The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-03

two or three feet high above the swift
water Letsurely they approached him,
coming to his side.
Let's see," said Wayne again.
Suddenly Maxwell dashed between
them, running some twenty yards
away from the river. His rifle
sprang to his shoulder; his eve
glanced keenly through the sights.
Wacht cen beetle, you scoundrels!
ne shouted in triumph. "Move a foot
ana III crop you to the crocodllesl
Wacht cen beetle! It's my turn nowr'
He stood between them and their
arms and with his rifle a repeater,
they knew he was a sure shot They
both turned white and neither spoke.
AT last, with an oath. Wayne found
utterance.
rs this a joker" he cried angrily.
About as much so as when you hit
me over the head With knobkerrie.'
said Maxwell calmly. 81 know now
VINO the Beers were. You and your
hunting pass! You talk too much. Ser
seant Wayne! When you repeated
that call for help-'Wacht cen beetle
ON the march today. 1 recognized
your voice: when you told me how
you and Roberts had been out hunt
ing without leave, You made me think,
and now l know. Give me that belt
next your skinny beltv'
on you're crazy!' cried the sergeant.
with forced laugh. What belt?''
The one l saw about you when your
shirt was drawn aside by the firewood
you carried! Unbuckle it and throp.
1t here before l count threei Quick!
The sergeant glared furiously, b-.A
| made no movement
| ''One! "i' -~
''Twow
The sergeant sull1ily moved his hand.
The surly trooper. Roberts, who had
hitherto remained still, suddenly broke
the silence by a torrent of oaths.
You ASST he cried. turning ON
Wayne. Didn't 1 tell you to give ms
my share and throw away the beltf
But you wouldn't; you wanted a chancs
to bolt with it all! And now you've
queered us BOTH"
In paroxysm of rage he flung his
heavy fist backward in the face of his
accompllce. Wayne, taken by surprise.
retreated, and his second step carried
him over the bank into the stream. He
went down with an appalling cry.
drawn from him not so much by dread
Of the current as by the swift and hor-
rid recollection of what fearful beasts
had there their home. In such an in
slant the minds Of men betray each it's
normal trend, and the two men left on
the bank now proved what instincts
SWayed their actions
THE belt. The belt" yelled Roberts
Hes got the beltl" and he leapsd from
the bank to save the gold. Maxwell
uttered no word he had heard that de-
spairing cry, had seen the agonized
face as the man fell, and he dropped
his rifle and leaped into the stream to
save a fellow creature, although a mo-
ment before he was Sternly determined
to shoot him where he stood. The two
Ieaped so nearly together and so closely
after the falling body that all three
were struggling in the water together.
They were all good swlmmers-pionee
had need to be-and in another instant
they would have scrambled out, when
from the mud bank, near the shore
there slid a dusky form that plunged
heavily into the water. All three troop
ers heard that omin0us plunge close to
them. and all three knew what caused
1t. With a piteous yell. Wayne, sud-
denly paralyZsd with fear screamed:
Save me! Maxwell. Maxwell, save
mei' Maxwell was already clinging to
the bank. but he turned to the river
again, and saw the sergeant, so strick-
en- with horror that he was utterly I'M
able to reach the shore. Two strokes
bore the youngster 20 the sinking
mans side Maxwell caught him with
his left hand and grasped the belt
about his waist. With all his strength
he drew Wayne to the bank and drag.
ged him ashore. Utterly out of the jaws
of o huge crocodile. q
Then another yell OF agony arose
from the river. The great reptile dis
appointed at lis first attempt had dart
ed about. It's jaws opened eRce .106re
and closed. The next momeut, save
for a reddish tinge on the WATER the
river flowed on as before, ana Roberts
had disappeared.
Wayne was weak as a child from
shock, and sobbed Historically, implor-
ing young Maxwell not to leave him.
Tn the collapse of his nerves he him
self unloosened the belt of gold and
rave II to the other. and poured out,
with a flood of tears his confession,
telling how the dead man and he,
knowing somehow of MaxwelPs mis-
sion. had left the camp and laid in wait
for him.
Maxwell said little, but as soon as
the sergeant had recovered sufficiently
he ordered him to saddle up, although
it was not dark, and through all that
night they rode their weary horses
back to camp. but with positions re-
verSed, for he who came out as a
prisoner returned as the guard
At early morning the young pioneer
told his story in the commanding chi
GERS tent, giving him the belt with
the money intact and, as the officer
shook hands and congratulated him,
Maxwell saluted and said with a trium-
plant smile:
eff you can trust me again. sir.
shall be glad to complete my mission"