Gloucester County Democrat., 1898-09-29
THE YELLOW GOD.
*Goodby.

Tom Jenkins ran his hand through
the gold that lay heaped on the floor of
the shack. 'Seems to me, Billy" he
said slowly, "that hopin to find it is
better'n finding it. -
Dull CLEANS of light from a smoky
lantern fell athwart the face of the old
miner rugged, homely, deep furrowed
by time and hardships and offering a
marked contrast indeed to the hand
some, patrician features of Billy Bailey,
his junior partner.
"FindiI, Billy, means quittin. It's
an end to the wants an privations I've
knowed fer nigh 20 year. But somehow
I've come to like these still ole noun
tains, an the singin of the pines an the
river. They We growed like friends, an
I'm never lonesome among EN-. Listen,
you can hear 'em now. Maybe it's the
las time they'll ever sing fer me-"
"We're goin back to civilization, "
continued Tom, unheeding the other IS
lack Of sympathy with his reminiscent
mood, 'tan that means separation. ]
know you like me, Billy. A feller
couldn't want better pardner than
you've been fer the two year I've know
ed you. But with your eddication, an
your young blood, an your ambitions, you
ain t my kind in civ lization. We can't
be the same down there. I couldn't ex-
pect it. But 1 think powerful deal of
you, Billy. r.
sob, come, Tom, y broke in his COM
panion impatieltly, you're in the
dumps tonight. Take drink and brace
up. Should think you'd look on the
bright side of things now. We've work
ed and starved i'll these cursed wilds for
gold until at last we've got it. Think
of the city's $1,000 pleasures that this
stake can buy for US. There no life in
these id solitudes. It's there in the
crowded streets, and it can all be ours
when we've got such god-the god OF
gold-to see us through. =
Billy laughed gloatingly in anticipa-
tion. Then once more he fixed his eyes,
with a glittering intensity, on the yel-
low heap, which meant for him all that
life can mean to selfish, love lack ma
ture.
"But it amt fer me, persisted Tom.
"I'm past them things. If it want fe1
the hope of findin the old woman down
there in Frisco an maxim her comforta-
BILE, I'd stay. don't care fer the gold
after all. I've found it, an my hungerin
fer it's satisfied.
Billy made no answer. He had long
since become resigned to the diversity
of their tastes, and tonight he was in
no mood for argument He got out
some materials and began to repair d
rent in his coat Tom rose presently
and dumped the nuggets into gunny
sack Then he arranged his blankets
for the night.
Put it away safe, Billy" he said
jocularly. "We're already ON the edge
of civ 'lization an must learn to be per-
tickler."
''I'll look after it, never fear,' said
the other shortly. Good night.
Billy finished his task, but his mind
was still busy with thoughts of the fu-
ture. He rose and stepped out into the
night. At his feet the turbulent river
rushed blackly along, its foam crests
cleaning like dull silver in the clear
starlight. Behind him lowered in silent
majesty the rugged, wooded mountains.
The air was heavy with the breath Of
the pines. But Billy saw none of the
beauty of the night. The mountains
awakened memories Of hardships and
hopelessness, the river was only high
way to civilization. He lit his pipe and
began to pace up and down the shelving
shore.
There was none of the stuff of which
heroes are made in Billy Bailey's COM
position. Had the fates seen fit to con-
tinue their kindly beginning he would
probably have developed into one of the
horde of whited sepulchers that SC
largely make up what the world is
pleased to term the respectable of hu-
manity-those who observe the conven.
tions to the letter, indulge every desire
with a studied care that wins the APP
proyal Of men, and, dying, are respect
fully buried and speedily forgotten. On
the contrary, fate had preferred giving
Billy a chance to prove his mettle. His
college career cut short by the melting
away of his fathers fortune, he awoke
one morning to find himself face to
face with the world, his wits his only
capital.
He remembered tonight his struggles
to maintain his social position, the
Sights heaped upon him by erstwhile
boon companions, the gradual sinking
away of hope until, with starvation
staring him in the face. he had shipped
in vessel bound round the Horn. .
On his lips were curses for the friends
who had failed him, in his heart re-
solve some day toretaIiate. He recalled
his hardships ON the western frontier,
his final falling in with old Tom .Jen-
kins and the hopeless search for gold