Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-06-09
liz,

"Blakely was always silent, glum
| chap, and no particular pal of mine,
but we had taken up together, be-
cause two's better than one, and there
was nobody else about in Kimberley at
the time we started out willing to risk
his life prospecting in that wild coun-
try, for this thing was before the Zulu
war. Blakely was sick. l soon saw
his chances were mighty slim to pull
through. He had never talked to me
| before of where he'd come from or
what he'd been doing, but now he got
delirious, and began chattering at q
great rate. [ wasn't more than half
recovered myself, weak as a girl, and
q sight moro nervous than most girls.
When he began to talk ITO people |
had never heard of, as if they were
present, and to talk, too, of things it
made me white to hear of, all alone in
that silent, lonely hut in these horri-
BILE, gloomy, watching mountains, [
had a mind to cut aud run. But
whatever he had been, he was my
mate now, and L stuck by him, won
dering il I'd have strength enough to
bury him decently deep. One night
the rains came on, and you know what
they are in the mountains, The water
came down with a crashing roar on
the huge gray rocks which nigh
equallcd the rolling thunder peals in
the clouds. [ wanted comrade bad
that night. Pd.have welcomed q Zulu.
Blakeiy was ravinG, and l was trem-
bling so with weakness aud nervous
fear [ could not bring him cup Of
water without spilling it. Then what
must lie do? What but get it into his
crazy head was priest, and he
wanted to confess. He got out of his
blankets and came TO the log Of wood
L was sitting on, or shaking on, and
knelt at my knees. In his delirium
he was far stronger than I was. and I
couldn't push him away He blurtol
it all out, with all that crash of clouds
and roar of rain to emphasize the
eternal horror of it.
"Those CHASTITY hills are full of the
ghosts of people long dead, seekers
for gold. Men may laugh at the no.
ton, but spend day and a 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 man was in a hurry to confess
and get absolution, he was that night.
I'm not going to tell you the story IN
full. Indeed, he was often incoher-
ent. He'd been in Australia with q
chap he called simply Tom, prospect
ing, of course. They'd had bad luck,
and were about giving it up when Tom
got news from home inclosing draft
for some hundreds OF pounds, leg
acy left him. Off the two went to
town to cash the draft, and L suppose
Blakeiy thought that Tom would use
the money to start the two afresh.
But Tom was sick of it, and wanted
to get back to England. tell you, it
was a beaatly cruel thing to sit shiver-
ing on that log and listen to Blakely
excusing himself for what he did.
Tom cashed his draft in gold and
Blakely, when they were staying in
the same room in tavern where they
had been drinking that night, crept to
his sleeping mates bunk, dashed
knife into his heart, and took the
money and got safe away. 1t oased
the wretch to confess, for he slipped
back to his blankets and lay on his
back, quiet, with his eyes closed. The
storm kept up, and L sat sweating
there, afraid to stay with the murderer
and afraid to go out among the howl
ing devils in the hills. l was soweak
and unstrung sat just moaning and
crying and stuffing my ears against
the riot of the rains.
First L knew 1 began to shiver
with a chill, and-iust like Mr.. Cope
land when he was at SCHOOL, felt
death coming and thought it was for
me. was nearer dead than alive.
The hut grew cold as an ice box and
suddenly, as shivered, the strip of
canvas we had fastened for door was
pulled aside and in walked likely
looking young fellow, calm as could
be. He was dressed in shabby blue
shirt and loose 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, but walked straight to Blakely's
side with an ugly look.
'Helloa, .Blakelyr he said, where's
that gold of mine?'
'Blakely opened his eyes with
gurgle in his throat and tried to
scream out and couldn't; but the look
on his face was fearful. The miner
waited for no answer, but raised his
knife and dashed it down on the mur-
derer's breast. IcoCidn't call out or
move. But just as the point touched
Blakely's skin it stopped and the
miner and it were gone, not out of
the door-God knows how. Then my
mate found voice and strength and
sat up in bed and screamed-a fearful
scream, and he fell back, turning to
me.
"'Water, he whispered. 'Oh, may,
thought was gone-I had such a
horrible dreaal'