Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-05-25

color which ushered in that mountain
day. The sun came and warmed into y
life the little camp of Smally's Spur.
Threads Of smoke wound out from
cabin stovepipes; frowsy miners broke
the thin ice on the stores Of water in =
pals and buckets, and performed a
fresco toilet in front of cabin doors, or
sliced the universal bacon wherewith
the matutblal meal was to be favored.
The Sm,tyi cabin, of ali that dotted
the hollow at the foot Of the spur,
alone showed no signs of life. Old
Smally still slept, his gOld-lined pillow
giving color to his dreams. Suddenly
he awUke with a starJlad cry; hugged
the pillow in his shaking arms, and
glared in confused, unreasuning terror
at Howard, who stood before him. .s
dishevelel, painting, and apparently
laboring under the most intense excite
ment.
"What is it, man Can't you speak
Does White refuse to pay? Refuse
to give me the $4,000! III have it
from him. | tell YOU !" shriektd the old
man, jumping from his bed and feebly
stamping the floor. "Why don't you
speak? | tell you he must pay III
tear it from his heart, but IN have itl'
and the wretched old miser fell back
upon the bed in an impotent rage,
rocking the gold-lined pillow and
moaning.
Howard let him recover somewhat
before he said in low tone, speaking
slowly "Wish rather that he will
refuse to pay"
"What r cried the old man, jump
ing up again. "Haye we struck it?'
"Go up and see for yourself what
the last blast the men fired last even
ing after we left has thrown down."
They struck it rich and told him,
and he came here and cheated me into
signing the papers. It's fraud /
won't be bound by it It's fraud,
tell you ~
Cursing and crying, old Smally hur-
ried on some clothes and went with
Howard to the tunnel. When the
light of the lantern fell on the glitter
ing masses of ore he almost sobbed
out mo, no, mol he can't have it,
STE JIlt ldCb 10 dhllODb bOllU ROlu
In his rage and terror and despair
his insane lust cheated his eyes, and
the tiny specks of free gold danced
before his uncertain sight thousand
fold magnifed Its all cheat ! a
fraud The miners told him and he
has swindled me. This is all mine
It's worth a million, million He
can't have it y
Howard did not interrupt his raw
in Is, but silently returned with him to
the cabin. There old Smally finally
became rational enough to beg Howard
I TO 90 and see what could Do done
with White. He returned in about an
hour from his mission and simply
said: White may have been told
about this, but he does not appreciate
the strike as you do He agrees to re.
! turn the memorandum for bonus of
/ $4,000.
Twenty thousand dollars!' cried
the Old man. "That is all Ihave-iust
all | have. 1t is in the bank in San
/ Francisco. I'll not give it; III fight
! this out.
"Do you think Zinc Barnes and the
rest of the men would stand by you?
| Howard asked. at seems that Barnes
saw an old acquaintance of yours, Par
son Talbot, down at the Bay, and has
been talking about him There was
/ someth ng about twenty thousand in
that story, too, and il this goes the
same way you might not fare so well
Beside, you say the mine is worth q
million"
AT the mention of Parson Talbot's
name old Smally, after quick, fright
ened look at Howard, buried his face
in his hands and thus rocked himself
ana mOaned and trembled miserably:
"A m Hon twenty thousand. He
must not have it. must buy him off.
A million, million, a million" He
became ptrfectly quiet after long
while, and then, at last without
word, muttering no more he cut open
the pillow, took out pocketbook and
from that draft for $4,000. Not
even trembling he indorsed it, and gave
| it to Howard, saying:
"When White gives you back that
memorandum give him this; it's pay.
able in gold at l's-Fargo's bank in
san Francisco. Go. I'm too weak now
to talk to him. Twenty thousand-a
Million
An hour after the stage rolled down
the steep grade from the Spur, Zinc
Barnes took old Smally letter and the
memorandum. The letter read thus
We leave by the stage, to bear your kind
regards and $4,000 draft to the parson, our
father. FRANK HOWARD TALBOT,
HENRY WHITE TALBOT.
"It strikes me, Frank Henry re-
marked as the old stage jolted along
the Carson road, lit strikes me father
won't have to use this to eddicate bis
kids"
"No, in the light of recent events,
we do not appear to be in great need
of an education. l guess wen let
father use it to take mother back to
the States. San Francisco Cdtt.