The Ravalli Republican., 1898-07-20

me Iefore Of where he'd come from
or what he'd been doing, but now
he cot delirious and began chatter
ing at great rate. | WASH more
than half recovered myself, weak
as a girl, and sight more nervous
than most girls. When he began to
talk to people I had never heard Of,
as if they were present, and to talk,
too, of things it made mo white to
hear of all alone in that SILENT lono-
ly hut in these horrible, gloomy,
watching mountains, | had q mind
to cut and run. But whatever he
/ had been, he was my mate now, and
stuck by him, wondering it I'd
have strength enough to bury him
decently deep. One night the rains
came en-, and you know what they
are in the mountains. The water
came down with a crashing roar on
the huge gray rocks which nigh
equaled the rolling thunder peals in
tho clouds. | wanted comrade bad
that night I'd have welcomed q
Zulu. B]akely was raving, and Twas
trembling SO with weakness and
nervous far could not bring him a
cup Of water without spilling it.
Then what must he do? What but
get it into his crazy head I was a
priest, and he wanted to confess.
He got out of his blankets and came
to the log of wood I was sitting on,
or shaking on, and knelt at my
knees. In his delirium he was far
stronger than | was, and couldn't
push him away. He blurted it all
out, with all that crash Of clouds
and roar Of rain to emphasize the
eternal horror Of it. 5....-.
'Those CHASTITY hills are full of
the ghosts Of people long dead, seek
ers for gold. Men may laugh at the
notion, but spend a day and q night
among them alone and you'll know
it for certain. They were all out that
night in the storm in and about our
hut, and Blakely knew it, too, for if
ever a man was in a hurry to con-
fess and get absolution he was that
night. I'm not going to tell you the
story in full Indeed he was often
incoherent He'd been in Australia
with chap he called simply Tom,
prospecting, of course. They'd had
bad luck and We're about giving it
up when Tom got news from home
inclosing draft for some hundreds
Of pounds, a legacy left him. Off
the two went to town to cash the
draft, and suppose Blakely thought
that Tom would use the money to
start the two afresh But Tom was
sick Of it and wanted to 90 back to
England. I tell you it was a beast]y
cruel thing to sit shivering OH that
log and listen to Blalxely eXcusing
himself for what he did, Tom cash
ed his draft in gold, and Blakely
when they were staying in the same
room in tavern where they had
been drinking that night, crept tc
his sleeping mates bunk, dashed !:
knife into his heart and took the
money and got safe away. It eased
the wretch to confess, for he slipped
back to his blankets and lay Oh his
back, quiet, with his eyes closed.
The storm kept up, and I sat sweat
ing there, afraid to stay with the
murderer and afraid to 90 out
among the bowling devils in the
/ hills. | was SO weak and unstruns
! I sat just moaning and crying an(
, stutiin9 my ears against tho riot Q:
the rains.
First l knew l began to sl1ive1
t with a chill, and, just like Mr. Cope
, land when ne was at school, fel:
} death coming and thought it was
( for me. I was nearer dead than
alive. The hut grew cold as an ice
!, box, and suddenly, as I shivered, tht
< strip Of canvas we had fastened fol
/ q door was pulled aside and in walk
E cd a likely looking young fellow
: calm as could be. He was dressed
7 in a shabby blue shirt and loos,
L jacket, broad slouch hat and heavy
miners boots, and he carried long
. open clasp knife in his right hand
: He paid no attention to me, bu
: walked straight to Blakeiy's sid
with a devi]ish, ugly look.
u Hello, Blakely!' he said
Q Where's that gold Of nine2'
|. 'Blake]y opened his eyes with
d gurgle in his throat and tried t
:, scream out and couldn't. But tn
: look on his face was fearful. TIL
Y miner waited for no answer, bu
i raised his knife and dashed it dow
t. on the murderer's breast. l couldn'
d call out or move. But just as tn
it point touched Blakely S skin it stop
C ped, and thB miner and it were gone
IS not out of the door-God know
how. Then my mate found voic
y and strength and sat up in bed an
It screamed-a fearful SCI cam, and
a fell hack, turning to me.
n Water, he whispered 'Ol
0 man, thought I was gone. I ha
t. such a horrible dream
;e II couldn't move I couldn't e,
n. him ,vHtn7, T oo,7I3 np1y cit ~,