Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-06
PART III.


was pretty well known that the amount
of the defaications had been exaggerated:
that it had been preceded by the suspcn-
sion of the Excelsior Bank" of San Fran
cisco-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 vigilance of the Po-
lice on the frontier. he had failed to escape,
and was in hiding. But there were adverse
reports of more sinister nature. 1t was
said that others We're implicated: that they
dare not bring him to Justice; it was point
ed out that there was more concern among
many who were not openly connected with
the bank than among its unfortunate de-
pnSitorS. Besides the inevitable downfall
of those who had invested their fortunes in
it, there was distrust or suspicion every
where. Even TriXit's enemies were forced
to admit the saying that 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 discussions Dick Mas
tertGn, the engineer, had been hurried!y
Summoned When the president told him
that he had been selected to undertake the
difficult and delicate mission of discovering
the whereabouts of Montagu TriXit, and. if
possible. procuring an interview with him.
he was amazed. What had the new mil.
the bank and its methods. to do with the
disgraced manager? He still more
tcuiShed when the president added buntly:
1r1Xit holds securities of ours for money
advanced to the mill by himself private
~ They do not appear on the books,
but If he chooses to declare them assets
of the bank. its bad thing for us If he
Is bold enough to keep them. he may be
willing to make some arrangement with
to carry them If he has got away. or
committed suicide. as some say, it's for you
Of no plrriti los
and get them. He is said to have been
last seen near the summit. You under
stand our puSitiUn?"
Mastert6n did. with suppressed disgust.
But he was young, and there the
thrill Of adventure in this. Il will CO. 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 Trixit's
house You-er-er-are acquainted with
his daughter. l Think"
Which makes it quite impossible for me
10 seek her for such purpose said Mas
tertOn coldly-
y few hours later he was on the coach
As they cleared the outskirts of the town
they passed TWO Cinnamon plodding sturd-
lily along in the dust of the highway.
Mr.. Master,on started from a slight doze
in the heavy numbering mountain wagon
which had taken the pace of the smart
concord coach that he had left at the last
station. The scenery. too. had changed: the
four horses threaded ;heir way through
rocky detlleS of Stunted larcheS and hardy
brush with here and there open patches
OF shrunken snow Yet at the edge of de-
ClivitieS ne could sin see through the
rolled-up leather curtains tine valley below
bathed in autumn. the elisyening rivers
haif-spent with the long summer drouth
and the green slopes rolling upward into
crest after crest of ascending pines. a
times a drifting haze, always inlperceptiblc
from below, yelled the view; a chill wind
lew through the vehicle and made the
steel sledge runners that hung beneath the
wagon ready to re shipped uudtr the use
less wheels an ominouS provision. y few
rude Stations half blacksmith shop, half
grocery. marked the 1eser-ei but weil-worn
road; long, narrow packers wagon or
tortuous file of Cinnamon carrying nlys-
FERROUS bundles depending from pa,nboo
poles, was their rare and onlv cor,pariv
The rough sheepskin Jackets which these
men wore over their characteristic blue
blouses and their heavy leggings were a
new revelation to Masterton, accustomed
to the thinly clad coolie of the mines They
seemed distinct race.
i never knew those chaps get so high
up, but they seem to understand the cod"
he remarked.
The driver looked up and calculated his
disgust and hts tobacco juice at the same
mark.
Il reckon they're everywhar in Californy
whar you want EN- and whar you don't;
you take my word for 1t, afore long Cali
forny will hev TO reckon that she gineralIy
don't want EN- eff white man has to live
mere With race tied up together in a lam
guage We can't understand, ways tina. no
Teller knows-from their praying to devils
swappin their wives, and havin' their
bones sent back to Chiny-wot are We eoin'
to do, and where are We? Wot are We eoin'
to make outer men that look SO much alike
We can't tell them apart; that think alike
and act alike, and never in ways that We
kin catch ontoi Fellers knOtted together in
some underhand secret way o. commun MICA
TN With each other ba III
Chinaman up here on the summit another
ChlnamaD Will squeal in the valley, And
the way they do 1t just gets me! Look
yer! III tell We somethin' that happened
that's gospel truth. Some of the bows that
reokpned TO hev some fun with the Chinee.
gang over al Cedar Camp started out one
afternoon to raid EN-. They CROPPED alone
through the woods Whar nobody could see.
en- kalkilatin' to come down with a rush
on the camp over twO miles AWAY And
noh"Hy dld see en-. only one Chinaman
wot they met mile from the camp burn
in punk to his joss or devil, and he scoo,-
ed away just i'll the contrary direction
We'll, SIR, when they w;lltzed into that
cdmp-f3rn my skin, ef there was n China
man there, or much as IL grain of rice
10 grab! Somebody had warned EN-, Well
lils sort got the boys, and they Set
ahout iIsc2Verin how ii was done. One of
en- hotIced that there was some bits Of It's
sue paper slips that they toss around at
funerals YIN along the road near the
camp. and another remembered that the
OF mat paper in the air afnre he scooted
Vel sir, the wind carried just enough of
that paper straight down the hill into thar
camp ten minutes afore they could get
there 70 give them Cinnamon warnin'-
whatever 1t was! Fact, Why I've seen
en- stringfn' along the road Just like them
1e!lers We passed just now, and then stop
all OF student like hounds off the scent.
1abher among themselves and start off in
q different direction"
Just what they're doing now. BY thun-
der! interrupted another passenger who
was looking through the rolled-up curtain
All the passengers turned by one accord
and. looked out The file of Cinnamon had
indeed turned and was moving rapidly away
at right angles from the road
Got some signal, you betr' said the
driver; some yeller paper or piece a. loss
Suck IN the road What?''
The remark was addressed to the Dassen-
ger who had just placed his finger on his
lip and indicated stolid-looking China
man overlooked before who was sitting in
the back, or "steerage," seat.
Oh, he be darned:" said the driver, I'M
patiently. He Is no account-he's only the
laundryman from Rocky Canon. I'm talkin'
of the coOlie gang"
But here the conversation tagged and tho