The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-18

were nearing, too the outer wood of
the present conflagration, and the
smoke, lying low in the unburnt woods
or creeping like an actual exhalation
OF the soil, blinded them so that at
times they lost the trail completely.
AT other times, from the intense heat,
1T seemed as if they were momentarily
Infringing upon the burning area or
were being caught in a closing circle.
II was remarkable that with his sud-
oen accession of fortune Key seemed
10 lose his usual frank fearlessness,
ana lmpatiently questioned his COM
panlons woodcraft There We're in
r reaa "a, w, when he regretted his haste to
feach SINNERS by this shorter cut.
ana began to bitterly attribute it to
MS desire to serve Collinson. All, yes.
II would be fine, indeed, if just ss he
were about to clutch the prize he
should be sacrificed through the ignor-
ahce and stupidity of this heavy
handed moralist at his sidei But it
was not until, through that moralist's
guidance. they climbed a steep ac-
cnvlty to a second ridge and were com
parat1vely safe that he began to feel
ashamed of his surly silence or s11rlier
interruptions. And Collinson. either
through his unconquerable patience
OF possibly, in fit of his usual uxori-
GUS. abstraction, appeared to take no
notice of it, --o
A sloping table land of weather
oeate1 boulders now effectuaIly sep
arated them from the fire in the
ioWer ridge. They presently began to
descend on the further side of the
crest, and at last dropped upon a wa
gon road and the first track of wheels
that Key had seen for a fortnigbt
Kude as it was, it seemed to him the
|! anyway to fortune, for he knew that
IL passed SINNERS, and then Joined
the great stage road to MarysviIle
his ultimate destination. A few y rods rods
Iurther on they came in view of Skim
nerS, lying like dingy, forgotten
snow drift on the rocky shelf.
1t contained a postoffice, tavern.
n4acksmith's shop, general store and
express office, scarcely a dozen build
lngs in all, but all divering from Col
Ensons mill in some vague suggestion
OF vitality, as if the daily regular pulse
OF civilization still beat, albeit Ian
guidly in that remote extremity. There
We're expectation and accomplishment
twice day, and as Key and CoI1inson
rode up to the express office the express
wagon was standing before the door
ready to start to meet the stage coach
at the cross roads three miles
away. This again seemed a spec
lal providence to- Key He had
Skinner as registrar and revealed
his claim; he had a hasty and confidential
aside with Skinner as general storekeeper.
ana SUCH was the unconscious magnetism
9eissveIoped by the embryo millionaire that
SKINNER extended necessary credit to Col
linson on Keys word alone That done
he reJoined Collinson in high spirits with
the news, adding eheerfully; "And I dare
say II you want any further advances
skinner will give them to you on Parker's
draft"
You mean that bit of paper that chap
ie! YES SAID c0llinson gravely.
Il tore it up"
. You tore it up?" calculated Key.
Key stared at him. Surely it was again
providential that; he had not entrusted his
secret to this utterly ignorant and preju-
DICED man! The slight twinge of con-
science that his lie about the slippers
had caused him disappeared at once. He
could not have trusted him even in that;
it would have been like this stupid fanatic
to have prevented Keys preemption Of
that claim until Collinson had satisfied
himself of the whereabouts of the missing
proprietors. Was he quite sure that Col
linson would not revisit the spot when he
had gone? But he was equal to the emer-
gency.
He had intended 10 leave his horse with
Skinner as security for Collinsons pro-
visions, but SINNERS liberality had made
this unnecessary, and he offered it to Col
linson to use and keep for him until called
Tor. Ih1S would enable his companion to
pack his goods on the mule, and oblige
him to return to the mill by the wagon
road and outside trail" as more commo-
dious for the two animals,
Eye amt afeared of the road agents?''
suggested a bystander. they swarm on
Gallopes Ridge, and they held UP, the
down stage only last week"
They're not SO lively since the deputy
sheriffs got new idea about them, and
have been lying low in the brush near
Bald Top returned Skinner. Anyhow
they don't stop teams nor packs, unless
there's a chance of their getting some
fancy horsefesh by it.. and l reckon thar
amt much to tempt them thar" he added
with a, satirical side glance at the CTS
toner's cattle. But Key was already
standing in the express wagon, giving a
farewell shake to his patient companion S
hand, and the inquiries pleasantly passed
unnoticed Nevertheless as the express
wagon rolled away his active fancy
caught at and disposed of this new dan
ger that might threaten the hidden wealth
of his claim. But he reflected thar for a
time at least only the crude ore would he
taken out and shipped to Marysville in a
shape that offered no profit to the high
wayman. Had it been gold nineI But
here again was the interposition of Provi-
dence!
In five days Prebel Key returned to
SINNERS with foreman and ten men
and an unlimited credit to draw upon at
Marysville Expeditions Of this kind Gre
ated no surprise at SINNERS. They had
before this entered the wilderness gay