The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-08-13
BY REX E. BEACH.


river was a long reach of white, CLINT
set like foamy breakers on a tropic
island.
That's Anvil creek up yonder," said
Glenister. There's where the Midas
lies. See" He indicated a gap in the
buttress OF mountains rolling back
from the coast. Its the greatest
creek in the world. You'll see gold by
the mule load and hillocks of nuggets.
oh, I'm glad to get back. This is life.
That stretch Of beach is full of gold.
These hills are scanned with quartz
The bedrock of that creek is yellow
There's gold, gold, gold everywhere
more than ever was in old SolOmon's
mines-and there's mystery and peril
and things unknown"
LET us make haste,' said the girl
Il have something l must do tonight.
After that l can learn to know these
things"
Securing a small boat, they were
rowed ashore, the partners plying their
ferryman with eager questions. Hav-
ing arrived five days before, he was
exploding with information and volun-
teered the fruits of his ripe experience
till DeXtry stated that they were
'sour doughs' themselves and owned
the Midas, whereupon Miss Chester
marveled at the awe which sat upon
the man and the wondering stare with
which he devoured the partners, to
| her own utter exclusion.
"Sufferin' cats! Look at the freight!'
| calculated Dextry. IF a storm come
! up, it would bust the community
The beach they neared was walled
and crowded to the high tide mark
with ramparts of merchandise, while
| every incoming craft deposited it's quo
! ia upon whatever vacant foot was
close at hand till bales, boxes, boilers
and baggage of all kinds were con-
| fusedly intermixed in the narrow space.
Singing longshoremen trundled burdens
from the lighters and piled them on
| the heap, while yelling, cursing crowds
fought over it all, selecting, sorting,
loading.
| There was no room for more, yet
| hourly they added TO the mass. Teams
! splashed through the tapping surf or
stuck in the deep sand between hill
| locks of goods. All was noise, pro-
| family, congestion and feverish hurry.
| The burning haste rang in the voice
of the multitude, showed in its violence
| Of gesture and redness Of face, per-
meated the atmosphere with a mag
netic, electrifying energy.
Its somethin' fierce ashore" said
the oarsman. II been up fer three
days an nights steady. There amt nc
room nor time nor darkness to SLEEP
in. Ham an eggs is a dollar an q
half, an whisky's bits a throw" He
walled the last sadly, as a complaint
unspeakable.
ANY trouble doin'?" inquired the ole
man.
You know itr' the other cried col
loquially. There was a massacre II
the Northern last night"
"Gamblin' row."
yep. 'Tinhorn' called Nilsson done
it."
He's bad actor" All three men nod
ded sagely, and the girl wished fol
further light, but they volunteered N
explanation.
Leaving the skiff, they plunged int
turmoil. Dodging through the tangle
they came out into fenced lots where
tents stood wall to wall and every
was a vacant spot guarded jealousy
by its owner, who gazed sourly upor
all men with the forbidding eye OF
suspicion. Finding an eddy in tn,
confusion, the men stopped.
where do you want to go?" they
asked Miss Chester.
There was no longer in Glenister'
glance that freedom with which b,
had come to regard the women of tn,
north. He had come to realize duly
that here was a girl driven by some
strong purpose into a position repel
lent to her IN n man of his type he
independence awoke only admiration
and her coldnesS served but to infiam,
him the more. Delieaey in Gleniste
was lost in remarkable singleness O.
purpose. He could laugh at her loath
|
utterly ignorant that anything NOR,
than his action in Selling her tina
night lay at the bottom of her dislike
/. He did not dream that he possessed
characteristics abhorrent to her, anC
, he felt 4 keen reluctance at parting.
She extended both hands.
/ Il can never thank you enough 70
, what you have done-you two-but
shall try. Goodby."
, Dextry gazed doubtfully at his owl
hand, rough and gnarly. then takin!
hers as he would have handled rob
ms egg waggled it Imply.
I'VE amt goin' TO turn you adrif
J this-a-way Whatever your destination
, is, Wei see you to it,
! L can find my friends" she assured
him.
This is the wrong latitude in which
| to dispute a lady: but. KNOWN thi