The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-02-26

ii too was eager to get OUT u II soon
on and around, and around again. AT
each round or circle the water grew lower.
Anoher round and the Prov of the boat
could pass under the arch. Only the
length of a hand morel Around, slowly
around, they went once more.
To her CONSERVATION this time she
found that the waters had ceased to sub
side There was a bit of wood by the
wall under the arch. To her horror, as
she watched this closely, she saw that it
had ceased to move. The waters were
at a ~standstllll Hastily pushing the boat
back ND to the pebbly bank, by laying
hold of the ledge with her right hand,
she leaned over and caught up the big
heavy yellow pebbles, and dropped them
as fast as possible into the bottom OF her
boat. They were singularly heavy, and
almost before she knew it, to her great
delight the little craft had sunk down into
the water twelve or fifteen inches from
the great weight of the curious yellow
pebbles that lay there in such ~profusslon
and so ready to hand.
And now the girl drove her boat
straight and with all her strength into the
low, rocky arch. The bats were still
whirling, biting, fighting in legions
through the keystone screyice overheard,
but she did not heed them now; onl on
onl
Her little vessel began to totter, to
tremble, to sink down from the suction Of
the waters underneath. Nature, the ele-
ments, were battling in the bosom of the
sea below. The bats kept. battling in, the
broken and ugly arch overhead.
~ 49, - V,rorTor For Cha UantpH To
, escape now, she so wanted to live now,
and the girl once more drew the water
tight skins firmly together and fastening
them thus prepared for the worst. She
was none too o with her p~reeautlon.
So suddenly as to almost make her dizzy,
the craft spun around, and aroundl and
aroundI Then down, like a great white
swan, deep, deeper, deepest! Then like
a ball it bounded to the surface andieaped
along the waters, the swift running
waters like a racer right on and out to-
ward the Golden Gate and the great, roar
ing, lion-locked Islands Of rock with their
clouds of sea birds beyond.
Swift swept the tide by the foamy
pillars of the mighty Gate. The sun was
going down. The sun was rolled down
out of heaven, a huge molten ball of m
mensity. It filled the Gate completely.
Looking out against the rocky Islands,
you see them set tight and fast against a
wall of fire. The stars were out in heaven
sas they rounded to the further side of the
larger Island, where a yellow sail nodded
welcome, where it lay bobbing and back
ing to a hidden cavern there.
A million stars were out in heaven, but
the sun and the moon and ten million
stars together. were passing their light
and their love into the fortified heart of
Farla now. For he had called her name
The balm, and the calm, and the great
strength of the all restoring arms, had
b aught him back to life.
And John Gray had come back to life
ont of the water of his Buried River with
her name, the name of Farla, on his lips.
After the silent old giant had lifted and
borne them both from the boat into the
warm and skin-lined heart of the cave he
came out to empty the boat of its ballast,
and draw it in out of sight so that it
might not attract attentions and betray too
much to a too meddlesome world. He
caught up one of the yallow rocks hastily
but it slipped from his hand and sank in
the foamy sea. He caught up another,
and still another till all the largest were
gone. But each one seemed so very
heavy; and as hard to hold as if they had
been fish fresh from the sea.
Finally he took up a smaller pebble,
and lifted it to his great white teeth.
Then he rubbed it with his rough palm,
then IN his sleeve, then on his lips, and
chuckled and chuckled, till his massive.
shoulders shook and shook. This man;
had been a miner in the days of Forty
Nine.
He seemed singularly glad to see John
Gray sitting up, warming his hands by,
the big oil lamp, as he went back into the
cavern, after taking care to hide the re-
manning half bushel Of ballast. Farla in.
fact had never seen him so glad. He
even laughed, laughed twice, thrice, till
1t seemed that the laughter of the giant
would shake the walls of the cavern.
\ & = \
Silvia took his daughter with him the
mex morning in the yellow sail and went
direct to the great, stone edifce with it's
grand Greek porch where nearly all the
money.O o this country is coined. He had
only two of the "yellow pebbles in his
pocket.
Inere Is a pleasant hctlon, a hrm belief,
indeed, among the miners of California,
that you can step in at this Greek porch
with your gold and have it coined "while
you wait" True, you get your coin at
the end OF a few moments; but it is not
coin made from the gold which you have
dug from the earth and so much desire to
have in yenr pocket. The truth is your
gold is weighed, assayed; then its value is
handed you, even to the little red coppers.
But your particular gold which you take
TO the mint may not be made into money
for years.
Silvia and his daughter did not wait
long; for the yellow pebbles were al
most pure geld, and their value was read
lily determined. AS they came down the
great stone steps, he laid the heavy buck
skin bag in her hands: 1t is yours: all
yours, Farla. Your dowry. No. don't
be afraid to take it, girl. There is a half