The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-12-22
CONTINUED From Last Sunday.)

with the desire 10 witness Il cleanup,
so they had ridden out from town in
time for supper at the claim. She had
not known whittier he led her. only
understanding that provision for her
entertainment would be made with
the SUPERINTENDENT wife Upon rec
ognizing the Midas she had endeavor-
ed to question him as TO why her
friends had been dispossessed, and he
had answered, as it seemed. straight
and true
The ground was IN dispute, he said
another man Claimed it-and while the
litigation pended he was in charge Tor
the court to see that neither party re-
ceived injury. He spoke adroitly, and
1t satisfied her to have the proposition
resolved Into such simplicity.
She had come prepared to spend the
night and witness the early morning
operation. so the receiver made the
most OF his opportunity. He showed
her over the workings. explaining the
many things that were strange TO her
Not only was he in himself a fascinat-
Ing figure to any woman, but wherever
he went men regarded him deferential-
~
Judgment more promptly than this OBJ
vious sign of power. He spent the
evening with her. talking Of his early
days and the things he had done IN the
west, his story matching the pictur-
esqueness of her canvas walled quar-
tiers with their rough furnishings of
skins and blankets. Being keen OBJ
server as we'll as q finished raconteur,
he had woven q spell of words about
the girl, leaving her in state of tu-
multi and indecision when at last, to-
ward midnight, be retired TO his own
tent She knew to what end all this
was working and yet knew not what
her answer would be when the ques-
ton came which lay behind 1T all. AT
moments she felt the wonderful at
traction Of the man, and still there
was some distrust Of him which she
could not fathom Again her thoughts
reverted to Glenister. the impetuous.
and she compared the two. so similar
In some ways so utterly opposed in
others.
1t was when she heard the night shift
at their meal that she threw silken
shawl about her head stepped into the
cool night and picked her way down
toward the roar of the creek. "A
breath Of mir and then to bed" she
thought She saw the tall figure Of
the watchman and. made for him. He
seemed oddly Interested in her ap-
proach, watching her very closely, al
most as though alarmed. 1t was doubt
less because there were so few women
out here, or possibly on account of the
lateness Of the hour. Away with con-
veations! This was the land of in
stinct and impulse. She would talk to
him. The man drew his hat more
closely about his face and moved off
. as she came up. Glenister had been
In her thoughts a moment since, and
she now noted that here was another
with the same great. square shoulders
and erect head Then she saw with
start that this one was a negro. He
carried a Winchester and seemed to
watch her carefully, yet with inde'
cision.
To express har interest and to break
the silence, she questioned him, but at
the sound of her voice he stepped to-
ward her and spoke roughly:
WHAT
Then he paused and stammered in a
stra ngely altered and unnatural voice:
"Yass'm. I'm the Waterman"
She neted two other darkies at work
below and was vaguely surprised. not
20 much at their presence, as at the
manner In which they moved, for they
seemed under stress of some great
haste. running hither and yon. She
4 hfor cfa TN,
sensed something indefinably odd and
alarming in the air Turning to the
man she opened her mouth to speak,
when from the rank grass under her
feet came a noise which set her a
Jingle and at which her suspicious
ieaped full to the solution. 1t was the
groan of man. Again he gave voice
60 his pain. aud she knew that she
stood face to face with something sin
lister. Tales OF sluice robbers had come
to her and rumors OF the daring raids
into which men were hired by the yell
low sheen, and yet this was Incredible
4 hundred men lay within sound Of her
voice. She could hear their laughter.
One was whfstling popular refrain
A quarter mile away on every hand
were other camps A scream from her
would bring them all Nonsense. this
was no siuice robbery. and then the
man In the bushes below moaned for
the third time.
what Is tHatY she said.
Without retay the negro lowered the
muxzle OF hfasrifie till it covered her
breast, and ct The same time she heard
the double click Of the hammer