Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-12-15
CHAPTER VIII.
ON THE DALTON TRAIL.

l
| Life, but pair of blue eyes were fixed
upon him all the while, and the girls
face showed that she fully appreciated
and admired his daring.
| Her father made but few interrupt
tons until Tom described the deathbed
scene, and then he said:
"Have you the papers now?"
'No," replied Tom, ''but know them
by heart. L was waylaid and robbed
in San Francisco. See, here is the scar"
| AS ne spoke he bent his head, and
| then went on:
eve have reason to believe the mate
of the vessel, a man named Rider, heard
what your brother said to me when he
was dying and that he was the rascal
who nearly killed me and took the
papers. He disappeared, and we think
he came here and started up the trail
to pass himself off as the rightful own
er of the will. He has had long start,
and may be there before this
Avery was silent for moment, and
then he said, frankly:
81 don't want to doubt your word,
| Scott, but I must take every precau-
! ton. Before admit nything, tell me
what the letter to John said, and what
| it was signed"
Tom promptly complied, and appar-
emily convinced the other, for he eX-
| tended his hand, exclaiming:
"It's all right, and you shall have
Johns share if can help you. Shall we
| GO on together? I have been waiting
| here a week in hopes to run across Tar
box. He was coming down after sup
| plies this MONTH
81 think we'd better start at once"
said Tom. "We may meet him, and be-
| sides 1 feel sure the mate is there some
| where
would you know this man Tarbox if
you saw him?'' added Tom.
"No," was the reply. "He's a new
partner Taylor has picked up out here"
"Do you know Taylor?''
so, yes. We were all out together in
| the California mines in the sos. Poor
John was one of us. Dick Taylor loved
| him as though he'd been his brother,
| too. It'll be sad news for him to hear
your story
It was late that night when Tom and
Green returned to their tent. It had
been decided to make sure that the
man had not arrived from the mine,
and, should they be unable to hear of
him, they were to start on the day fol-
lowing.
The sailor threw himself down on his
bed of bougbs and was asleep almost in
stantly, but Tom Scott could see pair
of blue eyes when his own were tightly
| shut. His dreams that night were a
sad tumble of gold mines and fair dam
sells in distress, and he awoke but little
refreshed.
The day was spent in quiet but
fruitless inquiries for the man they
| sought, and the following morning a
little caravan filed away from the har-
| Dor toward the wild northern country
Tom led the way on his horse, the pack
| horses came next, Avery and his daugh-
ter followed and Green brought up the
| rear.
| The Dalton trail is over an undulat-
| ing country all the way to Fort Selkirlz,
and can easily be travelled on horseback
the entire distance of some SIS miles,
which relieved our travellers of the hard
ships attendant upon the other trails,
and it was with a light heart that Tom
| looked back over the weu-ftted string
| of animals and exclaimed:
eff we can only meet the man from
| the mine we shall be in luck! We have
| provisions enough for all hands!''
He would not have felt so happy could
| he have known that at that moment
| the man he mentioned was seated by a
| campfire with Rider and his companion
reading John Avery's will and the letter
written by Dick Taylor.
| Leaving Tom and his party fairly on
| their way, we must return to Obed
| Rider and his new friend, who were
| pushing forward as fast as possible
! Their undue haste the first day had
proved disastrous, for one of their pack
| horses had gone lame, and they were
| obliged to abandon it or go into camp.
| They chose the former, dividing its bur-
! den among the others as best they
could.
The second night found them many
miles on their journey, but as night
| came on the weary beasts could hardly
be forced ahead, and Hank Bowers
cursed the delay roundly.
1--WE might as well stop here" he
growled at last, after helping one OF the
horses to regain it's feet after STUN
bling. sect them packs off. viii yer.
while 1 see about the fire. I'm as hun
cry as shark"
The tent was soon set up, and after
supper was disposed of and pipes light
| ed he said:
| ''See here, Rider, let's have a sort o.
understanding bout this job. 'Spose we
| meet this man Tarbox, then what?
| We've got ter have our yarns so they'll
agree. I guess now is good time ter
| fix it up. You don't want ter forget
| that yer name is Scott. I'll call you
| Tom all right enuff. You see the young
chap jump overheard and save the old
feller, an you can tell that yarn all
right. Any darned fool can see you are