The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
THREE
Or,
The Big Strike on Heavy Tree Hill.
BY BRET HARTE.
tCopuiOht, 1895, bp Bret Hnrtt.)
PROLOGUE-tCont,rue dj.


He roso quickly. but silently: alert. self.
contained and mcnacing. For this drtamer,
this borrowed man. this scornful philosopher
OF riches had disappeared with that midnight
trespass upon the sacred treasure. The move
mont Of tho blanket ceased; the soft. swishinu
sound recommended. lie drew a Rlittering
bowie knife from his bootleg. and In three
n~oIseless strides was beside tho pile. There he
saw what he fully expected 70 sea narrow.
horizontal gap between the log walls Of the
cabin and the adobe floor. slowly widening and
deepening by the burrowing of unseen hands
from without. Tho cold outer air which he
had felt before was now plainly flowing into
the heated cabin through tho opening. The
svishinR sound recommended and STOPPED.
Then the four fingers Of n hand. palm down
ward, were cautiously introduced bctwceen
the bottom log and the dcnuded floor. Upon
that intruding hand tho bowie knife OF
Domorost descended like n flash Of lightning.
There was no outory-even In that supreme
moment Demorest felt n panR OF admiration
for tho stnicism OF the unseen treepasser but
the MANNED hand was quickly withdrawn.
And as quickly Demorest rushed 70 the door
and dashed into the outer darkness.
For an instant he was dazed and bewildered
by the sudden change. But the next moment
ha saw q lodging. doubling figure running
after him. and threw himself upon II. In tho
shock both men fell. but even in that contact
Demorest felt tho tangled beard and alco-
holio fumes OF Whisky Dick, and felt also
that the hands which were thrown UP against
his breast. the palms tn Ned outward with the
instructive movement of a.timid. defenceloss
man. were unstained by soil or blood. With
an oath he threw tho drunkard from him. and
dashed to the rear OF the cabin. But too latol
There. indeed. was the scattered earth. there
rho wfdenod burrow as IL had been excavated
apparently by that mutilated hand-but moth
ing elsei
Ho turned back to whiskey Dick. But the
miserable man. although still retaining o look
Of dazed terror In his eyes. had recovered his
feet In o kind Of angry confidence and forced
sense Of injury. What did Demorest mean by
attacking linn Sshont" gentlemen on the trail
outside his c.sr,t Yes! outside his cabin. he
would swear II.
what were you doing h.r, at midnight"
demanded Demorast.
What was he doing? What was any gentle
man doing2 He wasn't any molycoddle. to
60 to bed ut 10 o'clock! What was he doing?
well-he'd been with mon whu didn't shut
their doorr and turn She boys out juet in the
shank of the evening. He wasn't any Barker.
TO be wet-nursed by Demorest.
Some one elsN was here?' said Demorest.
sternly. with his eyes fixed on Whisky Dick.
The dull glaze which seemed to veil the outer
world from the drunkard'a pupils shifted
suddenly with such u look Of direct horror that
Demorest was fain to turn away his own. But
tho veil nercifully returned, and with It Dicks
worked-up sense of injury. Nobody was there
not "a shole." Did Demorest think II there
had been any OF his friends there they would
have stood by like ''dogsh" and seen him In
sulted7
Demorest turned away and re-entered the
cabin as Dick lurched heavily forward,
still muttaring. down tho trail. The excite
ment over. q sickening repuEnance to the
whole incident took the place of Democrats re-
sentiment and indignation. There had been a
cowardly attempt to rob them Of their miser-
able treasure. He had mot IT and frustrated II
in almost rs brutal a fashion: the gold was al
ready furnished with blood. To his surprise.
yet relief. he found bis partners unconscious OF
the outrage. still sleeping with the physical
immobility of over-excited and tired men.
Should he awaken them? Nc. He should
have TO a saken alec their suspicious and de-
sire for revenge. There was no danger of q
further attack: there was no fear that the cul-
prit would disclose himself. and tomorrow
they would be far away. Let oblivion rest up
on that rights stain on the honor of Heavy
He rolled q small barrel before the opening.
smoothed the dislodged earth. replaced the
ran with its treasure. Ind trusted that In the
ners might not notice any change. Stopping
before the bunk OF Stacy. he glanced at the
breathing heavily. and his hands were moving
toward his chest as IT.. indeed. his strange fan.
Demnrest would have Weakened him. but pres.
emily. with a sigh or relief. the sleeper turned
HxS = on whose VI s,oe damp c y s'e Se.e mated sio over II
his smooth. boyish forehead. and whose lips
were parted in a smile under e the silks Nv. wings q
he trying 70 speak. and remembering sc me pre-
vious revelations which had amused them,
answering smile. waiting fol the beloved ones
name TO pass the young mans lips. But he
dollars!" The elder man turned away with a
grave face. The influence of the treasure wal
When he had placed one of the chairs against
the unprotected door at an angle which would
prevent sny easy or noissless Intrusion, De,
his bunk and turned his face tow. rd the single
window Of the cabin that looked toward the
tempt against the gold. He did moi, fear a rob
berry. with force Of arms. although he was sat,
In It. but that he attributed only to the incum'
berine weight, Of their expected booty. He
s sI%slT bef yS,ti Sts f sy.s the ss dawn an.et u v ~i.s % &c +:
which meant the vanishing of the pallid snow
on the roof. The air was chill; he drew his
blanket around him. Then he closed his eyes
opened them the. door was standing open in
the strong daylight. He aprang to his feet
but the next moment he saw IT, was only Stacy
who had passed out and was returning fully
dressed bringing water from the spring to Al
the kettle. But Stacy's face was SO era ve that
recalling his disturbed sleep. Demorest laugh.
inRly inquired II he had been haunted by the
treasure. But to his su prise Stacy pint down
che kettle and with 2 hurried glance at the still
II want You to do something for me withou,
asking why. Later l will tell you"
Demorest looked at him hxedly. "What Il
it7' he said.
ments. Don't wait TO close IN or put away
ANYTHING here but clap that gold In the saddle,
, for Boomville. I will overtake you later"
us there no time to discuss thisi" asked
mo- said Stacy sharply. Call me a crank,
Say I'm in n blue !unk,-his compressed lin.
and sharp black eyes did not lend themselves
much to that hypothesis -''only get out Of THU
With that stun and take Barker with you. I'm
not responsible for myself while it's here"
Delnorest know Stacy to be combative but
practical. II he had not been assured OF hi
partners last nights slumbers he might hav.
thought he knew OF the attempt, Or II he had
y r. a..r.l - 1900 l. u. -