roadwater and
Natatorium. No wonder the citizens of Helena take pride in their fine
health resort, the Helena Hot Springs.

Mr. Davidson introduced Alfonso to Colonel Broadwater, who extended the
hospitalities of his hotel on which he had expended a fortune. The
verandas were long and wide, the park was dotted with fountains, and the
interior of the hotel was luxurious in all its furnishings. The mammoth
plunge bath was the largest in the world under a single cover. Curative
mineral waters, steaming hot, flowed in abundantly from the grotto. In
the natatorium fun-loving men and women slid down the toboggan planks, or
jumped from the spring boards, while spectators in the gallery enjoyed
the aquatic sports. Elegantly appointed bathrooms in the hotel offered at
one's pleasure the double spray plunge, vapor, and needle baths.

Alfonso was not prepared to find in the mountains elegance surpassing
what he had seen abroad. Here he luxuriated for a week, and recovered his
health, which had been somewhat impaired by the unfortunate experiences
in Amsterdam, and the long journey from Holland.

Davidson visited Harris every day. At first he only sought to entertain
and awaken enthusiasm. He recited the familiar story of the Last Chance
Gulch, how in 1864, four half-starved and disheartened miners, on their
homeward journey from a prospecting tour among the gulches of the
Blackfoot country in search of the precious dust, had settled down to
work their last chance to make a stake, and had found gold in abundance.

Davidson said, "Here, where to-day runs the main street of Helena, was the
'Last Chance Gulch,' and the output of its placers was not less than
fifteen millions. From 300 feet square, where now stands the Montana
Central Railway depot, two miners took out over $330,000." Davidson told
of the great successes at the "Jay Gould," and "Big Ox Mine," and, that
in five years the output of the Drum Lummon Mine was six millions.

All this pleased young Harris, and whetted his appetite for mining
investments. Finally, as a result of several trips to examine prospects
and mines, Alfonso bought two prospects one hundred miles west of Helena
at a place called Granite.

At Drummond west of Helena, a line branches south of the Northern Pacific
to Rumsey. From Rumsey, Alfonso rode four miles to Granite, which was
located high up among huge granite boulders. Here, for a year he isolated
himself and labored hard for silver that was t