Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-12-07

tion' BEFORE 1 ADMIT anything, tell me
what the letter to John said, and what
IL was signed"
Tom promptly complied, and appar-
emily convinced the other, for he ex-
tended his hand, exclaiming.
Its all right, n you shall have
Johns share IL l can help you. Shall we
go on together? l have been waiting
here a week In hopes to run across Tar
box. He was coming down after sup
plies this month";"
Il think we'd better start at once"
said Tom. I'VE may meet him and be-
sides | feel sure the mate is there
somewhere"
Would you know this man Tarbox IL
you saw him?" added Tom.
NO." was the reply. He's a new
partner Taylor has picked up out here"
DO you know Taylor?"
30, yes. We were oil out together in
the California mines in the sos. Poor
John was one of us. Dick Taylor loved
him as though he'd been his brother,
too. It'll be sad news for him to hear
your story"
II was late that night when Tom and
Green returned to their tent. 1t had
been decided to make sure that the
man had not arrived from the mine,
and, should they be unable TO hear Of
him, they were to start on the day fol-
lowing.
The sailor threw himself down on his
bed Of boughs and was asleep almost
instantly, but Tom Scott could see a
pair OF blue eyes when his own were
tightly shut. His dreams that night
were a sad tumble Of gold mines and
fair damsels In distress, and he awoke
but little refreshed.
The day was spent In quiet but fruit
less inquiries for the man they sought,
n the following morning a little cara
van filed away from the harbor to-
ward the wild northern country. Tom
led the way on his horse. the pack
horses came next, Avery n his
daughter followed and Green brought
up the rear.
The Dalton trail is over an undulat-
ing country all the way to Fort Sell
kirk, and can easily be travelled on
horseback the entire distance of some
S75 miles, which relieved our travellers
of the hardships attendant upon the
other trails, and 1t was with q light
heart that Tom looked back over the
w~ell-itted string OF animals and ex-
claimed.
If we can only meet the man from
the mine we shall be In luck! We nave
provisions enough for all hands,"
He would not have felt so happy
could he have known that at that mo-
ment the man he mentioned was seated
ny a Ndlllp 4 Will INlNIl anu lilo NOlii
panion reading John Avery's will and
the letter written by Dick Taylor.
Leaving Tom and his party fairly on
their way, we must return to Obed
Rider and his new friend, who were
pushing forward as fast as possible.
Their undue haste the first day had
proved disastrous, for one of their pack
horses had gone lame, and they were
obliged to abandon II or go into camp.
They chose the former, dividing its
burden among the others as best they
could.
The second night found them many
miles on their Journey, but as night
came on the weary beasts could hardly
be forced ahead, and Hank Bowers
cursed the delay roundly.
1--WE might as well stop here" he
growled at lIkt, after helping one OF
the horses to- regain its feet after
stumbling. Get them packs off, Will
yer, while / see about thc fire. I'm as
hungry as a shark"
The tent was soon set up, and after
supper was disposed of and pipes
lighted he said:
See here. Rider. let's have q sort O
understanding bout this job. 'Spose we
meet this man TarboX, then what
We've got ter have our yarns so they'll
agree. l guess now Is a good time ter
fix II up. You don't want ter forget
that yer name Is Scott. II call you
Tom all right enuff. You see the young
chap jumped overheard and save the
old Teller, an you car tell that yarn all
right. Any darned fool can see o are
a salt water chap, an hell swallow
that part of it."
Rider nodded, and the other went on.
i've been thinkin' this out an I've
come ter the conclusion that we must
pump him about how ter get ter the
place where the gold is an let him go
on ter Dyea after his grub. He won't
hev enough stuff with him to make it
wuth our while to stop him. See?'
After a pause he continued:
Wen keep on and find his other
Teller what sent the letter. They've got
a big pile all dug by this time, and we
must hev it. He'll drop out o. sight"
Riders face showed hat he did not
understand the others meaning, ana
the miner repeated:
He'll git off the earth! Understand?
Then when we hev the place all ter our
Mr.. Tarbox will come back with
a lot of grub. Well tell him his pard got
out after we reached the place
took their stuff with him. He'll
never know the odds, and If he does
any trouble, there's a mighty
quick way Of stopping his mouth"
AS he spoke he dropped his hand sig
nificantly to the butt of the heavy re-
volver at his hip and his face took
on such an evil look that the mates
blood ran cold in his veins. He began
to feel decidedly meas in this mans
company. What assurance had he that
his INSCRIPTIONS rufnan would not
him in the same I'M after his
n d were served?
AS If reading his thoughts Bowers
laughed hoarsely, and exclaimed:
What's the matter, Rider? 'Fraid
I'll go back On yer? Don't worry as
long as yer use me on the square. I'll
stick ter yer, but yer too chicken heart
ed for a job like this"
The day had been very warm and
for summer comes all at once
this part of the country. They had
built a small fire to make their coffee,
md were lying in their tent where they
command quite a view of the trail
ahead. 1t was still light, and as the
speaker glanced carelessly over the val
ey in which they had halted he uttered
/ sharp exclamation and sprung to his
'eet:
"Thar's something movin' over tharl"
he said quickly, shading his Eyes with
IFS hand as If to aid his vision. Its a
nan an he's afoot, headin' fer our
ire, jest as sure's yer born! Ten dollars
.er one it's our man! Remember you're
Tom Scott, and don't make a
ness Of it,"
Rider soon saw a dark figure draw
near them, and when 1t was but a
ew rods away a mans voice shouted:
Hello, there!"
"Hello!" responded Bowers, stepping
rom the tent.
The stranger came rapidly toward
i'm, and there vas light enough to re-
'eal e. powerfully-built man of middle
pc who wore a small mack on his
Jack and carried a serviceable looking
at his belt. His beard was
ong and unkempt, but he walked with
long, swinging step, which told of
vigor.
When he reached the tent he looked I