Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-05-01

next passed, and nothing more rewarded
their toll.
/ But ON the third day after this Nanni
laid his pick down and came to Easton
and said quietly:
81 have found it,
And there it lay-clear to the noon
day sun, broad, free vein of quartz,
all sparkling and yellow with gold!
There it lay-this Lost Mine that had
been hidden for 800 years, and for
which men had searched and had given
their lives. There it lay-this ignis
fatuus which had lured men into the
desert to perish horribly. There it lay
this siren that the Malpais guarded
SO we'll; that it had guarded indeed al
most too we'll from Easton and Dick.
After this came weeks of unremitting
toll. The quartz was quarried out and
piled in masses, and each night Eastm
Toasted his eyes upon the days addi-
tion. As for Dick, he did not care SO
much for the gold itself. but he loved
the excitement of it, and so worked on
with an ardor equal to the other mans
But one morning he rose up with
strange weakness through all his veins,
and when he lifted his pick it was q
-mountain weight, and the sky and the
plain looked strange and weird shadows
chased before him.
He went into the adobe hut and laid
down, and Easton came and looked at
MIN with grave face.
BY night Dick was a very sick man.
Easton did what he could to make him
comfortable, and Nanni, making use of
his Indian love of herbs and simples,
prepared such medicines as he could
But fever, brought on by the incessant
toll under the hot sun, had him firmly
in its grip.
a week passed, and he was no better
Constantly delirious, the name of No
rah Dale was ever upon his lips.
That's the girl that sent him here
said Easton. ''She's probably sorry for
it by this time. If she amt, she ought
to be. But her loss was my gain.
AS the fever grew Easton became
more anxious.
Il don't want to lose you, Dick" he
said. lyon have saved my life twice I
should like to save yours once
But Dick only looked up at him with
unseeing eyes, and called the name of
Norah Dale.
"Confound it," cried the old miner.
"She don't care half as much about
him as l do"
One day Dick opened his eyes and
looked at his companion sane!y.
'Send foz her, old man. he said
I'm wait" And then he went off again.
Easton went out Of the cabin and look
ed away toward the, desert. "Oh, Lordn"
he sighed. "why didn't he give me
something hard: But I'll do it for him.
He said he'd wait. hope he knows"
He hunted up Nanni and gave him
minute directions for Dicks care, then
swung himself across one burro, took
another by a leading strap and started
upon his lonely journey.
Before leaving the camp he took a pic
ture from Dicks box that he had often
seen the bog pore over and carefully
copied the address written upon it. Then
he took Dicks thin hand in his own.
"You said you'd wait, Dick Now
don't forget. I'll bring her if mortal
man can" And then as the honest fell
low turned away there was something
very like prayer ON his lips-a prayer
for Dick s life, and for success upon his
own strange GRAND.
Six days later Easton swung himself
from his burro and into the telegraph
Office at Flagstaff and sent the following
message:
To Norah Dale, Wayneland, Ind:
Dick Rockicy is here. and dying Says he
| Will wait until you come.
| EpHRAIM EAsroN.
Then be went to the hotel and lay
down and slept-a thing that he had
hardly paused to do for six days-and
waited for the answer. This was it:
am coming. You must not let him die.
MORAN DALE.
1t was a weary wait. Easton busted
himself making such preparations as he
could for Norah's comfort on the terri
bic journey that she must take-little
enough he could do in this way at the
best-and in strengthening himself by
abundant sleep. In three days he had
another telegram. She would be there in
the morning.
Easton had felt hard toward this un-
known woman at first, because he felt
that she had not been kind to Dick But
when she had started at once to obey his
cali, he began to soften. When she had
alighted from the train and found him
ont, and with calm, pale face, but with
her beautifully eyes swimming in tears,
had besought him TO say that Dick still
lived. he became her abject slave.
In the fewest possible words he told
her where Dick was and how they must
reach him.
II can be ready in an hour" she
said. Il should like to go to the hotel
and change my dress
1T is hard trip and a dangerous
one" he said. Are you sure You are
not afrsid."
1T will take me to Dick" she said
by way of answer.
There will be none but us two" he
said again. Are you not afraid to trust
me.''
You are Dicks friend" said the
girl simply.
Y