Publisher's Synopsis
TAPPAN had a weakness common to all prospectors: Any tale of a lost gold mine would excitehis interest; and well-known legends of lost mines always obsessed him.Peg-leg Smith's lost gold mine had lured Tappan to no less than half a dozen trips into the terribleshifting-sand country of southern California. There was no water near the region said to hide thismine of fabulous wealth. Many prospectors had left their bones to bleach white in the sun, finally tobe buried by the ever blowing sands. Upon the occasion of Tappan's last escape from this desolateand forbidding desert, he had promised Jenet never to undertake it again. It seemed Tappanpromised the faithful burro a good many things. It had been a habit.When Tappan had a particularly hard experience or perilous adventure, he always took a dislike tothe immediate country where it had befallen him. Jenet had dragged him across Death Valley, through incredible heat and the midnight furnace winds of that strange place; and he had promisedher he would never forget how she had saved his life. Nor would he ever go back to Death Valley!He made his way over the Funeral Mountains, worked down through Nevada, and crossed the RioColorado above Needles, and entered Arizona. He traveled leisurely, but he kept going, and headedsoutheast towards Globe. There he cashed one of his six bags of gold, and indulged in the luxury ofa complete new outfit. Even Jenet appreciated this fact, for the old outfit would scarcely holdtogether.Tappan had the other five bags of gold in his pack; and after hours of hesitation he decided hewould not cash them and entrust the money to a bank. He would take care of them. For him thevalue of this gold amounted to a small fortune. Many plans suggested themselves to Tappan. But inthe end he grew weary of them. What did he want with a ranch, or cattle, or an outfitting store, orany of the businesses he now had the means to buy? Towns soon palled on Tappan. People did notlong please him. Selfish interest and greed seemed paramount everywhere. Besides, if he acquired aplace to take up his time, what would become of Jenet? That question decided him. He packed theburro and once more took to the trails
