Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-10-07

saw Craig coming up the gradual in
cline from the creek. Pole stood up
and caught the bride rein of his horse
and muttered:
''Now, Pole Baker, durn yore hide,
you've got brains-at least some folks
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 big
things through. Now put this I'm
through or shet up"
swell, here you are" merrily cried
out the ex-banker as he came up. He
was smiling expectantly. "Your Sc
cret's safe with me. l haven't met q
soul that know since I left town"
I'm glad you didn't. Mr.. Craig"
Pole said. II 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've got two or three mile
furder to go. Have you had any din
nerT'
II put cold biscuit and slice of
ham in my pocket" said Craig. 1T III
do me till supper"
Pole mounted and led the way up the
unfrequented road.
II may as we'll tell you. Mr.. Craig,
that used to be moonshiner in these
mountains, an ~
"Lord, knew that, Baker. Who
doesn't, I'd like to know"
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
a hide out, whar 1 kept stuff stored,
that wasn't knowed by one livin' man."
well, 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.
1.-The best natur' ever built" said
Pole; "an' 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 caver' ven
tured Craig.
'That's jest it; but I've got the mouth
Of it closed up so it I'D fool even q
bloodhound"
Half an hour later Pole drew rein In
most isolated spot, near great yawn-
ing canyon from which came a roaring
sound Of rushing water and clashing
winds. The sky overhead was blue
and cloudless; the air at that altitude
was crisp and rare6ed, 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"
"1'm givin' it to you straight" said
Pole, pointing with his riding switch.
do you see that pile q rocks?''
Craig nodded.
Fright under, them two fat ones 1s
the mouth O my den," said Pole.
'Now let's hitch to that hemlock, an
I'll show you the whole thing"
When they had fastened their horses
to swinging limbs in dense thicket
Of laurel and rhododendron bushes,
they went to the pile Of rocks.
II toted mighty nigh all of 'em from
higher up" Pole explained. ''Some
o the biggest rolled down from that
cliff above"
II 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 q big. smooth stick
Of hickory, shaped like q crowbar, and
thrust the end Of it under the largest
rock. "Huhl I'll show you in jiry."
It 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 black
ho1e about two feet square in the rag
ged stone. From this protruded into
the light the ends OF crude ladder
leading down about twenty-five feet
to the bottom of the cave.
"Ugh!" Craig shudde1ed as he peered
into the dank blackness you don't
mean that we are to go down therer'
It was crisis. With his big feet
dangling In the hole, Pole threw him
seU DacK ana gave vent to hearty,
prolonged laugh that went ringing and
echoing about among the cliffs and
chasms. H..
II flowed this I'D make yore flesh
crawl" be said Looks like the open
In to the bad place, don't It?
1T certainly does" said Craig. some
what treasured by Poles levity. !:
why it amt more'n forty feet
square, " said Pole. "Wait till run
down an make light I've got some
fst pine torches down at the foot o.
the ladder" >.* E#%T ,S.~5
We'll, I believe I win let you 60
first" said Craig, with an uneasy little
laugh. So :|5 ia. J. RI &
Pole went down the ladder, reckless
" humping his heels on the rungs.
He was lost to sight from above, but
81, 40