The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-09-24

>&22Sz&SJ lest spot of that rugged coun-
| try, his horse grazing behind him, b.
saw Craig coming up the gradual in
| cline from The creek. Pole stood up
and caught the bride rein Of his horse
| and muttered:
Nov, Pole Baker, durn yore hide,
you've got )rains-at least some folk
say you have-an' so has he. Eff you
don't git the best of that scalawag,
yo're done FER. You've put purity biz
things through. Now put this un
through or shet up
well, here you are" merrily cried
out the ex-banker as he came up. He
was smiling expectantly. "Your Sc
cret's safe with me. I haven't met a
| soul that know since left town."
Pm glad you didn't. Mr.. Craig"
Pole said. Il don't want anybody
a-meddlin' with my business" He
pointed up the rather steep and rocky
road that led gradually up the noun
tain. ''We' e got two or three mile
furder to 60. Have you had any din
ner?"
Il put cold biscuit and a slice of
ham in my pocket" said Craig. 1T III
do me till supper"
Pole mounted and led the way up the
unfrequented road.
Il may as we'll tell you, Mr.. Craig,
that used to be a moonshiner in these
mountains, an'''-
Lord, I knew that, Baker. Who
doesn't I'd like to knOw9''
Poles big booted legs swung back
and forth like pendulums from the
tanks Of his horse.
Il was a-goin' to tell you that l had
hide out, whar 1 kept stuff stored,
that wasn't knowed by one livin' man."
! "Weu, you must have had a slick
place from all I've heard" said Craig,
still in his vast good humor with him.
self and everybody else.
The best natur' ever built" said
Pole; IAN what's more, it was in thar
that l found the gold l reckon it
I'D "a been diskivered long ago, eff it
had "a been above ground"
''Then it's ina sort of cave?" ven
tured Craig.
THAT'S jest it; but I've got the mouth
of it closed up so it I'D fool even a
bloodhound"
Half an hour later Pole drew rein in
a most isolated spot. near great yawn-
ing canyon from which came roaring
sound of rushing water and clashing
winds. The sky overhead was blue
and cloudless; the air at that altitude
was crisp and rarefed. and held the
odor of spruce pine. With a laugh
| Pole dismounted. "What eff l was to
tell you, Mr.. Craig, that you was in
ten yards O. my old den right now?"
Craig looked about in SURPRISE I'D
| think you was making fun Of me-ten-
| derfootin', as we used to say out west "
I'm givin' it to you straight" said
Pole, pointing with his riding switch.
do you see that pile O. rocks?"
Craig nodded
Right under them two fat ones is
the mouth O. my den," said Pole.
Nov let's hitch to that hemlock. an
III show you the whole thing
When they had fastened their horses
to swinging limbs in a dense thicket
OF laurel and rhododendron bushes,
they went to the pile Of rocks.
Il toted mighty nigh all Of 'em from
higher up" Pole explained. "Some
o the biggest I rolled down from that
cliff above"
Il don't see how you are going to
get into your hole in the ground" said
Craig, with laugh of pleasant antici-
patton.
Pole picked up big, smooth stick
of hickory, shaped like a crowbar and
thrust the end Of it under the largest
rock. Huh! I'll show you in a jiffy."
1t was an enormous stone weighing
over three hundred pounds; but with
his strong lever and knotted muscles
the ex-moonshiner managed to slide it
slowly to the right disclosing a black
hole about two feet square in the rag
geo stone. From this proruded into
-