Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-12-05

W | 80
10 ~ ao,,. ,.oubt your word.
r. SCOTT ~. AXE every precau-
L. ,;,,,, -. t anything, tell me
5. what the letter ''>->-' >'''N
s. y us Mas sigaed. complied, and appar-
e a,,,I,. i p.oiiip the other. for he eN
!, tended his h, and '', ~nn shall have
= Its all II con mn hein Won -' Shall H. W.,
h Johns ,sharsa have AVE been waitin~
Ii go on togs hopes to run across Tar
=. box. He min :" '"s' go >5''
y p' .T MINED better start at once. =
Il -. yT,ai..i"We may meet him and be-
n sides :, 'i -
l w. YOU know this man TarboN if
o ,o,, him?" added Tom.
+ soa was the reply. Hes a new
Taylor has picked up out here =
'....IeSou know Taylora"
..ises. We We're all out together in
a., alifornia mines in the SOS. Poor
was one of us. Dick Taylor loved
t !, as though he'd been his brother,
It'll be sad news for him to hear
Sr story"
o it was late that night when Tom and
: lreen returned to their tent. 1t had
E seeu ueC4ceus 10 iHstNc sure tiisst eilS
man had not arrived from the mine,
and. should they be unable to hear of
him. they We're 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 q
pair of blue eyes when hts own We're
tightly shut. His dreams that night
We're q sad tumble OF gold mines and
l,.. al
but little refreshed.
The day was spent in quiet but fruit
less inquiries for the man they sought
and 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 and his
daughter followed and Green brought
up the rear.
Ing country all the way to Fort Sell
kirk, and can easily be Travelled or
horseback the entire distance of some
S15 miles, which relieved our travellers
of the hardships attendant upon the
other trails. and it was with light
heart that Tom looked back over Tho
well-fitted string of animals and eN-
claimed:
IF we can only meet the man from
the mine we shall be In luck! We have
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
by a camp fire with Rider and his com
panion reading John Avery's will ant
the letter written by Dick Taylor.
Leaving Tom and his party fairly OF
their way, we must return 10 Ohee
Rider and his new friend, who Were
pushing forward as fast as possible
Their undue haste the first day ha6
proved disastrous, for one of their pacl
horses had gone lame. and they wer'
obliged to abandon it or go into camp
They chose the former, dividing 1t!
burden among the others as best the,
could.
The second night found them man.
miles on their Journey, but as nigh
came on the weary beasts could hard!,
be forced ahead, and Hank Bower
| cursed the delay roundly.
I'VE might as we'll stop here" h
growled at last. after helping one o
the horses to regain its feet afte
stumbling. Get them packs off VII
yer, While l see about the fire. I'm n
hungry as Il shark.
The tent was soon set up, and afte
supper was disposed of and pipe
lighted he said:
SIC mere. iNlucI, ItlsS itet We d .ci I "
understanding bout This job. 'Spose "
meet this man Tarbox, then What
| We've got ter have our yarns so they''
| agree. | guess now is q good time lie
| fix it up You don't want ter forge
| that yer name is Scott LII call yol
| Tom all right enuff. You see the youai
| chap jumped overheard and save TIL
| Old Teller, an you can tell that yarn ~
| right. Any darned fool can see you ar
l,,, 1,.'l1 GU. III.
| that part of it,.
| Rider nodded, and the other went on
| i've been thinkin' this out an I'v
1 come ter the conclusion that we mus
| pump him about how ter get ter Tn
| place where the gold is an Let him 9
| on ter Dyea after his grub He Won
| hey enough stuff with him to make
| with our While to stop him. See?"
| After a pause he continues
| Wen keep on and find this othe
| Teller what sent the letter They've go
q big Pile all dug by this time. and w
must hev it. He'll drop out o sight
Riders face showed that he did no
! understand the others meaning, an
the miner repeated:
! Hell git off the earth! Understand
/ Then when we hev the place an ter our
selves, Mr.. TarboX will come back Wit
a lot of grub. Wen tell him his pard 20
| SldINetl Oul ullcI VIC IetiSIlStl VIC pay
| an took their stuff with him. He
never know the odds, and If he doe
make any trouble. there's n might
| quick way of stopping his mouth"
| AS he spoke he dropped his hand sig
| niticantly to the butt of the heavy re
volver at his hip and his face too
on such an evil look that the mate
blood ran cold in his veins. He bega
to feel decidedly uneasy in this man
1 In H.,
| this interruptions rufllan would nc
treat him in the same manner after hi
| ends We're served?
AS If reading his thoughts Bower
laughed hoarsely. and exclaimed:
Whats the matter, Rider? 'Frai
Ill go back on yer? Don't worry a
long as Yer use me on the square. i
stick ter yer, but Yer too chicken heart
| Ell for job like this"
| The day had been very warm an
| sunny, for summer comes all at one
| in this part of the country. They ha
built small fire to make their coffe,
| and We're lying in their tent where the
could command quite view of the ira
| ahead. 1t was still light, and as tn
| speaker glanced carelessiy over the val
ley in which they had halted he uttere
a sharp exclamation and sprung to hi
/ feet:
"Thar's something movin over thar.
he said quickly, shading his eyes vii
his hand as if to aid his vision. IT'S
man an he's afoot, headin' fer ou
fire, jest as sure's yer born. Ten dollar
ter one it's our man! Remember your
Mister Tom Scott and don't make
mess of it!''
Rider soon saw a dark figure draw
ing near them, and when it was but
few rods away n mans voice shouted
4 Hello, there."
"Hello!" responded Bowers. steppn
from the tent.
The stranger came rapidly towar
linn. and there was light enough TO II
1 veal q noWerfullY- built man of middl