The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-10-17

"Oh, say!'i he went on. stopping
| again to gather up the golden store,
won't we roll 'em now? Hey! who's
therer'
He stood up and peered outward.
valnly, In the blackness of the mine.
A patter of feet broke the stiffness.
Drawing 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 were massed up hugely;
keen blast was blowing. Here and
there a flake of snow shot downward
to the earth.
"Heh, heh, heh-wowow-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 glidcd down
the slope.
Roberts, in his cabin, was cooking
his dinner when this figure knocked at
his door.
Come in," he called.
With a 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.
"1ullo, Slink," said the miner. "The
Kid won't come tonight, l reckon. l
told him to wait if the snow came on
-" Then he grumbled. That's
nothing to you, though" and added
sullenly; what do you wantg'
"Nuthin'," said the Indian, eyeing
the food hungrily.
You lie. half-breed," said the other
Take n bite If you want"
The creature jerked n sizzling chop
from the skillet, tossed it about to
cool, and soon was gulping it down.
Then he licked his fingers, with look
of greed in his eyes.
We'll" said Roberts, knowing his
man, what have you got to say?"
Heap gold" said the Indian abrupt-
ly.
Gold? Wherey 81
"Sturgis mine. Heap gold"
"lnjun, you're a liar. You're up to
doing some dirt to Sturgs again. I'll
bet. There amt been man in that
tunnel for over a year-not since Stur-
gis left the diggin's, cuss him!'
"Sturgis, he's heap there" replied
the half-breed. "Sink, he's heap see
'um gold"
did you, sure? He's back then.
is he? l reckon he came to locate the
claim over. To-morrow's 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.
Cold In that old tunnel and mine
had to cavel I've got as good a right
as him to jump her tonight and To-
cate the whole works. He amt done
assessment work by two hundred dol
larsw
PLENTY gold" remarked the savage
insiduously.
Gold, 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
git"
With the meat in his fingers the In.
dian glided out, his eyes aiire 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 groped 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 n binding swirl.
NASTY night" he muttered. looking
| forth on the bleakness of the scene,
and was turning back when feeble
cry came clearly on the wllJ Hui
lo!" said he "What's up?"
"Pa-pap came the shrill accents.
"Oh, papa, papa"
"Well, amt your papa" said the
miner, putting up his collar at the
back of his neck, "but l reckon I've got
to hunt you up"
He closed the door of the claim and
| plunged away. Utter darkness was
prevented by the whlteness OF the hill,
yet he could scarcely sec good TWEEN
| ty feet ahead. He stumbled north
ward, and was thrown several times
| by covered roots. The cold cut through
his clothing keenly.
"Hullo"' he shouted; but the sound
seemed beaten to the earth. Not even
an echo made reply. He stamped his
feet to drive out the cold that crept
insensibly up.
"Yellow-sand Ravine,' he muttered
at length; ''it must have been on the
Pinto trail" Hunting till he found
narrow suggestion of a path through
the brush, lie Travelled for a time
westward. up the hill.
"Hullo" he cried again. "Hey. there,
| hullov