Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-04

narrow strip OF willow alder, and buckeye
hs G ss 81 the ss
mountain-lapfcd the edge of the corral. The
ilent pair were quick TO avail themselves OF
even its scant shelter from the overpowsring
sun They had not proceeded far, batore john
son, who was walking quite rapidly in advance,
suddenly bropg b. mself NJ, and turned to his
Companion vita an interrogative "Eh?"
al didn't speak," said Tom, quietly.
"Who said yoa Spoken" said johnson, with q
quick look of cunning. "In course y0u didn't
sIess' and and, siant sgea ss,n nsi'tr Nobody
he Continued, peesins curiously into Tommy's
The smile that babitually shene there quickly
COMPANIONS side, and took his arm without q
word.
I'm couIr. you didn't speak, Tommy" said
80 Tor TO play an old seaker like me. That's
wet I like Won for; that's wot seed in VOC from
the first ssz, The. ERE boy ain't goin' to
Tile or him, when yo7 can't trus- even a bar
keeper Ihet's vet 1 said. Eh?''
tbs time Tommy prudently took 70 notice OF
THE Inferno gation, and johnson went on. .Ef
was to ak you another question, you wouldn't
90 20 Play me neither-wOald ycu, Tommy"
mo" said the boy.
without needing the reply, but with a growing
anxiety OF eye and nervous twitching of his
lips-''ef 1 WIS to ask you, fer instance, eff that
ives jackEss rabbit tibet jest psssed-eh?-
you'd sag IL was or was not, ez the case may be.
You wouldn't play the ole nan on thst?"
NO sad Tommy, quietly. 1t 'oas ackass
"Ef I vas to ask you," continued johnson,
'ef it wore, say, for instance, a green hat, with
yaller ribbons. you wouldn't play me, and say
Il did, cnless''-he added with intensified cum
ning-"opless IL dds"
no" said Tommy, "of course wouldn't;
brit then, you see, it did"
al. did" repeated Tommy stoutiy; a green
hat with q yellow ibbon-and-and-a red
az didn't get to see the ros-ette," said John
son with o slow and conscientious elaboration
vet with an evident sense of relief; shut thar
amt sayin' It wsrnt there, you know. Eh?''
There were great beads Of perspiration on his
ashen- gray forehead and On the ends OF his lank
hair; the hand which twitched spasmodically in
his was cold and clammy, the other which was
free, had a vague, purpOseless, jerky activity,
as If attached to some deranged mechanism.
Without any apparent concern in these phe-
on log, motioned his companion to a place
beside him. johnson 0beyed without a word.
Slight as was the act, perhaps no other Incl
Gated as completely the dominance of this
careless, half effemnate, but self possessed boy
over this dOggedly self-wiled, abnormally ex-
at Amt the square thing" said johnson,
after a pause, with q laugh that was neither
mirthful nor musical, and heightened away a
breathless suspense-''it amt the square thing
for jsckass rabbits to wear hats, TOmmy--is
it, eh?,'
posure, sometimes they do, and sometimes
they don't. Animals are mighty queer" And
here Tommy went of in an animated, but,
regretto say, utterly untruthful and untrust-
worthy account Of the habits of California
fauna, until he was interrupted by johnson.
Sand snakes, eh, Tommy" said the man,
with an distracted air, gazing intently on the
"And snakes" said Tommy; "but they don't
bite-at least. not that kind, you see. There,
don't move, Uncle Ben, don't move; they're
dose -
johnson had hurriedly risen, as il to leap
upon the log, but Tommy had as quickly caught
his arm with one hand, while he drew a bottle
from his pocket with the other. johnson
paused, and eyed the bottle. "Ef you say SO,
my boy" he faitered as his fingers closed ner.
vously around il; ''say when them" He
raised the bottle to his lips and took a long
dranght.. the boy regarding, him critically.
started, flushed, and returned the bottle
quickly. But the color that had risen to his
check STAYED there, his eye grew less restless,
and as they moved away again, the hand thai
rested on Tommy shoulder was steader.
Their way lay along the flank of Table noun.
tain-a wandering trail through tangled soli-
! broken but for few oyster cans, yeast powder
tins and empty bottles that had been appa-
Tently stranded by the "irst low wash" of
picpeer waves. On the ragged trunk of an
enormous pine hung q few tufts of gray hair,
caught from a passing grizzly, but In strange
jUxiaposition AT It's foot lay an empty bottle of
Incompatible bitters-the chef dDurre of
/ hygieDic civilization, AMI blazoned with the
arms OF an all-healing republic. The head of
Iattlesnake peered from case that had con-
tanned tobacco, which was still brightly pla-
carjed with the highly -colored Ell gy Of popu.
lar GGnseuse. And a little beyond this the soil
was broken and assured, there was a confused
mass of roughly -hewn timber, a struggling line
of s'uicing, heap of gravel and drt, Q rude
cabin. and the claim of johnson.
The claim worked by johnson in his intervals
Of sobriety was represented by b alt dozen rude
openings in the mountain side, with the heaped
up debris of rock and gravel before the mouth
OF each. They gave very little evidence of en-
gineering skill or constructive purpose, or in
deed showed anything but the vague, success
sively- abandoned essays of their protector.
TODAY they served another purpose, for AZ the
point OF combustion, curling up the long, dry
shingles. and starting aromatic tears from I he
green pine beams, Tommy led johnson into
one OF the larger openings, and with a sense of
satisfaction threw himself painting upon its
rocky floor. Here and there the grateful damp
ness was condensed in quiet pools Of water, or
in n,Onotonous and soothing drip from the
rocks above. Without lay the staring sun
Ight-colorless, clarified, intense.
For few moments they lay resting on their
elbows in blissful contemplation Of the heat
they had escaped. "What do you say" said
johnson, slowly, without looking at his COM
1se DO saS Co two 70
straight games fur one thousand dollars?'
"Make it five thousand, !" replied Tommy, re-
fiectively, alec to the landscape, Sand I'm in :"
'wot do owe you now?' said johnson, after
o leDgthened silence.
zone hundred And seventy five thousand two
hundred and fifty 6ollars," replied Tommy,
well" said johnson, after a elaboration
commensurate with tie magnitude Of the trans
action. "ef you win, cali it hundred and
eighy thousand, round. Wars the keerds?''
They were IN an Old tin box in a crevice ofa
rock above his head. johnson dealt, albeit his
right hand was still Notwithstanding, after
dropping the cards, aimiessly about Tommy.
and being only recalled by Q strong nervous
effort. Yet, notwithst landing his incapacity for
even honest manipulation, Mr.. johnson CO.
verify turned a knave from the bottom OF the
pack, with such shameless ineficiency and
grstutOus unskilfuiness, that even Tommy was
obliged to cough and look elsewhere to hide his
embarrassment Possibly foc this reason the
young gentleman was himself constrained, by
way OF correction, to add valuable card ~ his
own hand over and above the amber he legiti-
mste,y held.
Nevertheless, the game was vnexciting, and
dragged listessly. johnson WOE. He recorded
the fact and the amount with the stub of
pencil and shaking fingers in wondering heiro-
glyphics all over pocket diary. Then there
was a long pause, when johnson slowly drew