The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-30
"wen, we never told JED about it"

well, we never told JEFF about it"
L declare exclaimed Roswell, how
came we to forget it,"
This gold drove it out of our minds;
1 never thought of il until this minute;
l tell you, Roswell, 1 believe something
has gone wrong"
And Frank sat down, removed his
cap and wiped his moist forehead with
his handkerchief.
What could have gone wrong?"
asked the other Lao, wh5 despite his
jauntineSS, shared in a degree the anXl-
ETY. o. his friend.
"All the gold we have gathered is in
the cavern: L believe, Hardman, and
those fellows are in the neighborhood
and mean TO steal it,"
It's a pity we didn't think of this
before" said Roswell, laying down his
shovel; lets go back to the cavern and
keep watch Till jeff comes back"
Inspired by their new dread, they
hastily gathered up what gold had been
washed out slowed it into another can
vas bag, and then Frank slung 1t half
filed over his shoulder and started for
the cavern, something more than an
eighth of a mile away.
They walked fast and in silence, for
the thought in the mind of both was
the same. From the first the most i'm
prudent carelessness had been shown,
and they could not understand how
jeff ever allowed the valuable store TO
remain unguarded. 1t was true, as has
already been stated, that the section,
despite the rush of lawIeSS characters
that have fiocked thither, is one of the
best governed in the world, and no Of
ficers could be more watchful and ef-
fective than the mounted police of the
northwest, but the course of our friends
had much the appearance of a man
leaving his pocketbook in the middle
of the street and expecting to find it
again the next day.
a bitter reflection of the boys was
that this never would have been the
case had they told JEFF of the presence
of the suspicious individual in the
neighborhood. If anything went amiss
they felt that the blame must rest with
them. If matters were found right, they
would not leave the cavern until one or
both of their friends returned.
When half the distance was passed,
Roswell who was in the lead, broke
into a lope, with Frank instantly doing
the same. A minute later they had to
slacken their pace because of the need
TO climb some boulders and make
their way through an avenue between
massive rocks, but the instant it was
possible, they were trotting again
1t had been the custom for the gold
SOthGIS To IdkC 1ulCll Will liCIll ~
the diggings. This saved time, and
their real meal was eaten in the even
ing after their return home.
The moment Roswell caught sight of
the round, irregular opening which
served as the door of their dwelling, he
anXiously scanned it and the pile of
wood and embers on the outside, where
the fire was kindIed for cooking pur-
poses. The fact that he saw nothing
amiss gave him hope, but did not re-
move the singular distrust that had
brought both in such haste from the
diggings.
He ran faster, while Frank, discom-
NODDED by the heavy, bouncing bag over
his shoulder, stumbled and his hat fell
off. With an impatient exclamation,
he caught it up, recovered himself and
was Of again.
AS he looked ahead he saw Roswell
duck his head and plunge through the
opening.
rs everything right?" shouted Frank,
whose dread intensified with each pass
ing second.
Before he could reach the door, out
came his cousin, as if fired by a cata
putt. His eyes We're staring and his
face as white as death.
Right" he gasDed; 1--WE have been
robbed! All the gold is gone,"
And overcome by the shock, the poor
fellow collapsed and sank to the
ground as weak as a kitten. Frank
let the bag fall and Strengthened up.
No; it cannot be-" he said in a husky
voice
Look for yourself replied Roswell,
swallowing a lump in his throat and
turning his eyes pitifully toward his
comrade.
a strange fear held Frank motion
less for several seconds. Despite the
startling declaration of his cousin,
faint hope thrilled him that he was
mistaken, and yet he dared not peer
into the interior through dread Of find
ing he was not.
Rejecting, however, upon the child
ish part he was playing, he pulled
himself together, and with the delib
Grafton of Jeff Graham himself, bent
his head and passed through the door.
Enough sunlight penetrated the cav
ern to reveal the whole interior in the
morning the row of canvass bags was
neatly arranged along the further wall,
where they stood like so many corpu-
lent little brownies.
Every one had vanished
Frank Mansley stared for a moment
in silence. Then he stepped forward
and called in strong. firm voice:
Come. Roswell, Guicki"
The other reused himself and hastily
advanced.
Take your revolver" said Frank, as
ne showed his own into his hip pocket
and began strapping Jeffs cartridge
belt around his waist. AS Roswell