Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-12-10

| preaching up the raFlne.
A cldlds natural timidity caused hel
to dart behind thick chump of bushe.
and wait for the riders to pass.
Instead of riding on, however, they
halted by the spring, only few fee
from Collie's retreat, and began talking
Peering between the leaves of her covert
her keen eyes could dimly make out the
outlines of two men. She was not long
in recognizing them. They were Bill
Simmons and Jim Dawkins, men who
were not friendly to her father.
:" like the looks Of it, returned Daw.
kins. " Your sure there's coal here =? .
Eyes; I've prospected all along this
ravine, before ole Norris come out TO this
kentry. | tell you, jim, for a fact the
whole place is underlaid with coal.
There's q fortune in it for the owner, an
the railroads comm near here, an will
make easy transportation" assured Sim
mons.
"Does ole Norris know there's coal on
his claim"
Don't think he does. You know he's
been sick most of the time since he come
into the kentry an he haint had much
time to look around"
"No, he hain't been here long. But
how do you propose gittin' the claim
away from him?" asked Dawkins.
Contract ahead of him."
"Hain't he contracted for the claim
yeti"
NO"
care you sure, Bill?"
I've been watching the land office
purity clost, an know Norris hain't got
q contract yet for this land"
"Why don't you contract for the
claim yourself, without askin' my help?"
asked Dawkins little suspiciously.
"Simply because | hain't got money
enough to pay for gittin' the contract"
replied Simmons. II have bout half
enough. reckon. But you have plenty
of sponduix, jim, an kin help me if you
will We kin ride over to Fort Scott an
git contract writ out for this claim be-
fore ole Norris kin help himself. He's
down with the shakin ager, his little gal
says, so we have the best chance in the
world.
"How soon can you be ready to start
for Scott to git the contract? l want to
start to Missouri tomorrow.
"Ill tell you wot we kin do. Well
start to Scott before sunrise, git the agent
to attend to our business early, then you
kin go right on to Missoury. I'll ride
back to the Thunderbolt an muster up
gang to hel p me set ole Norris off of the
claim"
"The very thing, Bill I'm with you an
will furnish you all the money you
need"
They rode away in the darkness, leav-
ing Callie alone by the spring to think
over all she had heard.
"He shan't get papa's claim!" she
cried, her eyes flashing resolutely, as
she returned to the dugout. "Papas
been going to see the agent about the con
tract twice, and both times he has been
taken sick. It's too bad!"
On reaching the dugout she found her
father awake, so she told him about the
conversation which she had overheard be-
tween Simmons and Dawkins.
$50 this is valuable coal claim is it,
and Simmons has been prospecting on
it?' Norris repeated when Callie had
finished. "That accounts for Bill Sim
mons great efforts to scare me off the
land. And he and Jim Dawkins are 60
ing to take advantage of my sickness
and contract under me, are they? Early
tomorrow morning Why, we have no
chance at all, Callie. They will get the
claim from us in spite of all we can do"
he said, despondently.
"No they won't, Papa! There's a
chance yet" cried Callie, springing to
her feet.
81 know, if | was able to ride ahead
of them to the land office" said Norris,
with groan. "But | am too weak to
travel that far if the prize was the whole
of Kansas. Well have to let the villains
have it, Calle. A sick man can't fight
his enemies"
But we won't let them have it, Papa.
l can ride Dolly to the land office and tell
the agent about it."
at is too long ride for you, my
child" said the sick man. Besides, nv
presence would be necessary to secure
the contract; then | haven't money
enough to pay down. There's only $3.50
under that rock. ="
"Ill tell you, papa" she cried, eager
ly. Let me take that TO the land agent,
tell him the story, and maybe he'll keep
the claim for us till you can pay the rest.
DO let me try, papa. 1t will do no harm,
and may save your claim. | can start
on Dolly long before daylight and beat
Bill Simmons and Jim Dawkins to Fort
Scott. You must let me go, Papa
She was only little girl, and it was
fifteen miles to the land office. 1t seemed
a difficult, fruitless undertaking for her
to try to outwit two bold, reckless men.
who were so obstinatelv bent on getting
the claim away from them.
Callie went over the situation yerv
carefully with her father. At last, see.
ing how determined she was on trying to
save the claim, he gave reluctant con
sent to her going
She began making preparations for hel
journey, which were soon completed
Then seating herself by her fathers
couch she listened very attentively to his
instructions.
The moon came up soon after mid
night. Its light would relieve her long,
! lonesome ride.
Taking the $3.50 from beneath large,
h"t IoCh ny her ldther peu, she con-
cealed it in the bosom of her dress. Then
kissing her father, and bidding him not
worry about her, she left the dugout and
mounted Dolly, who stood bridled and
saddled, waiting to carry her young mis-
tress on her mission
She started across the prairie at brisk
trot. The moon shed deep, golden
light over the August parched grass, and
chased away the dark shadows down the
| lonely holIows TINT Yawned across hel