Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-10-10

49, ~
ure of the lookout who stood on the
crest above, half dimmed in the shad-
ow of a willow clump. Judging by
their rapidity and sureness, they were
expert miners.
From the tent came the voices Of the
night SHIFT at table and the faint rattle
Of dishes. while the canvas walls glow
ed from the lights within like great
nrcflies hidden In the grass. The fore
man, finishing his meal, appeared az
the door OF the mess tent and, pausing
TO accuStom his eyes to the gloom,
peercd perfunctorily toward the creek.
The Waterman detached himself from
the shadow, moving out into plain
sight, and the boss turned back. The
two men below were now working on
the Sluices which lay close under the
bank and were thus hidden from the
tent.
McTamara's description of Anvil
creeks riches had fired Helen Chester
with the desire to witness n cleanup.
SO they had ridden out from town in
time for supper mt 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 endcavor-
ed TO question him as to why her
friends had been disposscssed, and he
had answered, as 1t seemed, straight
and true.
The ground was in dispute, he said
another man claimed it-and while the
litigation pended he was in charge for
the court. to see tina neither party re.
ccivcd injury. lie spoke adroitly, and
It 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 fasclnat
ing figure to any woman, but wherever
he went men regarded him d~eferentlal'
ly. and nothing affects a woman's
judgment more promptly than this oh.
vious sign Of power. He spent the
evening with hor. talking of his early
days and the things he had done in the
west, his story matching the pictur-
sequences Of her canvas walled quar-.
ters with their rough furnishings Of
skins and blankets. Being Il keen OBJ
server as we'll as Il finished raconteur,
he had woven n spell Of words about
a., ,,trt 1oo-fn~ har In "a c-r4 10 Tf IN
multi and INDIGESTION when at last, to-
ward midnight, he 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 it 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 Glenistcr, the impetuOus.
and she compared the two. so similar
in some ways, SC utterly opposed In
others.
It was when she heard the night shift
Mt their meal that she threw a silken
shawl about her head. stepped into the
cool night and picked her way down
toward the roar Of the creek. "A
breath Of air and then to bed" she
thought. She saw the tall figure Of
the Waterman and made for him. He
seemed oddly interested in her APP
proach, watching her very closely, al
most rs though alarmed. 1t was doubt
less because there were so few women
out hero, or possibly on account of the
latencss Of the hour. Away with con-
ventiOns, This was the land OF In
stinct and impulse, She would talk to
him. The ma 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 a
start that this one was a negro. He
carried a Winchester and seemed to
watch her carefully, yet with indie
Cision.
To express her 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
strangely altered and unnatural voice:
"Yass'm. I'm the watchman."
She noted two other darkies at work
below and was vaguely surprised, not
80 much at their presence, as at the
manner in which they moved, for they
seemed under stress Of some great
haste, running hlther and yon. She
saw horses standing in the trail and
'senSed something indetnably odd and
alarming in the air. Turning to the
man she opened her mouth TO speak.
when from the rank grass under her
iert came a noise which set her a.
tirGle and at which her suspicious
leaped full to the solution. 1t was the
groan of n man. Again he gave voice
20 his pain, and snp 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 lIred by til, vel
low sheen. and yet this was incredible.
A hundred men lay within sound of her
voice. She could heal their laughter,
One was whiStling n popular refrain
A quarter mile away on every hand
were other camps. \ scream from heI
would bring them all. Nonsense, this
was no sluice robbery. and then tho
man in the bushes below moaned fol