Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-09-10

amount OF tue ueIdlcdtiouS uau oSSn
exaggerated; that it had been preceded
by the suspension of the Excelsior
bank of San Francisco, Of which
Trixit was also a managing director
occasioned by the discovery OF the
withdrawal of securities for use In the
branch bank at Canada City; that he
had fed the state eastward across the
Sierras, yet that, owing to the vigil
lance of the police on the frontier, he
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-
Germ among many who were not openly
connected with the bank than among
it's 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 were 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
wherea bouts 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 its 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 bad
thing for US. II 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
mitted suicide, as some say, It's for
you to find the whereabouts Of the Sc
curities 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 ne was young, and there was
the thrill Of adventure in this. Il will
CO." he said quietly.
1--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-
Quainted with his daughter, think"
(Which makes 1t quite impossible for
me to seek her for such 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 slight
doze In the heavy, numbering 'moun-
tain wagon" which had taken the place
of the smart Concord coach that he had
left ut 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
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
Gerry, marked the deserted but well
worn road. A long, narrow packers
wagon" or tortuous file Of Cinnamon
carrying mysterious bundles depending
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 u 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 Call
forny. whar ye want 'em and whar
We don't; ye take my word for 1t,
nfore long Californy will hev to reckon
that she ginerally don't want 'em ef
white man has to live here. With q
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 ye
goin to do, and where are ye? What
are ye goin to make outer men that
look 80 much alike ye can't tell 'em
apart; that think alike and act alike,
and never In ways that ye kin catch
on to! Fellers knotted together In some
underhand secret way Of communi-
catin with each other, so that ef ye kick
q Chlnaman up here on the summit,
another Chinaman will squeal In the
valley. And the way they do 1t just
gets mel Look yer! I'll tell ye some
thin that happened that's gospel truth.
Some of the boys that reckoned to hev
some fun with the Chinee gang over at
Cedar Camp started out one after
noon to raid 'em. They CROPPED along
through the woods whar robody could
see 'em, kalkilatin to come down with
q rush on the camp over two miles
away. And nobody did see 'em. only
one Chinaman wot they met mile
from the camp. burnin punk to bis joss
or devil, and he scooted away just In
the contrary direction. Well, sir. when
they waltzed into that camp. darn my
skin ef there was a Chinaman there.
or as much as a grain Of rice to grabl
Somebody had warned 'em. Well, this