They encountered a band of hostile Indians, and hardest to bear, a loneliness made sufferable only by the illusive phantasies of the golden fever.  Their expectations realized, the majority of these pioneers returned to the Golden State and civilization with the burden of their treasure, saying they had not come to Arizona for their health.  Now in these present days there comes a throng of people in quest of health solely, and many are they who find its blessing in the sunny and bracing air of this climate, in hot springs and the balmy breath of the fir and juniper of our mountains.  I found employment in a mercantile establishment of this little mining town and grew up with the country, as the saying is.  I formed new acquaintances and made new friends.  Among others, I met William Owen O’Neill.  I cannot now remember the exact time or year.  Attracted by the light-hearted, cheerful, and dare-devil spirit of this ambitious and cultured young man, I joined a military organization, of which he was then a lieutenant and later the captain, this was Company F of Prescott Grays, National Guard of Arizona.  Poor, noble-hearted, generous Buckie—­he knew it not, but this was his first step on the path of glory leading to the altar of patriotism whereon he laid his life.  It was he who, with a poet’s inspiration, first divined the mystery of the mountain which I have before alluded to.  He likened this beautiful mound to a sleeping lion who guarded the destinies of the mountain city.  Poor friend, his glorious song stirred the dormant life in the metallic veins of the Butte and, wonder of wonders, the sleeping lion awoke, the poet’s lay had brought the Sphinx to life—­the die of fate was cast and he had sealed his doom!  When I read his beautiful poem, I gasped in wonder, for only I on earth fathomed the significance of this revelation.  This dream of a poet’s fanciful soul, soaring on the wings of Pegasus, was stern reality to me and anxiously I awaited developments.  Nor waited I in vain.

The grateful Sphinx showered honor and wealth upon my friend.  The generous sportive boy, who cared naught for gold, actually grew rich, for the Sphinx had granted him the most lucrative office in the county, the people made him their sheriff.  He rose step by step to the highest place of honor in the community until he became the mayor of Prescott.  Not satisfied with this token of its favor, the Sphinx rewarded him in a most extraordinary and convincing manner.  By the help of nature, its help-meet, it transformed a great deposit of siliceous limestone into beautiful onyx and painted it in all the colors and after the pattern of the rainbow.  This magnificent gift made Captain O’Neill independently rich, but it is a fact that as soon as it passed from his hands, the stone lost in value and no one has since profited from it.  I believe that our hero would have risen to the highest position of dignity on earth, the Presidency of the United States, if he had not unwittingly aroused