The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-07
a BELLE OF CANADA CITY.
BY BRET HARTE.
Copyright, 1899, by Bret Harte).
PART II.

aeeerated; that it had been preceded by
the suspension of the Excelsior Bank
of san Francisco-of which Trixit was also
managing director-occasioned by the
discovery of the Withdrawal of securities
for use in the branch bank at Canada City;
that he had fled the state eastward across
the Sierras, yet that owing to the vigil
lance of the police on the frontier, ne had
failed to escape. and was in hiding But
there were adverse reports of a more sin
ister nature. 1t was said that others were
implicated that they dare not bring him
10 Justice it was pointed out that there
was more concern among many who were
not openly connected with the bank than
among its unfortunate depositors. Besides
the Inevitable downfall of those who had
invested their fortunes in it, there was
distrust or suspicion everywhere. Even
Trixits enemies were forced to admit the
saving that the Canada City was the
bank. and the bank was Trixit."
Perhaps this had something to do with
an excited meeting of the directors of the
new mill, to whose discussion Dick Mas
terton. the engineer had been hurredly
summoned. When the president told him
that he had been selected to undertake the
difficult and delicate mission of discover
ing the whereabouts of Montagu Trixit,
and if possible procuring an interview
with him, he was amazed. What had the
new mill, which had always kept itself
aloof from the bank and its methods, to
do with the disgraced manager? He was
still more astonished when the president
added bluntly
"Trxit holds securities of ours for
money advanced to the mill by himself
privately They do not appear on the
books but II he chooses to declare them
as assets of the bank, it's bad thing for
us If he Is bold enough TO keep them
he may be willing to make some arrange
ments with us to carry them on. If he
has got away, or committed suicide, as
some say. it's for you to find the where
abouts of the securities and get them.
He is said TO have been last seen near the
summit. You understand our position?"
Masterton did, with suppressed disgust
But he was young. and there was the
thrill of adventure in this. II will 60"
he said quietly.
we thought you would. You must take
the up stage tonight. Come again and
get your final instructions. By the way
you might get some information at Trxt's
house. YOu-er-er-are acquainted with
his daughter l think?''
Which makes it quite impossible for
me to seek her for such a purpose" said
Masterton coldly.
few hours later he was on the coach.
As they cleared the outskirts of the town
they passed two Cinnamon lding stur-
Oily along in the dust of the highway.
Mr.. Masterton started from a slight doze
In the heavy numbering mountain wagon"
which had taken the place of the smart
concord coach that he had left at the last
station. The scenery, too. had changed
tho E l.
iocAhy denies of stunted larches and
hardy brush" with here and there open
patches of shrunken snow. Yet at the
edse or declvities he could still see
through the rolled-up leather curtains
the valley below bathed in autumn. the
ehstenng rivers half-spen& with the long
summer drought, and the green slopes
iolhng upward into crest after crest Of
ascending pines AT times a drifting haze.
always lmperceptible from below, veiled
the view; chill wind blew through the
venice, and made the steel sledge run
nerS than hung beneath the wagon ready
De shipped under the useless wheels
an oMnous provision. A few rude sta
uo"s' half blacksmith shops half gro-
Gerry marked the deserted but weH-worn
Iod'' long, narrow packers wagon
u tortuous line of Cinnamon carrying
MYSTERIOUS bundles depending from bam-
no poles. was their rare and only COM
rtNy The rough sheepskin jackets which
,lese men wore over their characteristic
ue olouses and their heavy legglngs
"e'e new revelation to Masterton, ac-
.US'oned TO the thinly clad coolie of the
ilIes. They seemed a distinct race
never knew those chops get so high
h" nut hey seem to understand the cold"
o.l Ioe driver looked up and calculated his
market 81 ''S sumo
r. ekon they're everywhar in Cali
tol.y Whar you want 'em and whar Won
' you take my word for it, afore
e s aIforny will hev to reckon that she
s"'IaIly don't want 'em eff a white man
's TO live here. With a race tied I'D
sg3er in language We can't under
tboI.' ways that no Teller knows-from
ri praying to devils, swappin' their
~ w ana havin' their bones sent back
yt .A!hy-wot are We goin' to do and
r, are ye? What are We goin 20
outer men that look so much alike
en ~ | tel them apart; that think alike
We atI allke, and never in ways that
Gu eaten ontoi Fellers knotted to-
60 IN some underhand secret way O.
v y, with each other so that if
mi, N'eK Chinaman up here on the Sum-
VAN 'HoIher Chinaman will squeal in the
pat ana the way they do il just
tbt, me- Look yer! I'll tell We some
Sou mat happened, that's gospel truth!
sor OF the boys that reckoned to hev
CaI I1n with the Chinee gang over AZ
tor' lamp, started out one afternoon
tba NV en- They CROPPED along through
ion.M|o woods whar nobody could see EN-;
ths "lI5lIh TO come down with a rush on
bo5 Jump over two miles away. And no.
tb,y I'll see EN-, only one Chlnaman wot
uu, 'uet a mile from the camp, burnn'
4v.. Am ,o mis- joss or devil. and he scooted
sfr gust in the contrary direction. Well,
dar, "neh they waltzed into that camp
l6sr. my SKIN! eff there was a Chinaman
rr,te' or as much as a grain of rice to
t5i. somebody had warned EN-! Wen,
aboc, Solt o got the boys, and they set
Of & uiscoverin' how II was done One
of ~ nonced that there was some bits
AZ issue issue paper slips that they toss around
CAM, u"eIaIs YIN along the road near the
Cri,h uhd another remembered that the
20. Of that paper in the air a fore ne
oro',gI' wen, sir the wind carried just
NH T ,s. OF that paper straight down the