The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-15

as it was soft and thick and could not
easily be removed. So. according to his
view of it, there was nothing to do
but play pedro and hang around Pete
and the Green Tree. In these paSumes
he was seldom Joined by Wood, who
could not risk his precious dust in any
game of chance with a sober man.
When he could ind one who was well
'hOotChed" he did not mind trying a
hand. Thus. instead of taking from his
pile he added a little to it.
The summer closed abruptly and the
snow fell. The surface of the earth
was again concealed and the two men
fired the bank and followed the streak.
McQuade was happy. There was
plenty of corned beef, flour, bacon and
beams in the cabin, and the dogs were
fat and sleek. Besides. there was the
demijOhn under the bunk to help keep
out the cold when the mercury sank to
80 below, and the demiiohn kept one
hale and mellow and at peace with
the world. 1t did not matter that
Wood drank little and that he did not
insinuate himself into a partnership
with the demijohn.
One day, after they had worked a
fortnight in the new season, John Nc
| Quade took too liberal a morning ap-
( petize-. In fact, he took four appetite
/ ers. but he did not get four appetites.
! He ate very little breakfast and tum-
/ bled over the rocks when ne went down
! to rake out the charred spruce at the
end OF the drift. Wood, who was
standing at the mouth of the shaft
making swift embraces of himself to
keep warm until the bucket should be
/ filed. heard a series of gentle curses
/ from below, and then a loud oath
/ doomed from the drift like a dynamite
/ blast.
What's up?" he shouted down. -
For a reply came another blast of
/ blasphemy. So Wood fastened down
! the hole. Through the smoke he saw
/ the light of the candle stuck in the side
/ of the drift, and under it was MeQuade
| doubled like a alternating creature, his
/ hands clasping his right foot.
] Stuck the pick through it, said the
/ miner. 1T was sharp. and I slipped. -
/ Now. we won't get anything out for
I q month"; walled Wood. You'll be
/ laid up and-cOnfOund your old whis-
/ ky, anyway
He helped McQuade out and into the
cabin and was on the point of obeying
/ his demand for a doctor. when il
( flashed upon him that that would mean
$500 visit. perhaps $4,000 or $4,000 be-
fore McQuade could work again
! I'll take care of you" he said, so
/ licitously IN dress your foot and
/ pouitice it. You don't need any doctor.
/ IT you get any worse I'll bring in ST.
wash Charley. He can fix you up"
So John McQuade lay abed and read
] the saltwater Tragedy a thick pa
. - "~tf En NOAultlt. ne EOulu IEdu d
many as thirty pages a day in his
/ quizzical. brow-knotting way. In his
! hunk. with its dirty pillow case and
frowzy blankets he was an uncOuth
object to look upon. Contrary to the
winter rule in the north country, he
Z had insisted on whiskers. These being
a dusty brown and very much tangled
did not enhance his beauty. When he
read he had lighted candle stuck into
potato that lay on his great breast
me candle eXuded a gentle dribble OF
tallow. which ran into mis- beard and
made MIN look very grotesque.
The old BEAST" Wood would say
as he gazed at the quiet reader. HE
don't deserve TO live and enjoy thai
gold. What can he do with it, the
filthy old swine2"
He would sit and look at McQuade
by the hour. He dreamed every might
of gold.
ITS no good to him. he would say
on awakening. He did everything pos
I sible except the dealing out of dust tC
help along McQuade's recovery anC
fitness for work The man was mend
ing. He might be out before long, but
he did not seem able yet to stand or
the injured foot Wood fretted and
fused over him and drew the mos
irritating pictures o. the gold they
might be taking out The pictures ap-
pealed to the miners Imagination and
ne made manly eMOrIS TO do better
than hobble about. but the pain would
gripe him and make him vince. Witt
IL all. though, he never became bear
ish. one day. when the swollen mister
was throbbing like a waterman, ht
smiled and gave off joke that hac
hsen slowly maturing in his mind FOL
a week
You reckonedl couldn't pick YARD
day" he said, ''but 1 picked a foo
in a second"
Wood laughed. Nothing relieved the
unsuspieious nature of John McQuadt
SO much as his acceptance of Johr
Woods laugh. II always rang as fla
as the notes Of a tOne-deaf singer.
When Wood had fretted long enough
he went 70 work alone. He did not un
dcrstand firing very well. and generally
made a mess Of il, az his fires Otter
went out before they had thawed three
inches of ground. 1t was a SLOW la
borious and very tedious process. Blu
he knew the pay-streak. trust his ac
quisitive soul for that, and he followed
il. Now the pay-streak did not run il
the right direction. 1t should have fol