Gilpin observer., 1903-02-26

the air.
Pauls pack was removed from his
back and he laid OF a blanket in
front of the fire with the hermit by
his side.
The rascal named Morris came to
the old mans side and said: e.
you said you could not give up
that secret If you wished"
II did,"
What do you mean?"
at Is lost"
Morris stared at him for e. moment
with wide open eyes and gasped:
II don't understand you. Cap; you
are talllin' in riddles"
81 care very little whether you un-
derstand me- or not" the old man de-
family answered. ".The secret is lost
1t was written in cipher on a walrus
hide and the walrusfhide is lost"
1t was some time before the idea
could get through, the THICK skulls of
the ex-sailors, but when they. came
to fully comprehend the loss they
roared like madmen. Ned seized his
knotted stick and swore he would
brain them both, but his more cool
companion interfered, saying:'
1T may all be trick. After all 1t
may be only a trick to throw us off
the trail. If we decide for the old
cuss to pass in his checks, let it be
done deliberately and give him time
to reflect"
So Padgett decided to let them live
and trust to some chance to reveal
the hiding place of the money. Paul
had heard the above conversation be-
tween their captors and waiting for
an opportunity to speak with the her
NIT when he would not be overheard
by them, whispered:
rs the walrus hide you referred to
the one left in the cavern where you
took me?"
YES"
~ took it"
"You?" There was an expression
on the old mans face almost fierce
as he asked the question.
Yes. l took it,"
What did you do with it?"
Gave it to the miner who was with
me before l fell from the precipice and
whom l found after leaving the cav
ern. He said he had seen it before"
"Where?'
The Indians who had enticed his
captain away in search of gold had
some such hide, only there had been
painting added to it since"
The hermit turned, and fixing his
great earnest eyes on him in aston
ishment, asked:
Ills captain-had he been a sail
orr"
Yes, SIR"
in what seas?"
Almost all over the world, but his
last voyage was in a sealing schooner
to st. Paul Island, Alaska, and this
coast"
What was this sailors manner"
"He is called old Glum."
mo other name?"
Il believe Glum Ralston II his
name. but after all his real name,
don't think, is known. In this coun-
try nearly everybody goes by some
nickname. and fancy that Glum Raj
ston was only a nickname"
might have been Jack Ralston."
well. since you mention it, l be-
lieve l once heard him say his real
name was Jack Ralston; however.
will not be sure"
The hermit was very calm. Paul
waited long time for him to answer
but the old man was silent as the
grave. Then two of their captors came
near where they were sitting, and
they dared not talk anymore.
Their journey was very painful and
difficult. Grown desperate. Paul had
determined to escape from their cap
tors even IL he had to kill them.
One day they reached a great
gloomy cavern which extended to an
unfathomable depth in the earth
Their captors had pine knots on the
wall about the cavern, and lighting
two of these went back to where
there were piles Of dead grass and
a table of stone on which lay a pack
of greasy cards. Here they took up
their abode.
Several days passed, and then Nor
ris and Padgett left the cavern in
charge of Tom Ambrose, who tied
the prisoners every night, established
deadline In the cavern in daytime,
and swore he would shoot the first
one who attempted to cross 1t.
Two or three weeks had elapsed. for
in that dungeon night and day were
one, when the two men came back
and with them another whom Morris
seemed to have known. He intro
duced the newcomer to Tom Ambrose
as a friend fresh from San Francisco.
Padgett took Paul to where the
stranger sat on a musk OK hide and
the latter asked:
"Is your name Paul Miller"
"It is"
Are you from Fresno, California;"
II am"