Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-11-09
CHAPTER III.
II CIUIa Aa.n cII Tn yOIvD

our adventures until they reached the
stormy Gulf or California. where an ac'
cident occurred which greatly affected
Toms future plans.
1t was an % before sunset and the
two passengers were leaning over the
stern watching the water fly swiftly
under the counter, when a loud shout
from aloft attracted their attention
Looking quickly up they had barely
time to spring aside when q heavy
block struck the deck beside them with
terrific force. A rope attached to II hit
Toms companion across the chest
sending him Backward. His heels me
the wheel ropes and the next instant
he struck the water astern and disap-
peared from Toms sight.
II had all happened SO quickly thai
he hardly realized what had occurred
until the sailor aloft shouted:
Man overheard. Man overheard
With the promptitude Of a sailor the
man at the wheel sprang to the rail- and
cut adrift the life preserver, which was
always ready for use, and at the same
time the captain rushed on deck ano
ordered the ship hovs to.
Then Tom tore OF his coat and Shoes
and leaped over the rail before the cap
tain could detain him, /.
Like most Cape Cod boys, he had
learned to swim at an early age, and a
pond In Merrivale had enabled him to
indulge In the exercise In late years, SO
that when he came to the surface he
feH no anxiety for himself, although
the vessel was some distance away.
He struck out with all his might In
the direction Of the vessels wake, and
soon caught q glimpse OF a white race
ahead rising and falling on the waves
Keep up till I reach you!' he shout
ed to encourage Avery, who was tuliy
80 yards away.
There was no reply, and when Tom
was within a 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. o sup
ported him as best he 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 a last effort he struck out
and succeeded in grasping 1t.
In the meantime the Seabird had
been brought TO the wind and n boat
lowered with all possible speed, but IL
Is q slow operation at best, n the
craft was q half mile distant before
the boat struck the water with Captain
Coffin In her stern.
Although the buoy supported Tom
easily, he found 1t 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
a 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
meantime 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
10 humanity, and which froze the
words on his tongue.
Scott, sit down." said the old miner.
II can see by your face what you read
In mine. 1 have no time to waste. I'm
q dying man, Scott. Something has
given out inside and my time is up.
Don't interrupt me-, please. I must tell
you something while l have time"
He paused an instant to press his
hand TO his side, saying:
when that hit me something snapped
in here. / think n rib is sticking into
my lungs. Take off my belt, Scott.
Hurry up! Don't stop to ask questions
now!"
Tom obeyed, and with trembling fin
gers the dying man drew forth a fold
ed bit of paper, whispering!
ITS yours, and 1t means a fortune
TO youl Get me a pen and paper and
then write what I tell you!
His request was soon complied with,
and with q faint voice he dictated:
II, John Avery, being about to die,
give my share In the gold mine discov-
A..l Lv -, -, -N..a Me- JDA-l a. 49,
bearer, Thomas Scott, who has risked
his life for mine twice."
When this unique will was on paper
he added:
Give me the pen. There needn't be
any witnesses. Dick Reed knows my
fist, he's as square as a die. This
paper Is a map to tell me how to reach
the mine. It's a secret trail leads to
II, and only three men know of It. You
Will be rich If you live to reach il. 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 At OF coughing interrupted
him, and before 1t ended the handker-
chief he pressed TO his lips was stained
with his life blood.
Tom hastily summoned the captain,
pul tic Olu uld 6dlln lIlO I'LL uHCOH-
scious state, and before morning Tom
w. ; the only living occupant OF the lit
Jtateroom.
But behind the thin partition which
separated It from the mates room sat
that worthy himself with a look OF tri-
umph on his evil face.
There were no witnesses, and what
is to prevent my being Mr.. Tom Scott
and becoming q mine owner he NUT
%anaI 20 ht,,aaAIf EFT - H. xvn tLnt -
per If / have to kill to get it,"
On the following day the remains Of
the Did 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 1t was the first time he
had been brought face to face with
death.
That night as he was about to re-
tire, he remembered the slip OF paper
given hin by his dying friend, and
which he had not yet examined. He
had placed 1t in the belt and tossed the
letter into his chest at the time, and a
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 So, 900, and these he transferred to his
own belt at once. The paper was evil
IDENTIFY torn from a plank book, and
contained these lines In a bold hand:
"Old Partner: If you haven't forgot
ten the old days and the bargain we
made, come out and share my find with
me. l have struck It rich. l have writ
ten to Bill. l have a new chum with
too. Come to Dyea and take the
old Dalton trail. No one uses 1t now
1t goes just west of Arkell lake and
runs straight for Fort Selkirk. It's al
most dead north by the compass. About
30 miles before 1t reaches the fort it
splits off to the left. A big white cliff
faces the trail. You can't mistake 1t.
The main trail keen on to the right