The Winslow mail., 1900-09-13

| d pIuChy ICtAO OAC' w e snail UnQ pIen-
ty of work for you mending and cook
ing for US. Can you cook?"
Can she COOKE" repeated her father,
proudly. "Dick, you just wait till she
turns out a sample. We shan't have to
live aB We did in the old days"
"Goodl Well, talking about eating.
reminds me that we haven't had any
breakfast. 1 couldn't wait to get this
stuff out of sight till after breakfast,
but now it's different We will leave
all we can't take at one load and go
up TO our camp now. We can come back
and get the rest after we have eaten.
Don't load up too heavy. It's not very
smooth walking where we are going"
Throwing a package over his shoul-
der he led the way until the turn in
| the passage was reached. Beyond this
| the way grew narrower, until there was
barely room to walk. Twenty yards
| farther there was sudden rise for
about ten feet, and the walls appeared
to be alternate layers of rock, gravel
and dirt.
Soon it was all a sharp rise, and they
| found it extremely difficult to carry
their burdens.
"You see why we have no need for
| the horses" remarked TarboX. 81 have
sent them racing down the trail as far
as 1 could. We couldn't get them up
here, and they wouldn't find anything
to live on if we could. l hope they will
stay away from this locality. They
would arouse suspicion if anyone saw
| them"
Another five minutes climb and they
emerged on a rocky platform, and Tay
lor said, quietly:
"There! In front of you lies our
camp, and gold enough to make you all
rich, if we can only keep the place to
ourselves long enough. We have food
enough for year, and all we want is to
be let alone"
Tom and Green stared blankly about
them, but their unframed eyes told
them nothing. A huge ridge of rock
ran from where they stood across the
valley before them, and was lost in the
dense timber half a mile away. In the
foreground the heavy moss which COW
cred the ground was cut up in places by
the channels of defunct torrents and
dotted with fragments of rock, some of
which seemed to have pierced the
bosom of the soil from below, while
others had been detached from the
ridge at some time and rolled into the
valley.
On the left of the ridge a. small
stream, scarcely two feet wide, was
running swiftly; and pointing to its
bank Taylor added:
''See those two holes and the two
heaps of dirt Well, we've been waiting
for water to wash that dirt out. We've
been thawing out that ground with fires
all winter so we could dig. Those two
heaps are full of gold and it'll run ten
dollars to the pan"
Avery alone seemed to pay little or no
attention to his friends words. He
was examining the scene before him
critically, but he hardly glanced at the
two heaps of dirt upon which the 9th
ers gazed with intense interest. He
made no continent, however, and when
Taylor moved forward he followed him
without q word.
"Now I'll show you where we live"
There was no sign of a tent or hut
visible, but they soon saw that he was
heading for a stout bush not far from
the little stream and about 100 feet
from where they had emerged from the
natural tunnel.
Behind this bush they saw an open
ing partially concealed from view by
big bowlder, while others had been
added by human hands to make conceal
ment more effectual.
''This is our house." said Taylor. cit
will do nicely for your daughter, Bill,
and the rest of us can use the tents.
It's hot enough for the rest of the sum-
mer."
The cave was about ten feet square,
and was not altogether the work of
nature. The rock was very soft, and
the two men had spent many hours
charging it, until it was a very COM
Portable place of abode. Several skins
covered the floor, and Clara Avery gave
a cry. of delight as she entered
"I'll soon have breakfast ready now"
she said.
While she was preparing it herfather
strolled off by himself, and examined
the ground with thoughtful air. He
came to the cave when his daughter
called that the food was ready, but his
appetite semed to be poor, and he had
little to say. Even his daughternoticed
his preoccupation, but whatever was
troubling him he kept it to himself
and joined the others, after breakfast,
in the work of bringing up the rest of
the goods, which proved no easy TASK.
Three hours later, when the last
package had been safely piled in the
cave, Dick Taylor said thoughtfully:
"Why wouldn't it be good plan to
block up the passage? Those two
men are too near to suit me, Joe.
They've got my letter and are sure to
find where we camped last night if they
look long enough. The very fact that
we let our horses go will let them know
that we must have gone where we could
not possibly take them. They are sure
to see the animals. Suppose they go
nosing round and find the opening un-
der the moss? We are on American soil
and they have as much right here as we
have"
"But one of them tried to murder
me-" cried Tom, Indignantly, 'rand he
did rob mel"