Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-13

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submerged in a drift, and then, High Card
would anxiousy question himself about their chance.
Sometimes he gasped, the wind in his throat and
wondered If they really had chances
High Card Baldwin thought he had given the camp
Freeze-out people the slip, For several days he had
cautiously collected those things wch long prospec
ting experience had taught him we're absolutely nee
essary to have. Matches and ammunition had been
scarce in the camp, and High Gard dared not seem
over-anxious for either. He was forced to content
himself with moderate supply of these things
might fight wild beast successfully with bare
knife, but he might not fght cold without fire
For his rife, High Card Baldwin did not have
than thirty loads
High Gard Baldwin was woodsman and not fool
He realized all the mprudence of attempting this
journey early in the but there were reasons.
T., His find was now common talk wait into the
favorable months would entail much undesirable com
pany. High Card Baldwin wanted to get away and
make sure of his allotment as discoverer,
To gain this decided advantage he must risk much
He was willing to risk much
So he left Camp Freeze-out in the night No one
saw him depart He felt sure of this In the first
stages of his journey he met no one About him was
wild region, sterile naked and exhausted from its
long battle with the cold.
The air was thin and deserted of birds As though
earth had died it rigid in the iron clutch of this
remorseess Winter was not to be Aaunted
lightly, And bitterest of all would be lettering
storm. He assured himself that no man from Camp
Freezeout would follow him in the face of this stern
probability.
But after the first three days-something, an in
descrbable something akin to fear, told High Card
Baldwin that he was being followed In the beginning
he put this feeling aside.
why, I'm regular baby" he said
But this strange ,premoniton recurred again and
again m. with steadily increasing persistency
dominant fear. 1t possessed him.
When the matter grew so insistent that it could no
longer be denied, when it had fed sufficiently upon b;e
nerves High Card Baldwin stopped and vailed fn fls
the second man to catch up. A whole day he waited
patiently eXpectant At the end of it he was disap,
pointed he snow was barren waste, with farawav
lne OF pines like SO many vutures against a sheeted
I'll abolish the hound, whoever he is -"
High Card Baldwin would heap tip his fire rnt;, :,
roared 'lred, sometimes almost exhausted he would
sit before it, his back to the windbreak and consider
this thing.
h.n5. Frefrs Hi; High n Gard ard, would say warming his
One night he met with accident 1t had almost
errlble results. little tin box. in which we're ali
his matches, slipped from his hands and tumbed farlv
into the flames High Card Baldwin herocally nInngaJ
his hands IN after it. The matches were smokin9
they had been ready to flare up. High Card Baldwin,
weakly sank down to the ground then flushed as iI
fever: His hands shook but not from nain H t5a
breathed 2d as thouEh he might have covered miles,
moment more and he would have faced the 1;rdern
ness snowharred, ice-sfreathed like Prometheus how
ing on brand When these foolish sensations weTs
past high Gard Baldwin laughed in little high-ntcbed
tone ne wrapped the box in piece OF blanket and
tucked it away in his pack He took from it only one
match at time His operations in this way were
painfully deliberate and precise He reyered &c
matches loving them when it was possible not to feaT
One night when the stars were calmly critical and
the whole world was touched with an enchanted Deace
High Gard made his lone camp the sheltered side OF
ridge and at great distance from the summit The
opposite ground dropped away into the valley which
he had that day crossed. He contemplated his
inc blankets when near by crackle caused him TO
starr Some TOUR or five deer had slipped I'D through
the undergrowth and were staring in blank wonderment
at ms hre At his first movement they went over
the ridge, making little frightened leaps High card
caught ag{T up pms ms rifle quickly and scrambled after them
III have a steak he said with determination
drawing back the hammer OF the gun. A few seconds
later he had parted the damp branches OF the thclct
his lips, and if his hands had been relieved of ali
power, he allowed the wet branches to wfip back
across ms face Vens9n was now gone from his mind
tongue becoming dry as bone He stood for long
time gang @ M across the valley where faint sparkle
pursuer had caught up with him.
In former years, years Of plenty, when High Card
knew the gold OF his first stake. and when the cards
were high enough to bestow on him name he had
gambed desperately. He knew the worth of cold oniv
by the sensation il caused when big bet swung on
table Of Fortune, beside her and facing her. He had
seen his pile disappear in single cycle of play the
gold precious and beautiful dcserting his side Of the
board like false mistress and crossing tbe tabio ~
mock him in the abyss On that last night when he
had been beggared, certain look settled as though
hard, adamant7 criminal That night decided the Ut
most length 10 which he would 60 for gold Gold
deserted him, was after ALL his goddess The faisitg
OF the deity proved only the tanacsm Of the devotee
And such an expression swept across his features again
he stood this night upon the summit Of the ridge,
and looked across the valley toward the second PLAYER
Once again the stakes were high and the turn against
him.
An old old dread caught him in It's cruel talons.
He remembered a man, certain old man. The guilty
mindful of their sins first and the chance of
happening after in its turn The gambler rroDed
has hands and fought back his momcntary cowaTdce
"By the Living Gawd" he cried out tren1ulorsl,
'11 share my finds with no man It's my gold mine
mine And you want your share' Well follow me
III lead you dance, you meddler-you--"
For the next three days, High Card Baldwin en-
deavored TO lead this follower astray