The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-02-06

freight, Piled to and from rne shore.
A mile distant lay the city. stretched
like white ribbon between the gold
of the ocean sand and the dun OF the
moss covered tundra. 1t was like no
other in the world. At first glance 1t
seemed all made Of new white canvas.
Ip week It's population had swelled
from 3.CG9 10 10000. 1t now wandered
IN Il slenGer. SinUOus line along the
coast for miles. because only the beach
afforded dry camping ground. Mount
Ing to the bank behind, one sank Knee
deep In moss and water and. treadinS
twice In the same tracks. found a bog
OF ooZing, Icy mud. Therefore as the
town doubled daily In size. 1t grew
endwise like a string of dominoes till
the shore from Cape Nome to Penny
river was n long reach OF white. CLINT
Ing in the low rays Of the arctic sun
set Ike foamy breakers on a troplc
island.
That's Anvil creek up yonder," said
Glenister. There's where the Midas
lies. See" He indicated 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 t unknown"
Let axe haste" said the girl.
II hav, ,mething l must do tonight.
After that | can learn to know these
things"
Securing small boat. they were
royed ashore. the partners plying their
ferryrau with eager questions Hav-
in; arrived FIVE days before, he was
ex,lo. ling with information and volun-
tecrel the fruits Of his ripe experience
tirf DeXtry stated that they were
"s,ur doughs" themselves and owned
the Midas. whereupon Miss Chester
muryeled at the awe which sat upon
the man and the wondering stare with
which he devoured the partners, to
he: own utter exclusion.
"Sufferin' cats! Look at the freight.
calculated Dextry. "If storm come
up, it would bust the community"
The beach they neared was walled
AMI crowded to the high tide mark
with ramparts Of merchandise, while
every incoming craft deposited Its 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 trundied 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 bill
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 no
room nor time nor darkness to sleep
In. Ham an eggs Is a dollar an
half, an whisky's bits a throw" He
walled the last sadly, as a complaint
unspeakable.
"Any trouble doin'?" inquired the old
man.
"You know itr the other cried col
loquially. There was q massacre in
the Northern last night"
"Gamblln' row"
yep. Tinhorn' called Nilsson done
It."
"Shor' said Dextry. II know him.
He's a bad actor" All three men nod
ded sagely, and the girl wished for
further light, but they volunteered no
explanation.
Leaving the skltf. they plunged Into
turmoil. Dodging through the tangle,
they came out Into fenced lots where
tents stood wall to wall and every
inch was occupied. Here and there
was a vacant spot guarded jealously
BY its owner, who gazed sourly upon
all men with the forbidding eye OF
Finding an eddy In the
confusion, the men stopped.
"Where do you want to goT they
asked Miss Chester.
There was no longer In Glenisters
glance that freedom with which he
had come to regard the women OF the
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 man Of his type her
independence awoke only admiration,
and her coldness served but to ipfame
him the more. Delicacy in Glenister
was lost in a remarkable singleness OF
nurnnse He could laugh at her lOath-