The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-12-06

"Keep up till l reach you'll" he shout
ed to encourage Avery, who was fully
SO yards away.
There was no reply, and when Tom
was within q dozen strokes Of his friend
the latter suddenly threw up his arms
and began to sink.
Tom reached the spot just in time to
grasp his hair and drag him to the sur
face, where he lay utterly unconscious
and unable to assist himself. Tom sup
ported him as best be could, but his
clothes soon began TO drag him down,
and his limbs felt like lead. He was
nearly spent when something white
swept before his eyes on the top of a
sea, and he saw that it was the life
buoy. With last effort he struck out
and succeeded in grasping it.
In the meantime the Seabird hadbeen
brought to the wind and boat lowered
with all possible speed, but it is slow
operation at best, and the craft was a
half mile Distant before the boat struck
the water with Capt. Coffin in her stern.
Although the buoy supported Tom
easily he found It no easy task to keep
the unconscious mans head above the
surface, and when the boat reached
them he was pulled from the water in
state of utter exhaustion.
Avery showed NO signs of life, and
when the vessel was reached he was
taken to his berth, where the old cap
tain gradually resuscitated him, Tom
having changed his clothes in the mean
time and regained the use of his limbs.
When he reached the stateroom he
was shocked at his friends face. There
was a look there which comes but once
to humanity, and which froze thewords
on his tongue.
"Scott, sit down." said the old miner.
81 can see by your face what you read
in mine. have no time to waste. I'm
dying man, Scott. Something has
given out inside and my time is up.
Don't interrupt me, please. must tell
you something while have time"
He paused an instant to press his
hand to his side, saying:
"When that hit me something snapped
in here. think a rib is sticking into
my lungs. Take of my belt, Scott.
Hurry up! Don't stop to ask questions
now!"
Tom obeyed, and with trembling
fingers the dying man drew forth a
folded bit of paper, whispering:
"It's yours, and it means fortune
10 you! Get me pen and paper and
then write what tell youI"
His request was soon complied with,
and with faint voice he dictated:
81, John Avery, being about TO die,
give my share in the gold mine discov-
cred by my partner, Dick Reed, to the
bearer, Thomas Scott, who has risked
his life for mine twice"
When this unique will was on paper
he added:
"Giye me the pen. There needn't be
anywitnesses. Dick Reed knows my fist,
and he's as square as die. This paper is
map to tell me how to reach the mine.
Ia secret trail leads to it, and only
three men know of it. You will be rich
if you live to reach it. Trust no one,
but go by yourself. Take the money in
my belt, too, and use it as you please.
You may find my brother Bill at the
mine. He was sent for, too. You'll get
my share"
A violent fit of coughing interrupted
him, and before it ended the handker-
chief he pressed TO his lips was stained
with his life blood.
Tom hastily summoned the captain,
but the old miner sank into an uncon-
scious state, and before morning Tom
was the only living occupant of ahe lit
tie stateroom.
But behind the thin partition which
separated it from the mates room sat
that worthy himself with look of tri-
umph on his evil face.
There were no witnesses, and what
is to prevent my being Mr. Tom Scott
and becoming a mine owner" he NUT
tered to himself. Il must have that pa
per il have to kill him to getit."
On the following day the remains Of
the old miner were consigned to the
deep, and as Tom saw the weighted
canvas disappear beneath the blue wa
tiers, his grief outweighed every other
sentiment and drove all thoughts of his
inheritance from his head. He had
grown to love the rugged old man like
a brother, and it was the first time he
had been brought face to face with
death.
That night as he was about TO retire,
he remembered the slip Of paper given
him by his dying friend and which he
had not yet examined. He had placed
it in the belt and tossed the latter into
his chest at the time, and huge lump
swelled in his throat now as he lifted
the lid and drew it forth.
Carefully arranged in the various
compartments were bills to the amount
Of $1,000, and these he transferred to
his own belt at once The paper was
evidently torn from blank book, and
contained these lines in bold hand:
"OId Partner: II you haven't forgotten
the old days and the bargain We made.
come out and share ny ind with ne
/ have struck II rich have written to
/ Bill have q new ehum with me. too.
Come to Dyea and take the old Dxlto1
| trail No one uses II now II goes tust
west OF ArkeH lake and runs straight foE
Fort Selkirk It's almost dead north By
the compass About 80 miles before Il
reaches the fort Il splits on 10 the left.
| a Ela- nhita cItfE fn..e. Tie tai Ven cnr.a