The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-01-19
- -
Toodby
THE YELLOW GOD.

| the gold that lay beaped on the Hoor or
the shack Seems to me, Billy, " he
said slowly, that hopin to find it is
better'n finding it.
Dull CLEANS of light from a smoky
lantern fell athwart the face of the old
miner rugged homely, deep "furrowed
by time and hardships and Offering a
marked contrast indeed to the hand
some, patriclan features of Billy Bailey.
his Junior partner
"Findin, Billy, means quittin. It's
Ill end to the wants an privations I've
knowed fer nigh 20 year. But somehow
I've come to like these still ole noun
tains. an the singin of the pines All the
river They We growed like friends, an
I'm never lonesome among 'em. Listen,
you can hear EN- now Maybe it the
las time they'll ever sing fer me.
We're goin back to civ 'lization.'
continued Tom, unheeding the cther's
lack of sympathy with his reminiscent
mood. IAN that means separation.
know you like me, Billy A teller
couldn t. want a better pardner than
you We been fer the two year We know
ed you But with your eddication. an
your young blood, an yourambitions. You
ain t my kind in civ lization We cant
be the same down there | couldn't ex.
pect it. But think powerful deal of
you, Billy. p
"Oh, come, Tom, - broke III his com
panion +impatiently, your in the
dumps tonight. Take drink and brace
up. Should think you'd look on the
bright side of things now. We've work
ed and starved in these cursed wiIds foI
gold until at last we've got it, lhiuk
of the city's 49, 600 pleasures that this
stake can buy for us there's no life in
these Did solitudes. It's there III the
crowded streets, and it can all be ours
} when we've got such a god-iIe god OF
gold-to see us through.
Billy laughed gloatingly IN anticipa
ton Ihenscnce more he fixed his eyes
with a glittering intensity, on the vel
low heap, which meant for him all that
! life can mean to selfish, love lack ma.
} ture.
} "But it amt fer me, persisted Tom
} ''I'm past them things If it want fer
the hope of findin the old woman down
there in Frisco an maxim her ccmforta
: U4C, u Stdly UOu care tut RO1u
: after all. Ive found it, al, Lay hungerin
! fer it's satisfied -
Billy made no answer He had long
} since become resigned to the diversity
} of their tastes, and tonight he was in
no mood for argument. He got out
some materials and began to repair a
rent in his coat. Tom rose presently
I and dumped the nuggets into gunny
.. sack. Then he arranged his blankets
! for the night.
"Put it away safe. Billy" he said
; joculaEly. "We'le already ON the edge
} of civilization All must learn to he per
ticker -
''I'll look after it, never fear,'' said
the other shortly. Good night
\ Billy finished his task, but his mind
was still busy with thoughts of the fu-
ture. He rose and steppedHout into the
night. AT his feet the turbulent river
rushed blackly along, it's foam crests
cleaning like dull silver in the clear
r starlight. Behind him lowered in silent
E majesty the rugged, wooded mountains
=, The air was heavy with the breath OF
i the pines. But Billy saw none Of the
Q beauty of the night. The mountains
awakened memories of hardships and
), hopelessness, the river was only high
way to civilization. He lit his pipe and
= began to pace up and down the shelving
shore.
There was none of the stuff of which
heroes are made in Billy Bailey's com.
position. Had the fates seen fit to con-
tinue their kindly beginning he would
probably have developed into one of the
horde of whited sepulchers that 50
largely make up what the world ID
pleased to term the respectable of hu.
manity-those who observe the conven,
y tions to the letter, indulge every desire
with studied care that wins the ap-
proval of men, and, dying, are respect
fully buried and speedily forgotten. On
the contrary, fate had preferred giving
Billy chance to prove his inettle. His
college career cut short by the melting
away of his fathers fortune, he awoke
one morning to find himself face to
d face with the world, his wits his only
c capital.
~ He remembered tonight his struggles
to maintain his social position, the
Sights heaped upon him by erstwhil.
boon companions, the. gradual sinking
away of hope until, with starvation
staring him in the face, he had shipped
% i'll a vessel bound round the Horn. -
,r On his lips were curses for the friends
'f who had failed him, in his heart re-
solve som" day to retaliate. He recalled
- his hardshlps on the western frontier.
his final falling in with old Tom Jen-
kins and the hopeless search for. gold
until week ago, when the gravel OF q
dried up mountain stream unexpectedly
yielded them their little fortune and
snded for him the hell on earth exist
ence in these solitndes His future
= course was plain. Meroilessly he would
70 engage in the war for wealth. His heart
! must know but one love-the love OF
.. gold.
= = And the stake. it was not SO mucF
3 after all. If he only had Tom 8 share
too! The thought startled him, and ht
Fl looked furtively about as though already
under surveillance. Well, why mot
4, What was Tom to him now? The ole
,r man cared nothing for gold. He hae
K said as much. Why not begin the tasl
Of wealth gathering tonight and double
his fortune by single coup? The skin
was all ready for the morrow's journey
down the river. He could easily reach
4 North Fork by daylight, and miles Of
\ distance would lie between him and
i Tom before the latter could make the
trip across the almost impossible noun
tain trail. He weakened for a lnDnlen
as he thought OF Toms almost mother
" solicitude, of how throughout theil
wanderings the big hearted miner hai
borne the brunt of the struggle Ever
when the treasure was discovered tn,
old mans first words were, I'm glat
] for your sake. Billy. Then he askes