Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-10-03
THE DIAMOND RIVER
MURRAY
CHAPTER XXII.-(Continued.)
NJ DAVID MURRAY


With that he crawled silently away to
the top of the hillock which sheltered
them. Everything was strangely quiet
for a quarter of an hour, and at the end
of that time he returned.
There's nothing doing" he said, In
tone of complete Indifference. But"
he added in a livelier fashion, "we are
only just in time. These natives know
enough to tell stone when they see one
and it stands to reason that they should
ike to keep what they have found to
themselves"
But, surely" said Harvey, cts poor
tactics to fire on everybody that happens
TO pass this way without even inquiring
whether they guess or know anything"
Native tactics" said Jethroe, laugh
ing. I've been thinking" he went on
suddenly, that we might do a good deal
worse than get right on at once. We
should have very little more than half a
dozen miles before u.s. These natives
haven't come across the real find yet, or
they wouldn't be wasting their time dig
glng holes up here. A single day may do
our business when we are once upon the
ground. If we start now, even if We
make detour of three or four miles to
Keep out of sight of the enemy, we can
do half of it before the moon fails us.
what do you say to it,"
AS you will. sir" said Harvey; 81 am
In your hands"
Come on, then" said Jethroe. Just
tread on that fellow, will you? Twist
your toe we'll into his ribs, or you'll make
no impression upon him. That's right"
He addressed the half breed in his own
tongue, and the fellow got up and be-
gan to shamble sleepily about. Jethroe
himself did most of the simple work of
preparation, but Harvey assisted him in
lowering the white tilt Of the cart, which
in the dazzling moonlight made an object
altogether too conspicuous for safety.
When all was ready, they set out on foot
JethrOe leading, the half breed following
with the cart, and Harvey bringing up
the rear. One OF the wheels of the cart,
which had from time to time complained,
began now TO shrek in a most malignant
manner, as if it were alive, and were
bent at every revolution on proclaiming
the whereabouts of the fugitives to the
world. Harvey sweated with apprehen-
sion, but Jethroe came round in his i'm
perturbable way, chopped open a tin of
Do''ed mutton with an ak, found fat
enough for his purpose, anointed the
creaking axle, and then went back to his
post of leader.
The way he chose set his back to the
river for a full mile. Then he began to
trend to the left a. a vide angle and,
after another mile, he arranged his
course to keep parallel course with the
river bed, which, from the time Of its
sudden dryness at the mountains edge,
ran almost in a straight line for as many
miles as it could be kept in sight. The
plain hereabouts was very level, and they
had easy going. No incident of moment
disturbed the march, and not a sign of
an enemy was detected. Once in the still
night air Harvey fancied that he heard
clamOr of far away voices, but the
sounds that dwell in silence were thick
End loud in his ears, and he could not be
sure that he was not tricked by fancy.
The sinking of the moon put an end to
the journey, and they unhitched once
more. The half caste, it appeared. had
as purely animal-minded a faculty for
forgetting fear as he had for suffering
from it, and his last hand stroke was
barely over before he was asleep
Get what rest you can" said Jethroe
to his nephew. 'Pll take watch till day
light
He settled himself in his blanket
against the cart. and lounged there with
his blanket across his knees Harvey
disposed himself close by at full length
and tried to sleep. But to be shot at for
the first time is an experience which
some men find exciting, and in spite of
all he could do, his mird would insist
on reproducing for him the dash of the
first three shots and the yells of the
startled half caste, and then the STAN
peding mules and the wild race after
them, and a hundred little thoughts. SEN
sationS and incidents which had passed
so swiftly as to seem u0notired. though
now he found them indelibly stamped up
on his memory.
This fidgety state of mind fdgeted his
body, and, without knowing it, he turned
this way and that until Jethroe spoke
to him.
Cant sleep, eh?"
NO. said Harvey; 81 never was
wider awake in my whole life"
What are you thinking about?" asked
Jethroe. IF you can't sleep, l mustn't.
Let's have a yarn. What are you think
ing about?"
well" said Harvey, evading the ones
ton little, I've been thinking about
you, SIR
What about me-" asked Jethroe.
1--WE been wondering why n man who
already does not know what TO do with
his money should live as you have lived
ever since L have known you for the
sake of more"
We'll" said Jethroe, its a ouast;or
have asked myself sometimes. But is
It for the sake of more? Now. that is
the point when you come to think it over.
Am l greedy for money? Not bi+ &c
1t. PowerF That's another matter. Bur
what's really my point here? I'm in nv
right, and l won't be beaten. I'm one
of those who can't bear to be bluffed INV
lad. l wouldn't allow myself to be bui-
lied by crowd of cut-throat ruff1aps lilo
the Ezekiel gang. What dye say? Might
better pay to let 'em have their own
way? You miss the point. 1t isn't n
question Of how it pays when once Won
get mans back up. It's a question of
the proper pride and the grit in his own
nature, Harvey. Here's certain advan-
tage belongs honestly to me- Here's q
gang of rascals claiming a share in II
without a ghost of reason. Now, there's
only one thing can make me yield TO
them, and that is-fear. Well. you see.
I'm not very timid man. l got out
of the habit of being frightened long ago.
I'm not going back to it for the Ezekiel
Company, don't you believe it."
Harvey had nothing to say in answer
and the conversation died. The Younger
man had fallen into an uneasy slumber
when his uncle's voice aroused him.
Boot and saddler' said Jethroe, gai,v.
But they paused for breakfast. and
then set out upon their way again, un.
eventually until the moment at which
Jethroe stretched out his hand and cried
1.-The last landmark" And at that in
slant, as if he had given a signal. a
little storm of bullets kicked up the dust
about them, and one of the mules, being
hit, screamed hideously.
CHAPTER XNIII.
Jethroe hurled himself from the sad
no raipS