The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-10-18

III
FsEAssssa not burn itself out until mid
ESssSGD night. By that time, how
ever, it was pretty well known that the
amount of the defalcations had been
exaggerated; that it had been preceded
by the suspension of the Excelsior
bank of San Francisco. of which
TriXit was also a managing director,
occasloned by the discovery of the
withdrawal of securities for use Ia the
branch bank at Canada City; that he
had fled the state eastward across the
Sierras, yet that, owing to the vigi-
had failed to escape and was in hid
| ing. But there were adverse reports
| of more sinister nature. 1t was said
| that others were implicated; that they
dare not bring him to justice. 1t was
pointed out that there was more con-
| cern among many who were not openly
connected with the bank than among
Its unfortunate depositors. Besides the
inevitable downfall of those who had
invested their fortunes in it, there was
distrust or suspicion everywhere. Even
TriXit's enemies We're 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 direct
ors of the new mill, to whose discus
sions Dick Masterton, the engineer,
had been hurriedly 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 mill, which had always kept itself
| aloof from the bank and it's methods,
to do with the disgraced manager? He
was still more astonished when the
president added bluntly:
"TriXit holds securities Of ours for
| money advanced to the mill by himself
privately. They do not appear on the
books, but if he chooses to declare
them as assets of the bank it's q bad
thing for us. If he is bold enough to
keep them, he may be willing to make
some arrangement with us to carry
them on. If he has got away or COM
nitted suicide, as some say, it's for
you to find the whereabouts of the Sc
eurities and get them. He is said to
have been last seen near the summit.
You understand our position?'
Masterton did, with suppressed dis
gust. But he was young, and there was
the thrill of adventure in this. 81 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 ac-
duainted with his daughter, think"
(Which makes it quite impossible for
me to seek her for such a purpose"
said Masterton coldly.
A few hours later he was on the
coach. AS they cleared the outskirts
of the town they passed two Cinnamon
plodding sturdily along in the dust of
the highway.
Mr.. Masterton started from a slight
doze in the heavy, numbering ''moun-
tain wagon" which had taken the place
of the smart Concord coach that he had
left at the last station. The scenery,
too, had changed. The four horses
threaded their way through rocky de-
files of stunted larches and hardy
brush, with here and there open
patches of shrunken snow. Yet at the
edge of declivities he could still see
through the rolled up leather curtains
the valley below bathed in autumn, the
glistening rivers half spent with the
long summer drought and the green
slopes rolling upward into crest after
| crest of ascending pines. At times a
drifting haze, always imperceptible
from below, yelled the view. A chill
wind blew through the vehicle and
made the steel sledge runners that
hung beneath the wagon ready to be
shipped under the useless wheels an
ominous provision. A few rude "sta-
tions," half blacksmith shop, half gro
eery, marked the deserted but we'll
worn road. A long, narrow packers
wagon" or tortuous file of Cinnamon
carrying mysterious bundles depending
I from bamboo poles was their rare and
only company. The rough sheepskin
jackets which these men wore over
their characteristic blue blouses and
their heavy leggings were new reve-
lation to Masterton, accustomed to the
thinly clad cody of the mines. They
seemed distinct race.
81 never knew those chaps get so
high up, but they seem to understand
the cold" he remarked.
The driver looked up and calculated
his disgust and his tobacco juice at the
same moment.
81 reckon they're everywhar in Cali
forny, whar ye want 'em and whar
ye don't; ye take my word for it,
afore long Californy will hev to reckon
that she ginerally don't want 'em eff
white man has to live here. With
race tied up together in language ye
can't understand. ways that no feller
knows - from their prayin to devils,
swappin their wives and havin their
bones sent back TO Chiny-wot are We
/ goin to do, and where are ye? What
are ye goin TO make outer men that
look so much alike We can't tell 'em
apart; that think alike and act alike,
and never in ways that We kin catch
| n Enl In 4. r.