oe.

"Yes, that is what I suppose. There are some bits of light-colored rock
up there, too, Phil. Pry out one or two of those, will you?"

I did as requested, and on my passing them to Peter, he said:

"These are porphyry rocks. The general formation up there is limestone,
I know--I've noticed it frequently--but I expect it is crossed
somewhere--probably on the line of the belt of trees--by a porphyry
dike. Put the specimens into your pocket, Joe; we must keep them to show
to Connor. It's a very important find. And now let us get along."

The journey down the gulch was very slow and very difficult--we made
hardly a mile an hour--though, when we left the mountain and started
across the mesa we got along better. When about half way, I left the
others and galloped home, where I lighted a fire and heated a lot of
water, so that, when at length Peter arrived, I had a steaming hot
tubful all ready for him in the spare room on the ground floor.

Though our friend protested against being treated like an invalid,
declaring his belief that he would be about right again by morning, he
nevertheless consented to take his hot bath and go to bed; though I
think he was persuaded to do so more because he was unwilling to
disappoint us after all our preparations, than because he really
expected to derive any benefit.

Be that as it may--and for my part I shall always hold that it was the
hot bath that did it--when we went into Peter's room next morning, what
was our surprise to find our cripple up and dressed. Though his right
leg was still so stiff as to be of little use to him, he declined our
help, and with the aid of a couple of broomsticks propelled himself out
of his bedroom and into the kitchen, where Joe was busy getting the
breakfast ready. His rapid recovery was astonishing to both of us;
though, as Joe remarked later, we need not be so very much surprised,
for, with his hardy life and abstemious habits he was as healthy as any
wild animal.

As we sat at our morning meal, we talked over our find of yesterday,
and discussed what was the proper course for us to pursue.

"First, and most important," said Peter, "Tom Connor must be notified.
We must waste no time. The prospectors are beginning to get out, and any
one of them, noticing the new scar on the mountain, might go exploring
up there. When does Tom quit work on the Pelican?"

"This evening," replied Joe. "It was this evening, wasn't it, Phil?"

"Yes," I replied.