122 THE ITINERANT HORSE PHYSICIAN 



country. After a few more weeks I decided to 

 go with him if we could get another man to go 

 with us. 



Within a few days we found one who was not 

 only willing to go, but was looking for just such 

 an opportunity. He and I put up two hundred 

 and fifty dollars for our outfit, and the old pros- 

 pector was to take us to the place, and bring us 

 back. We left El Paso on September twenty- 

 eight for Casas Grandes, where we bought jack 

 mules and everything we were told to buy. After 

 five weeks of hard knocks, securing only a good 

 knowledge of how to pack a burro, we came 

 back. Our man could not find the place he had 

 talked so much about. When we got into the 

 mountains he knew no more about the country 

 than we did. We kept pushing on over range 

 after range of hills, until we were a hundred and 

 fifty miles from the railroad; and then we came 

 back. 



We left the old prospector in a Mormon 

 colony on top of the continental divide. He 

 swore he would yet find the place, if we would 

 have patience. 



We left him with enough grub for three or 

 four weeks, and then we hiked it along to Casas 

 Grandes. There we sold our burros and trap- 

 pings and came back to El Paso, nearly broke 

 again. 



Two days later my prospecting partner left 

 for California, while I took the train for Abilene. 

 I never saw either of these men again; nor have 

 I heard from them. About two weeks later the 



