The morning times., 1895-09-01

theresults OF theirlast successes, but one pair
of sadde-bags bore the mlldeWed appear
ance OF having been cached or buried some
time before. Most OF their treasure was
IN packages OF gold dust, and from the
conversation that ensued it appeared that,
owing 10 the difficulties Of dispostng OF It
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT eplan wastoConvey
it by ordinary pack mule to the unfrequented
valley and thence by an emigrant wagon
on the old emigrant trail 70 the southern
counties, where it could be no longer traced
Since the recent robberies the. local ex-
press companies and bankers had refused 10
receive ii except the owners were knownand
identified. There had been but one box OF
coin, which had already been speedily
divided up among the band. Drafts, bills
bonds and valuable papers had been usually
intrusted to one Charley" who acted as a
flying messenger TO q corrupt broker in
Sacramento, ,whop played the roIeo ftheband's
fence" II had been the duty Of Chiyers
to control this delicate business, even as 10
had been been his peculiar function to open
all the letters and documents. This he had
always lightened by characteristic leyity
andsaTcasttC comments. Thorough ,ill-spelt
letter of the miner to his wife fnClCsing
a draft, or the more sentimental effusiOn
of an emigTaut swain to his sweetheart
with the gift OF q specimen" =" had always
received due attention at the hands of this
elegant humorfst. The two leaders saS
opposite to each other, Ia what might have
appeared 10 the rest OF the band a scarcely .
veiied surveillance or eacn others actions.
When the examination was concluded and
the more valuable enclosures put aside, the
dcspOied letters were carried to the fire
and heaped upon the Goals. Presently
the chimney added it's roar 70 the meaning
Of the distant hillside; few sparks Ieaped
and died out in the midnight air, as II the
pathos and sentiment or the unconscious
correspondents had exhaled with them
That's a foolish thing TO oO,}
growled French Pete over his cards
"Why?' demanded Chiyers sharply
''Why?-why it makes a flare in the sky
that any scout can see, and a scent for him
to follow"
We're fourmiles from any Travelled road"
returned Chlvers contemptuousIy, and
the man who could see that glare and
smell that smoke would be on his way here
already"
THAT reminds me that that chap you've
tied up-that CoIlinson-aIlows he wants
to see you" continued French Pete.
ITO see met" repeated ChIveB. You
mean the Captain
II reel kon he means you" returned
French Pete; he said the man who talked
so purity"
The men looked at each other with a
smile Of anticipation, and put down their
cards Chivers walked towards the door
one OF two rose to their feet as II TO
follow, but riggs stopped them perempto-
rly. ''Sit down." be said roughly. then,
as Chivers passed hiEl- lie added 10 aim i Il
lower tone, ''RenIembar.
Slightly squaring his shoulders and open
ing his coat to permit a rhetorical free
dom, which did not, however, prevent him
from keeping in touch with the butt OF his
revolver, CuIvers stepped into the open air.
CoHiuson had been moved TO tie shelter Of
On overhaEg Of the roof, probably more
for the comfort or the guard, who sat cross
legged on tie ground near him, than for
his own DisniisSiug the man with a ge=t-
Ure, Chivers Strengthened himself before
his captive.
We deeply regret that your unfortunate
determination. my dear sir, LaS been the
means Of depr@iug Us OF tie pleasure -
your company, and you OF your absolute
freedom, but may we cherish the hope that
your desire to see NE may indicate some
change in your Opiniou?"
BY the light OF the sentIy's lantern,
left upon the ground, Chivers could see
that Collisions face Wore a slightly
troubled and even Apologize expression.
I've bin thiHkin - said CoHnsCn, rais-
ing his eyes TO lls Captor with q siTEularIy
new and shy admiration in them. ''mcbbce
not so much OF wot You said ez aOw YOU aid
It, and it's kinder bothered me, sittiu' aere,
that I amt b-=-aCtin' 10 YOU boys quite on
the square I've said to mygeIf. Collin
son, thar amt another house betw5xt Bald
Top and SINNERS whar thCm fellows KIN
get a bite or a drink 70 help themselves,
and you amt offered en- neither II amt
no matter who they are ur how they Came1
whether they came crawling along the
road from the valley or dorpped down upon
you like them rocks from the grade, yerc
they are, and it's your duty. eZ long ez
you keep this yere house FOR your VIE in
trust, so to FEeak, Tor wanderers. And
amt forgettin' yer giLeral soft style and
easy gait with me when yCu KEN here 1t
amt every man as could walk into another
mans house arter the owner of u had
grabbed q gun. tz sOft-spcakin', eZ over
lOokin', ard eZ pCrlite Cz You I've acted
mighty rough and low down, and know it.
And I sent for you To say that you and
your folks kin use this house ard al that's
in II ez long ez you're in trouble. I've told
you why I cculdn tEeH the house to ye ard
why Couldn't leave it. But you kin use it,
and while we're here, ard when you 50,
ColHnson don't tell nobody. / don't bEow
what We mean by binding myself to keep
your secret: when COlhnsou says a ts.EE he
sticks to it, ard when he passes his word
with a man or man passes his word with
him, il don't reed no bit of paper"
There was no doubt or its truth. In the
grave, appraised eyes or his prisoner Chiyers
saw the certainty that he could trust linn.
even far more than he could trust anyone
within the house that he had just quilted
But this very certainty, for all its asSur-
ance of safety to himself, filled him, not
with renlorse, which might have been an
evanescent enIOl"ou. but with a sudden and
alarming and terrible consciousness that ne
was in the presence of a hiti,ertounknpwu
and immeasurabIe powerl He had no pity
for the man who trusted him; he had nn
sense OF shame in taking advantage OF is;
he even felt an intellectual superiority in
this want Ofsagacity In his dupa, but hestiII
felt nsonle way defeated, msaIted, shocked
and frightened Atfirst, ike aIIscoundrelS,
he had measured The man by hHnsell was
suspicious and prepared for rivalry, but
the grave UruthfulneSs of COllinS1n's eyes
left him helpless. He was terrified by tsis
unknown factor. The right that contends
and fights often stimulates its advcr-
sary; the right that yields, leaves the victor
vanquished. Chivers could even have killed