The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1904-03-10

r
beneath the cold case Of the watch
when ut last both hands were squarely
upon the figure twelve. III moment
he was upon his feet ripping the half
rotten cloth sign from its place upon
the tree. The new piece of cloth
foot square he spread against the
trunk, whether right side or wrong
side to the bark he neither knew nor
thought. and began to drive tacks with
his heavy pocket-knife. The sound OF
the hammering was like the thunder
ing of stamp-mil to him, and yet his
ears caught that cautious sound in the
chemise He dropped his knife and
drove the rest of the tacks with the
sheer strength of his callous fingers.
Then he dropped to the ground upon
his knees and waited.
The quiet was absolute. Yet Josiah
knew that the sound he had heard was
not made by rabbit or by toad.
Something good deal larger than
either had moved in the brush within
hundred feet of him. He was on
his own ground now, but somehow he
| was more nervous than before. Tense
| ly he waited. At last it came again,
| lust as he knew it would. Something
or somebody was moving slowly to-
ward the little clearing, in the midst
of which was the tree beneath which
he crouched. Two steps, three steps,
the thing would stop, wait in silence,
and then come on. With his long PTS
tol across his knees and gripped tight
! ~, Josiah bent forward. The sound
was most like that which a man would
make in crawling. Only one man on
earth could have any reason to ap-
proach that lonely spot by stealth at
that hour of the night, and that man
would be Henry Flatfoot, the half
breed desperate, coming to see wheth-
err the notice by virtue Of which he
had held this mining claim had been
disturbed. The sounds were repeated,
and again ceased. Another sound
broke the hush: Henry Flatfoot, the
| lawr Is now on my side; you'd better
go back-so help you Gawd"
There was light commotiOn in the
chemise Perhaps the unseen had
needed the warning. and was now re-
treating But in another ten seconds
the steps came on again.
Upon the strained gaze Of Josiah
there burst two balls as OF yellow fire.
They daZzled him even as his senses
told him what they must be. Such
eyes as those burning out of the dark
ness there into his own, Josiah God
bolt had never dreamed existed, and
he knew negro superstitions like Il
book. The hellish eyes were growing
into the size Of full moons, and they
seemed to be coming, coming.
Silence, awful, ominous; then pis-
toll shot rang out. Two screams sue"
ceeded almost on the instant. One
shrill cry was from Josiah, who had
fired, the other from the spot where the
eyes had vanished and the brush
cracked as with heavy body plunged
back into it.
When, just as daylight was chasing
away the last shadow, Pete Barclay
stepped from the trail into the clearing
where he had left his partner, the spec
tace which met him caused him to stop
and utter a characteristic exclamation.
In heap upon the ground by the tree
was Josiah. His face was white and
drawn almost past recognition. His
eyes were bleared and teary. In both
hands his pistol was clutched and it
was held ready for instant use. Bar
clay moved up to him and gently
wrenched away the weapon. What
In the name of all the ghosts has hap
pened to you, Jo?" he asked, with
tenderness of which no one would have
suspected him.
"Over there" whispered Josiah,
pointing.
whats over there, the ghosts?"
1.-THE half-breed,' piped Josiah.
Lord Gawd, had to kill him" He
sank his head upon his knees.
Pete Barclay went over to where the
brush was beaten down, and peered
into the thlcket. There, lifeless, lay
gaunt, ugly form. Josiah had shot the
panther squarely between the now
half closed eyes.-San Francisco Argo-
naut
go -------------------------
THE FARMER IN WINTER TIME.