gulch," said George.

"What do you say?" demanded Zeke as he turned to Grant.

For some reason the guide manifested greater confidence in the judgment of
Grant than in the opinions of the other boys.

"It seems to me," said Grant slowly, "that I should be on the lookout for
all of them. I'm inclined to think, however, that if you find it, it's
likely to be something in the shape of the ground that makes one think of
a man's thumb."

"Don't none of you boys stir from this tree," ordered Zeke abruptly. "Jeff
and I will go ahead and--"

"For a time you'll be the Go Ahead Boys," laughed Fred.

"I don't care much 'bout what you call us, but if we can get there you'll
hear from us before a great while."

The interest of the Go Ahead Boys was still keen after the departure of
the guide and the Indian. Silently they watched the two men as they
steadily proceeded on their way until at last they were lost to sight by
an elevation around which they were making their way.

"Soc," asked John, "why do you suppose there were two crows in that
tree?"

"Because they had stopped for rest or observation," laughed Grant.

"That isn't what I mean," retorted John. "You know when crows alight they
usually station one of their number as a guard on a tree or fence or some
place of elevation, that is supposed to give warning. Now, I don't think I
ever saw two on observation, did you?"

"I don't know that I ever did," said Grant. "Now that you speak of it, I'm
not sure they were crows anyway."

"They were crows all right," declared Fred confidently.

"My, Pee Wee!" said John in mock admiration. "If I only knew just half as
much as you think you know I would be a wise man."

"That's all right, String," retorted Fred glibly. "Don't you remember what
I told you about that great Englishman who said that Nature never made any
man seven stories high without leaving the top loft empty?"

"I believe I have heard you refer to that fact some three thousand, eight
hundred and sixty-one times. In fact I have almost learned it by heart. I
haven't any doubt the man who said it was a little runt not much bigger
than you are."

Fred's face flushed as the Go Ahead Boys laughed and conversation ceased
for a time.

The boys had given their word not to leave the region of the big tree.
There was therefore nothing to be done except to endure the waiting until
Zeke and the Navajo returned.

Occasionally the conversation turned on the subject of the claim which
Simon Moultrie plainly had believed he had discovered.

Fred, who was the most enthusiastic of the Go Ahead Boys, was positive the
lost claim would be found and that the future wealth of the four boys was
therefore certain.

The others may have been as eager as Fred to find the place for which they
were seeking, but they were more restrained in their manner and inclined
to tease their enthusiastic comrade.

"Zeke told me," suggested Grant soberly, "that really this Simon Moultrie
was crazy."

"Is that so?" retorted Fred. "Then I suppose you're ready to say next that
everything he saw was crazy too."

"Not quite as bad as that," laughed Grant, "but I do say that it's
possible, if Simon Moultrie really was insane, he may have imagined he saw
things or found them when he didn't see them at all."

Even Fred was somewhat sobered by the declaration of his companion and
once more the party lapsed into silence.

It was now past mid-afternoon and the Go Ahead Boys were becoming
impatient over the failure of the guide and the Indian to return.

"If they haven't found any thing," said Fred irritably, "then they ought
to come back and tell us so. We don't want to stay here forever."

"Nay, verily, we do not," said George, shaking his head soberly. "I agree
with Pyg. If Zeke doesn't come back within an hour I say we start after
him."

"You want your turn in being lost in the canyon, do you?" said John
grimly. "Well, all I can say is that if you do, you can try it, but as for
little Johnnie he stays right here where he is. I've had all I want of
lost Go Ahead Boys in Thorn's Gulch or any other canyon."

Although they did not share in John's fear nevertheless the boys all
remained in their camp.

It was about four o'clock when Kitoni called their attention to two tiny
figures in the distance.

The glasses revealed that they were men and that they apparently were
coming across the Gulch. How they would be able to make their way up the
steep side no one could explain.

"That must be Zeke and Thomas Jefferson," suggested Fred at once ready to
form and express an opinion.

The Navajo, however, shook his head as he said, "It is not Zeke and it is
not Thomas Jefferson."

"Then who is it?" demanded Fred. "It seems to me we're all the while
having two or three men come into our camp when we've been told that there
wasn't a human being in these parts. They told us in Tombstone that we
wouldn't see a strange face in this part of the world."

"I see one now," declared John, turning and staring at his diminutive
friend.

The Go Ahead Boys laughed but their interest was too keen in the men who
now in the distance could be seen more distinctly.

"You don't suppose those two strange white men can be coming back here, do
you?" inquired Grant in a whisper.

"Yes, that is just who they are," replied Kitoni. "Look yonder!" he added
as he pointed in the direction in which Zeke and the Navajo had departed.

Two other men also were seen coming from that direction and no effort was
required to induce the Go Ahead Boys to believe that Zeke and his
companion were returning to the camp.

CHAPTER XXI

THE RETURN OF THE STRANGERS

The excitement among the Go Ahead Boys at once became intense. Convinced
now that the two men, whose presence whenever they had visited the camp
had created trouble, were now returning and the fact that the belligerent
Zeke and the Navajo were also likely to arrive at about the same time,
convinced the boys that some exciting scenes were to be witnessed.

As yet it was manifest that neither party of approaching men had become
aware of the coming of the others.

"There they go!" exclaimed George excitedly when Zeke and his companion
disappeared from sight. "Maybe they won't be back here until after the
other fellows have left."

"Don't you worry," spoke up Fred. "The other fellows aren't going to leave
and that's the worst of it. What shall we do?"

"We shan't do anything until we have to," said Grant. "It will be money
in our pockets to keep silent in seven languages."

"There they are now!" exclaimed Fred in a low voice as the two white men
approached the camping place.

"We're hungry," explained the man with the scar. "Give us something to
eat."

"You haven't eaten all there was in that pack already, have you?" demanded
Fred.

"What are you talking about? What pack do you mean? We haven't got any
pack," replied the visitor.

"You haven't now. What did you do with it?"

"You'll have to explain what you mean. You 're talking in riddles, as the
poet says," sneered the stranger. "All we want is something to eat and I'm
thinking you'll cook it for us pretty quick."

"I understand it's the law of the desert," spoke up Grant, "that any one
who comes into your camp has to be fed."

"Sure it is," said the man glibly.

"But there isn't anything in that law," continued Grant, "which says what
kind of stuff we've got to feed you. My advice to you is to keep right on
your way and not stop here."

"That's just what we're not going to do," laughed the other man loudly.
"We're hungry and you're going to feed us."

"Is that so?" retorted Fred. "Perhaps you'll tell us when we're going to
get the meal."

"You 're going to get it now and there isn't going to be any fooling about
it either."

"Do you want your ice cream before your dinner or after?" inquired Fred
mockingly. "How about your coffee?" he added. "Will you have a demitasse
or a bowl?"

For a moment the man stared blankly at Fred and then apparently convinced
that his demand was not to be complied with he advanced savagely upon the
Go Ahead Boy as he said, "We don't want no more fooling. You get us
something to eat."

At that moment Grant nodded positively to Fred, an action which was not
seen by their visitors. Puzzled by the direction of Grant, Fred hesitated
a moment and then without a further word began hasty preparations for a
meal.

A fire was kindled, although all the wood in the camp was required for the
purpose and in a brief time he poured into the boiling water the remaining
contents of a broken box of cereal.

It was plain that the visitors both were as hungry as they declared
themselves to be. They were watching the actions of the boys so keenly
that they were neither of them aware of the approach of Zeke or Thomas
Jefferson.

Grant, however, already had discovered the approach of the guide and the
Navajo, who now were not more than forty yards distant from the place
where the boys were standing.

"I wonder if these men are hungry too," said Grant dryly. As he spoke he
turned toward the approaching guide, an action which was immediately
followed by all the camp.

For a moment the two unwelcome visitors appeared to be about to flee from
the place. They turned toward the Gulch, but soon their courage apparently
returned and they came back to the place near the fire.

By this time Zeke and Thomas Jefferson had arrived at the camp and in his
most surly manner the guide turned to the two uninvited guests and said,
"What are you two fellows doing here?"

"We stopped to get something to eat," explained the man with the scar,
who, as usual, was the spokesman.

"Well, you aren't going to get it here," said Zeke sharply. "The thing for
you to do is to vamoose. Get out of here and get out right away! None of
that," added Zeke in a low voice as he saw one of the men reach toward his
hip pocket. "There's going to be no shootin' done here exceptin' I am th'
one to do it."

Zeke, who was a powerful man, now grasped the hands of the man with the
scar and in spite of his efforts twisted his wrists until he compelled him
to drop the weapon which he had drawn from his pocket.

"Leave it there," said Zeke quietly. "It won't do any harm. Now you two
get and don't you wait for me to say it again!"

There was something in Zeke's manner that convinced the two men that it
might be dangerous for them to delay. Glancing hastily at each other they
at once turned from the camp.

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