Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-11-25

n cleaning cascade of gold came pour
ing from the orifice.
"Yoww cried the miner in unre-
strainable delight, and, falling on his
knees, he gathered up the glinting
ooh, nor he roared, wasn't it worth
coming back to claim the poor old
tunnel? Wasn't it worth a new loca-
ton? Amt we fixed?" And clutch
ing up his pick again, he slashed and
tore at the pocket Of precious metal in
n frenzy.
ooh, say!" he went on. stopping
again to gather up the golden store,
won't We roll 'em now? Hey! who's
therew
He stood up and peered outward
vainly, in the blackness of the mine
A patter of feet broke the stiffness.
Drawing Il pistol and feeling his way,
the miner gave pursuit. The sounds
diminished and were gone. He went
on out and looked from the tunnels
mouth.
The darkness of night had descend
ed. Clouds We're massed up hugely;
keen blast was blowing. Here and
there flake of snow shot downward
TO the earth.
"Heh, heh, heh-wow-ow-ow," sound
ed weirdly from the brush.
Coyote" said the miner Satisfied
as to the nature of his visitor, he re-
placed his pistol in his belt and re-
turned to his treasure.
Creeping away from the spot where
the coyote-howl had been sounded, a
supple figure arose and glided down
the slope.
Roberts, in his cabin, was cooking
his dinner when this figure knocked at
his door.
"Come in," he called.
With grin, the man outside entered
and closed the door. The light revealed
an Indian face and head, on an In
dian body; yet the fellows skin was
nearly as fair as that of the white
man.
"Hullo, Slink," said the miner. "The
kid won't come tonight, 1 reckon.
told him to wait if the snow came on
-" Then he grumbled. That's
nothing to you, though" and added
sullenly: what do you want?"
"Nuthin'," said the Indian, eyeing
the food hungrily.
You lie, half-breed," said the other
"Take Il bite if you want"
The creature jerked a sizzling chop
from the skillet, tossed it about to
cool, and soon was gulping it down.
Then he licked his fingers, with a look
Of greed in his eyes.
"Well," said Roberts, knowing his
man, what have you got TO say:"
Heap gold," said the Indian abrupt
ly.
Gold? Where?"
"Sturgis mine. Heap gold"
"Iniun, you're II liar. You're up to
doing some dirt to Sturgis again, III
bet There amt been man in that
tunnel for over Il year-not since Stur-
gis left the digsin's, cuss himw
"Sturgls, he's heap there" replied
the half-breed. "Slink, he's heap see
'um gold"
Did you, sure? He's back then,
is he? / reckon he came to locate the
claim over. To-morrows New Year,
and that's his game. l knowed he
hadn't done his assessment work-any
man could have jumped that claim to-
morrow. You said he has struck
gold"
Heap gold; Stink, he sees 'um
heap" repeated the creature, eyeing
Roberts narrowly.
Gold! In that old tunnel, and mine
had to cave! I've got as good Il right
as him to jump her tonight and To-
cate the whole works. He amt done
assessment work by two hundred dol
larsn'
PLENTY gold" remarked the savage
insiduously.
Cold gold, gold! Well hang me,
I'll jump that claim tonight! He
amt got no rights; he amt stayed
here and worked like me; and he done
me up before. I'll jump her, sure
Here Injun, take the meat. Now you
gitw
With the meat in his fingers the In
dian glided out, his eyes atire with
CLEANS of cunning. He had an old
score against Sturgis himself.
In his tunnel Sturgis worked dill.
gently, breaking out the metal and
heaping it up with caressful hands
His candle burned down to a lump OF
grease and gave up the ghost The
man gropcd his way to the outside
entrance, where he found half doz
en- tallow dips. The hill by this time
was covered with snow, which was
coming down in a binding swirl.
NASTY night" he muttered, looking
forth on the bleakness of the scene
and was turning back when a feeble
cry came clearly on the wind. Hui
lo!' said he. whats up?"
Papa" came the shrill accents
"Oh, papa, papa"
"Wel, amt your papa" said thC
miner, putting up his collar at the
! back of his neck, but reckon I've got
TO hunt Won m