As an earnest of the great value of the fields, the gentleman had, as near as I can recollect, a large quantity of rough, uncut, brilliant-looking stones which they said local experts had pronounced diamonds of an estimated value of $125,000. Among them were several magnificent reddish-colored stones, said to be rubies. Moreover, they claimed that the discoveries had been verified to an extent sufficient to satisfy themselves. The story, previous to my arrival, I only know by hearsay and I cannot vouch for every detail of things beyond my personal experience that happened forty years ago. But as nearly as I can recall the narrative, as it was related, the main facts were these: One day, in the year 1871, when I was in Europe, two weather-beaten men, looking like typical miners, presented themselves at the Bank of California and arranged to deposit property of great value for safe keeping. The property proved to be nothing more than some handsome-looking stones which they said in explanation were diamonds, of which they had discovered a great store, in the desert section of the West. They were given a receipt for their valuables and quietly took their leave. But, of course, in those days of mad excitement and crazy speculation, such an incident was bound to leak. George D. Roberts located, in his old prospector Arnold, one of the fortunates, and introduced him to Ralston and Lent. Arnold was always the spokesman, the negotiator, in these early transactions. Slack merely was present and acquiesced. At first the men were exceedingly coy and cautious, had all the manner of a couple of simple-minded fellows who had stumbled on something great and, bewildered with their good fortune, were simply afraid to trust anyone with the momentous secret. They declined to give the slightest indication of the locality of the fields, or left the impression that they were distant a thousand miles, or thereabouts, from the actual spot. Relying on vague hints, several parties actually set out for Arizona to locate the new Golconda. At the outset the men refused to part with their rights, except to the extent of a small interest, and only then for a large sum of money which they asserted was necessary to secure claims to a very large territory.