Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-08-25

SESSNs OAASy
took was ove the same trail he had SO
often trod in the past two years; but
the rapid figure ahead did not halt at
the SHAFT" but kept straight on.
Some 90 rods further he turned and
doubled on his track. This maneuver
he repeated several times. then went
ahead again, Brandt following. Now
the path was crooked and uneven;
now darting straight up the side of
the mountain, then plunging as alb
ruptly down again. In this manner
they followed a course that took them
through unbroken paths of trees and
over ground quite unfamiliar to
Brandt. Suddenly, with the strange
second sight Of dreams. he realized
that the dark splatches on the snow
ahead of him were blood; and even
in his dream, his own blood ran cod.
At this juncture the form ahead of
him suddenly stopped short, and
Brandt. who was but a few PAGES be-
hind, pulled up Just in time to avoid
stepping into a dark, cavernous hole
that yawned at his feet. andall about
the margin the snow was splashed
with the dark red blood, while up
from the cavern at his feet issued q
faint groan. A cold SILVER passed
over his frame, the real cold OF the
snow and night air, and the feeling
of returning consciousness He
rubbed his eyes and looked about
him; he really stood On the mountain
side, and not far from home. He
could see his cabin at little distance.
But he was on the opposite side of
the mountain from his claim. He
must have gone clear around IL in his
dream. But how did he come there
at dead of night, and by what UNI
seen hand lei!
He was not a coward. A life in
the mines of California in those days
did not tend to lessen a mans cour-
age; but u feeling not unlike the
crawling of a Shiny snake down his
spine crept over him when he looked
about and found everything exactly
as he had seen it in his dream. There
was the pathway by which he had
come, and on that pathway we're
horrors! The patches of dark red
blood!
"God!" The ejaculation escaped his
lips inyoluntarily. Athis feet yawned
the dark cavern of his dreams, and
again, as then, he heard the faint
groan. Conquering an impulse to
put distance between that dark hole
and himself, he stood still and list
ened. The grOan was repeated. No!
not4a groan-a whine. The truth
came to him like a flash. cit is
Benz"
That thought dispelled all lesser
ideas, and lying down in the snow,
he peered into the hole, calling:
"Ben, dear boy, are you there?:" A
glad whine, a soft tap of his tail re.
sponded.
GOOD boy, be patient. I'll get you
out" and he darted down the side of
the mountain, taking the shortest
cut to his cabin, regardless of the
fact that his feet might at any mo-
ment run into some overgrown shaft.
1t was but a simple task to gather up
a blanket from his bed, astrong rope,
his pick and shovel and a dark Ian
tern, and hurry back to the spot
where he had left the dog.
Climbing down into the shaft he
found that it was not deep, and the
entrance to a tunnel, halfway inside
of which Ben lay. A hasty examina.
tion Of the dog showed that the
wound consisted Of a pretty badly
lacerated shoulder, probably being the
result of running against something
sharp on his way to the mine. This
accounted for the blood ON the snow;
and after losing considerable blood,
the dog was unable to get out Of the
shaft. and in some occult manner,
this fact was communicated to his
master.
Brandt did not waste time upon
speculations as to the cause of his
dogs condition, but quickly bound up
the shoulder in strips of rags which
he had brought for that purpose. The
dog submitted to this operation. with
his usual good sense and fortitude,
but when his master attempted to
move him, he resisted with all his
might. Finding resistance in vain,
he struggled to his feet, and looking
up into his masters face, with the
MISUNDERSTOOD look of intelligence
Brandt had SO often seen there, he
pressed his nose down to the spot
upon which he had lain.
Brandt put his lantern down close
to the ground, and examined it care.
fully. In spite Of his wounded shout
der, Ben wriggled about in the
fashion dogs have of showing their
satisfaction. A smothered eiacula-
tion broke from the young mar. He
had put his lantern close down to a
nugget of gold as large as his fist.
Ben licked his masters hand, and
wriggled almost out of his skin in his
delight.
Brandt tied up the nugget. in the
corner of the blanket, and looked
abouj for more. Every blow of his
pick yielded a piece of eartn rich with
the precious metal. The young fol-
lew. disannOinted for sn lonu md non,