o be exchanged into gold
and laid at the feet of Christine. His mines had been named "Hidden
Treasure" and "Monte Christo." Possibly these mystical names influenced
Alfonso to make the purchase, and no doubt they often renewed his
courage.

The United States patents for his two lode mining claims finally came,
and were examined by legal experts, who pronounced them perfect. In the
purchase of the properties and in the development work, Alfonso and his
two associates expended $50,000. On the showing, which the development
made, together with the Annual Report of the adjacent Granite Mountain
Mining Company, young Harris hoped to form a syndicate and profitably
work his mines.

The facts in the report which Alfonso emphasized, were that the Granite
Mining Co. had paid dividends as follows:

Twelve dividends ending
July 31st, 1889 $1,900,000

Total of fifty-five dividends,
an aggregate of, $6,700,000

In eight years these mines
had produced and sold
of pure silver 10,989,858 ozs.

Of pure gold 6,521 ozs.

Realizing a gross sum $10,988,800
Total gross expenditures $ 4,092,512

Alfonso felt free to use the facts of the Granite Reports, as his
property was supposed to be a continuation of the same lode or metallic
vein. His syndicate was finally organized, and with the money thus made
available, all possible work was done for the next twelve months, on
shaft, levels, cross-cuts, drifts, winzes, and raises. For two long years
he pursued underground promising indications of wealth, which like the
will-with-the-wisp evaded him, until every prospect of silver and gold in
the "Hidden Treasure," and "Monte Christo" disappeared, and the mines
were abandoned.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE MAGIC BAND OF BEATEN GOLD

The demonetization of silver by the government in 1873, and its great
production, had reduced the value of the white metal one-half, so young
Harris resolved to seek for gold, and began a search, which proved to be
a most romantic success.

At first he hesitated to leave Montana, as its quartz veins and sluice
boxes in twenty-five years had poured out $400,000,000, and its mineral
resources were yet almost wholly unknown. The area of this single
mountainous state could not be blanketed by the six New England States,
and New York, or covered by England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland
combined.

Finally Alfonso determined t