The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1908-12-03

utes went by as he sat motlonless, MS
mind catching strange Kaleidoscope
pictures that fed past him into the
void. At length he rose and went 70
the window. Ear down the hillside
faint, line through the mist spanned
the gulch bottom A groan burst from
his lips.
THAT is the hydraulic tume," he
said aloud "Gold has been stolen
there In the past again and again
Some was stolen two nights ago. How
do l know but that am the thiefT
was that what Prendergast had meant
by the safe way to beat the gamer
A SILVER ran over him. How do l
knowy" he thought. 81 can see my
self--the evil side of me-when the
dark had fallen waking and active.
see myself creeping down there. steal
ing from shadow to shadow. TO scoop
the gold from the rifles when the
moon is under cloud. l see men
sitting from dark to daylight with
loaded rifles across their knees watch
ing. see a fash of fire. hear a re-
port. see myself there by the sluice
boxes dead, shot down in the act Of
thief. making good the name men
know me byT
The figure Of Jessica came before
him, standing In her soft white gown,
her hand against her cheek and the
jasmine odors about her. The dream
he had dreamed could not be--nevef
never, neverl All that was left was
surrender, ignominious flight to scenes
barren of suggestion,
At that instant shining point
caught his eye. 1t came from the pan
of gravel ON the doorstep. on which
the rain had been beating. He thrust
the draft into his pocket and seized 4
double handful of the gravel He
plunged 1t into pail of water and
held it to the light 1t sparkled with
coarse, yellow flakes of gold He
dropped the handful with sharp exs
clamation, threw on his coat and rush
ed from the cabin.
All day, alone on the fog soaked hill
side, Harry toiled in the trench with
out food or rest.
It was fair, sweet evening. and
the room where Jessica sat beside
David Stires' bed. reading aloud to
him. was flooded with the failing sun.
light. Since the old mans seizure In
the night he had been much worse, and
she had scarcely left his room. Today,
however, he had sat propped By pill
lows, able to read and chat. and the
deep personal anxiety that had numbed
her had yielded.
! A knock came at the door. II was
nurse with letters for him from the
mail and while he opened them Jes-
sica laid aside the book and went
slowly down the hall to the sun parlor
where the doctor stood with the group
gathered after the early supper, chat
ting Of the newest strike on The
mountain.
"We'll be famous n we keep on" h'
was saying as she looked out OF thu
. Wlue WluQOMo dCiOo5 thC hu|t ''ht@'
the sunlight drifted down in dust o.
gold "Tve mind to stake out a claim
myself" ec
1--WE pay you better" said one Of thu
occupants grimly. anyway, the whol
OF Smoky mountain was staked In tb
excitement a year ago There's NJ
doubt about this find, supposeT
Its on exhibition at the bank" tb
doctor replied. "more than $500
cached in creyice in the glacial ag
as neat as a Christmas stockingw
e The talk went on about her
] Where is the lucky claimY' som
e one asked
!. "Just below this RIDGE the docto
e replied 1T is called the Little Pay
S master"
0 The name caught her ear The Littl
d Paymaster? That was the name on tn
! tree-on Hugh's cla;ml at that instan
I she thought she heard David Stire
s calling, She turned and ran quickly u
d the long hal. to his open door.
$ The sight OF his face at first startle
+ her, for 1t was held captive Of emotion
I but 1t was an emotion of Joy. not (
e pain A letter duttered in bis grasl
j He thrust It into her bands