HUNTING AND PROSPECTING 417 



as Creede and three years later Mackenzie made 

 his millions out of it. 



We never returned to the Vallecito to establish, 

 as we had anticipated, extensive and systematic 

 work on our wonderful discovery. The assess- 

 ment work has never been done and the reader 

 can relocate the mines if he chooses. I devoted a 

 day to assaying, a day filled with pleasurable ex- 

 citement and anticipation. The ore from the 

 different outcroppings and claims had been 

 labeled and kept separate. It was night when a 

 dozen cupels with their carefully prepared but- 

 tons were placed in the glowing muffles. How 

 my heart beat as the fumes began to rise and my 

 eyes roved over the buttons, wondering which of 

 our mines would first proclaim itself a bonanza. 

 I was alone in the office, for Ned seemed 

 strangely lacking in interest. 



As the buttons shrank without fulguration be- 

 low the size of the one which had sent us in such 

 haste to the Vallecito I consoled myself with the 

 thought that I hadn't really expected so phe- 



