Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-02-03
|HT THE SIGN Of |
THE GOLDEN HORN.

~AHit- VflttF.
~ saon ~ Joyce left the cabin.
CIarksou's hand stole under some spare
clothes which fovmeft lIls pillow, and
hts fingers spaeis,-t u rough. stiff cloth,
hehind which we're many knotty pro-
t~uiprancrS. The touch satisfied him.
He withdrew his hand and was ready
To take the pannikiH OF water when
MS companion handed IL 10 him.
Joyce 90 together the materials for
ilis supper such a. IL was. and are IL in
the cabin. The SieS man could eft
nothing. but ~ drank some more wa
Ter g~reetiily.
Ii was night, and Joyce relied his
blanket round him and lay down in "A
Of the feant herths. He e0uid not
watch all day ami all night too. he told
himself, go he left the tiller lasreti
amistsfiips and lay down. In less than
five minutes IN. was fast asleep AMI
snoring. CIarsson lay md watched
him. but no sleep came 20 his eyes un-
tfl the grey light of dawn stole through
the lIaif-open door. With the daylight
sheep. wooesi In rain all night. came 10
him of her own accord. and no slept
like one already dead.
When tire suaieanIS rose warm AMI
strong into the cabin. Joyce awoSe AMI
| looked about him. He arose iaziiy Insi.
without making any change in his ut
| tire beyond tightening his belt. wfieif
| ne had ioosest when he lay down. he
went out into Nc welt" OF the. boat
and let his gaze travel round the hort
| z0n.
But before he had completed the cir
etIit iie gave a ioud gasp and cry. For
there. not many miles 10 the south
wart wa the smoke 0f 4 steamer.
Dicks FIRST Impulse was ~ dash INTO
the cabin, and 10 tell the good news TO
his comrasse. But Tim Clarkson was
still sleeping. Even The h0arse. cry Of
delight which Joyce had uttered when
ie saw the smoke had not aroused him.
"Ughi I hate him the sfsigy beastT'
Dick said aIautI, though under his
breath. Serve him rigfr IL T don't
wske him at all! Im not his partner,
why should r. I'm nor bound to.
Twenty pounds, Ard his belt "a fuii
Of nuggets as IL viii holef""
Nm evfl Thought. born OF envy and
nursefl by a certain sense. thar the sick
man was not treating him fairly. had
come into liis mind: il made the sweat
break ON kis brow. and causett his legs
To trembie underneath him.
Let's sas IL I could do IT." he said 10
himself. smiling rs he spoke. -ff he
wakes It'll pretend II was a joke to
Brighten him III he doeSn't-Fn think
OF II. I don't need 10 do il unless 1
like
He stopped and picked np n hit Of
eanvas that lay ON the flsger. n rolled
IL intro n stiff roll four OF five inches in
diameter. Then he creuehesi down M
the head vt the bunk, being as careful
70 keep OuS of the line OF sight OF the
sick man as III he were awake and
able to- defend himself. Then he grip
ped the bundle OF clothing on which
siarkson's head lay. and hei,f il firmly
against the head Of the berth. So that
IL would not sink; and not until this
was zone did he insert the ends of his
fingers vnfier the bundle.
His instinct had not mlsfed him.
The bundle was there. Very gently he
pulled IL away. still holding the bundle
up with his other hand. and as soon
IA II was free. he Inserted the roll OF
canvas in it, place. The operation was
entirely s~uccessfui. The belt of which
Jim ciarSson had ravest through many
a feyer-strieken night was in his hands
NJ last.
"A curse was breatheti on the air gent
Nv. so AZ not 90 disturb the sleeper.
wfer Joyce lifted the belt II was far
lighter than he had expectet 10 find ii
far too lighs to be- filed with goid
nuggets and gold dust. Bat when he
came. 70 feel gently asong its entire
| length. n new expression. one OF i'm
| creiuious wonder, came into his face.
Hastily drawing out his knife. lie slit
one of the many short seams which
crossed the belt in all directions. aud
| there drannsrd infD his palm what
looked TO him like two or three flint
pebbles. Joyee had been long enough
in South Africa 10 know that they
were diamonds.
He slipped the diamonds into his
pocket. and threw another loDk Mt the
sleeping man. this time n look OF tr1.
umphant hate. ITO have all these
thousands az bis middle and talk OF
giving me twenty pounsS-the mean
lIoundF' was the Thought in his mind
~ he left the cabin with the belt i'm hts
| hand.
AT the first look he gave seaward his
heart almost stopped beating. The
steamer was actually passing Them at
a Distance OF about three miles. She
had been FAR nearer than he bad srp-
posed Dropping the belt. he tore on
his shirt, and a minute later L. was
ffuttering in the light breeze half way
up he mast. and Joyce was standing.
nearly naked. staring ~ the steamer.
with eyes which looked as IL madness
was lot very far OF.
Soon a booming sound came over the
sea. 10 was the steamers whistle.
blown to assure the castawny that his
signal had been seen, and that help
would be sent. At the same moment
she altered her curse. heading almost
directly for the sioop.
Joyce drew the shirt down and nut N
on He then entered the cabin on tin
toe, and. carefully avcrting his face
from the mar In the bunk. he gatiieresl
together a few c~iothers-aii he had
Brought with him-and tieG them se-
curpIy In a bundle. with The canvas
belt ne the bottom OF II. BY the time
this was done the steamer was ciose
by. and a small boat was leaving her
! side.
Hes foo i'll TO De transhipped. He
would die IL they were to haul hin IN