Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-12-24

It's wuth a million apiece to us, mani"
But what about these men?" whis-
pered Rider.
bah! Yer chickenl They'll never
be missed!"
You mean TO murder them?"
"See here" said Bowers, don't YOU
! be fool. This thing has got to be
! managed right, an it's lucky yer took
me in. You'd spoiled the whole
| racket. I'd like ter see yer work it
alone"
Riders heart failed him for an in
slant, but pull at the whisky bottle
revived his courage, and for another
| hour the two conspirators continued to
| plot against the lives and wealth of
| their fellows.
They had decided to start at once on
| their villainous errand. and the follow
ing morning they were astir before day.
hght. They wished to avoid observation
as much as possible, and but few peo-
pie saw them as they loaded their
horses.
| Bowers was attending to this, when
ooed Rider, who had been bringing the
| goods to him, remembered that he had
left some articles to dry on a small
bush not fa.S away, and hurried after
| them.
| BY this time it was broad daylight.
and fires were being started in the
stoves here and there. He was passing
close behind one of these when sudden
iy his heart seemed to leap into his
throat, for voice he could not mistake
sounded clearly:
Hello, Green! You're up earlyi MyI
Amt 1 sleepy"
| 1t was Tom Scott's voice, and the
nate stopped as though he had been
ihot. CHANGING furtively over his shout
der he saw the second mate in the act
Of kindling fire.
| Even as the guilty man looked his
shipmate turned suddenly toward him
and started toward the entrance of the
tent, while Rider turned his head away,
but could not lift his feet from the spot.
| Hold on!" said Green.
| Rider dared not look up. He had been
taken so completely by surprise that he
could do nothing but stand still. Each
second he expected to feel Green's hand
on his shoulder, and he was too con-
fused to think of any plausible story.
DO they suspect me?'
| This was the one thought that flashed
through his brain as he waited.
| Hold on!" repeated Green, thrusting
his head into the tent. Take it easy
till l get the fire going. Doesn't need
but one of u.s."
With n gasp of relief the mate
slouched his hat over his eyes and hur-
| ried away from the spot as though a
ghost were pursuing him. He did not
stop until he had joined Bowers. who at
once noticed his disordered appearance,
and exclaimed:
| was scared ter DEATH"
! Hes here! l saw them just now"
| whats that? Saw who?"
| Scott! And Green is with himl"
| "And who the devil is Scott and
| Green? Can't yer talk plain an not
stan thar splutterin' like yer was goin'
ter flop? What's the row, that's what L
want ter know"
By this time the mate had found his
tongue, and he said, hurriedly:
| Scott is the young chap L got the
| papers from, and the other was second
mate of the vessel with me- We must
| get out of this quickl'
] Right ye are. They must hex come
over from Skaguay on the boat yester-
/ day. 'Twouldn't do fer them ter see
yer roun' here. They'd be on ter yer
racket. Chuck them clothes on that
boss, an let's light out. We've got ter
| git big start on EN-. anyhow. 'Tain't
| likely they'll start to-day"
! Il don't see how they got here" said
Rider. as they started off through the
tents. leading their horses. IL took
every cent he had. and l don't believe
the second mate had much"
wall, they're here" replied his COM
| panion. philosophically IAN of course
| they're bound for that mine. He's
raised the stuff somehow. We've got
ter git thar first"
| Half an hour later they had left Pyra-
mid harbor behind them. and were rid
| ing along the trail as fast as they could
urge the pack horses. while Tom and
Green were discussing their rude break
fast, in blissful ignorance of how mar
| rowly they had missed the man who
they fully believed TO have already
reached the writer of the lost letter.
Although they were eager to be off at
once, it was impossible TO start till the
horses had fully recovered from the Sc
voyage. They were too valuable to tai e
any chances with and one of them was
slightly lame from a fall in his cramped
] quarters on the steamer. To replace an
animal was also impossible. for fabu-
lous prices were being offered for any
thing that could by any possibility bear
| a burden.
Then again, it was necessary to make
a careful search about the camp to see
| If the man TarboX, mentioned in the
letter, had arrived yet If they could
find him all would be plain sailing. and
he could pilot them back. There was
also a chance that the dead miners
brother might be even then on the spot.
| But they found it a difficult task to
get any information. The population
of the camp was changing daily. No
one paused longer than was absolute
! ly necessary. and each was too busy
with his own affairs to take notice OF
others.