The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-09-28

as a wilderness and bad-bad as hell
Macs gold had spun and frazzled our
nerves generally. Drink and hate
came in. 1t wasn't like old Sodom'
Wen get out at dawn in the
mornin', Wesleyan early start Did
sey suggested. 1t was midnight then'
and Blinkey Gile was as busy serving
as the Kicking Horse Rapids.
Sodom was sick and old the next
morning. Mollie Burns breakfast
languished. The gorge was filed with
dead, sticky heat, and Macs memory
was blackened considerable for his
genius in hiding gold. An idea came
to me-
"Didsey," I said, "Bertie isn't max
ing it at the shanty, an veal are
scraping virgin rock here. We're on
the wrong hump. I'll bet Mac used
his old claim up the river for cache"
IF you're so sure, why in thunder
don't you go there and find it?' Did.
sey snapped.
IT guess will-if that's the way
you feel about it," / said, cold and
ragged.
But | didn't go up the river. ont
to Blinkey Giles, feeling n
savage and empty. A half-h' w } a
sitting in Blinkey's, heard slct III
the gorge; then another In a few
minutes they brought up Andy Craig
with a couple of bullets in his
shoulder. Andy had expressed an
opinion in personal terms displasing
to Tom Steep. Hidden treasure gar
nished with red-eye is the most SIM
pie and direct brain-poison known in
or out of doors.
"Sodom is sure renewing her
youth" remarked
shell renew it on Mammon water,
If she don't behave" Blinkey OBJ
served. "She's gettin' so you cart
trust her with likker."
AS I look back on the next five
days, I always wish I had better
forgettery Every little while faith
full Memory hands me a fresh episode
from that cluster of sorrows, and I
see my bright companions and self
rushing to and fro in the ways of
darkness. The spirit of brotherhood
was as missing from Sodom in those
days as Tom Sleeps Mexican poodle.
Every dewy eve would vow to search
no omre for the corrupting lucre, now
to go back to peace and my played
| out claim, picking up my old warm
relations with Didsey on the way; but
the gold would clutch me fresh in the
pearly morn, and the madness there
Of
That fifth noon there was a veil
from Tom Steep. He had had dream
in the night. Toms soul is on the
surface, any way. Like pack of
starved dogs, we piled on to him.
lustful to get our fingers in the gold
mad devils all: Didsey and | at war:
Andy Craig grooming unattended in a
shack up the trail; Mollie Burns cook.
Ing grub which nobody had time for:
and Blinkey Gle discriminating as to
who was fit to take his drink. Poor
Sodom!-we weren't true to her those
five days!
II wasn't treasure; 1t wasn't the
cache. Tom had only struck a root
we pulled back ashamed and relieved
And no one spoke. Just then 7 han.
! pened to look at Didsey's face. The
light had gone out there. Mad, utter
mad-and our hearts were still at
large! He was tearing up toward the
Gomorrah rim, of the canyon, his Jaw
sllpped and streaky white. his ewes
wild. His hands frightened on NV
arm like five sets of ice hooks.
Look thar" he whispered.
looked and saw McConachie. as
IN living flesh, smiling that twisted
peaked smile and dangling his legs
over the gorge.
i guess I'm even with all you play.
iui gents" he said, softly. 81 could
stayed away longer, but my heart
LOOK on hurtin' t. see you overworkin.
thls way. An then you didn't mean
notnln' by your jokes on poor old Mac
you amt bad at heart-just prankisb
l USED 10 joke some-so l come back y
ne Slid down into our midst We
lelt MIN, and he was there. D,dsav
was the first to speak.
iou put 1t on us right, Mac" he
said, huskily, IAN we 'preciate 4 FIJI,
some; but what was them remain,
scattered around the gorge we tool
for your'n?" LUX
That thar Twin material? Come
thlnk OF it, Didsey, l recollect tbat
Tom Sleeps dog was comm in from
Socoro designations, an did venture .
ilttle too close to that fuse-lemma
see" io
We held Steep of. l felt a hard
warm hand settle on mine. II was
Didsey's. - was
I've been a cussed fool Wes,ov =,
ne SAID. Lets go over to our own
claim" our own
we were lying together in the IT'LL
caoln that night The Mammon has
pretty near talked me to sleen wh haa
Dldsey suddenly burst ont larrh, "nen
What's eating you, pal?" 7 sa,a
y was just thinkin' of Thic,o
calm down mercy on all that e.ey
mortal of Tom Sleeps dog wa" as
chuckled. ooe' ne