There was no more thought of resting for the excited two. Up they climbed for another seven hundred feet to where the pick holes suddenly ended and they stood upon a ledge of rock which seemed to extend clear across the front of the mountain. The two looked about them with some disappointment. They did not know just what they had expected to find, but here there was nothing in sight but the ledge and the mountain towering above their heads.
“This is what I took for grass from the ground,” said Alex, pointing to the green belt that girdled the mountain side close to where they stood.
“Don’t look as pretty and fresh as it did from below,” commented the Kid. “Let’s mark the spot here where we came up so that we will not miss the place when we go down. Then let’s mosey along this ledge and see what we can find. Surely no man would be crazy enough to cut all those holes for nothing.”
They piled up a loose heap of stones where they had ascended, then they followed up the ledge, closely examining the mountain’s face and the rocks and quartz at their feet.
“Great cats,” cried the Kid suddenly. He had stopped in front of some curious markings on the green-hued mountain wall, and stood staring at them with amazement on his face.
“What is it?” demanded Alex, excitedly.
“Location notices of mining claims on the face of a mountain,” said the Kid, bewildered. “Two of them.” Reckon Ike’s uncle took up one of the claims for Ike and the other for himself. The old gentleman sure was queer in the head just as I thought Why, he could have claimed the whole mountain if he had wanted to. I don’t believe any one would have objected. “Well, let’s scratch our names up to just keep the old man’s company.” He dug into the rock with his sheaf knife and a bit came off in his hands. The Kid gazed on it with frank amazement. He moved along further and pried out another chunk. He repeated this operation a dozen times, heedless of Alex’s questions, the look of amazement on his face constantly growing. The last lump he picked out was as big as a man’s fist and he held it up silently for Alex to see. Under its outside coating of green it showed a dull reddish brown.
“What is it?” Alex demanded, impressed by his companion’s manner.
“Son,” said the Kid solemnly. “Just cast your eye along that broad green belt and you’ll see something unknown in the whole history of mining—an outcrop of copper, pure copper, millions upon millions of dollars’ worth of it standing out in plain sight. I have got to think it over. Let’s mark up a claim for each of our party and get back to camp. I’ve got to get alone for a while and think this over.”
In a few minutes the claims were marked and the two clambered down the mountain to find their companions getting anxious over their long absence.