New-York tribune., 1909-10-03

q
mile or more behind, dumbly waving Glen TO
night or left as he peered through his glass and
set the course by the compass and angles of his
transit. Anon he signaled the two to wait, and
Beth sat down TO watch him come set up, and
wave them onward as before.
She was thus alone, at the end of the chain,
Tor hours al q stretch. As often as Pratt came
up from the rear and established a station for
ms instrument, she asked how the line was
working out and what were the prospects for
the end.
Can't tell till we get much closer 10 the
claim, sand Pratt with never varying patience
" Well know before we die"
In the heat that poured from sky and rocks
Il might have been possible 10 doubt the
NeyoTS prediction, but Beth went on. Her
exhaustion increased. The glare of the cloud
less sky and greenless earth seemed TO burn all
the moisture from her eyes. The terrible 81
lenCe, the dread austerity of mountains 50 rock
ribbed and desolate, oppressed her with a sense
q awe. She was toIIng as many a man has
iolled, through the ancient burned out furnace
OF gold SO intensely physical all about her,
and also She Was tOIllng no less painfully
through the furnace OF gold that love must
ever create as long as the dross must be burned
from human ore, that the bullion OF honor, 10y
atty, and faith may shine IN its purity and
worth.
She began TO feel IN q slight degree the tor
tures that Van, old Gettysburg, Napoleon, and
Dave had undergone Tor many weary years
that had drawn them relentlessly on in lands
Ike these, Il was more their fate a species of
doom. 10 which, like the helpless puppets that
are must all al last respond
She felt new weight IN the cruelty whereby
the owners Of the Laughing Water claim had
been suddenly berett Of al they possessed
after al Their patient years Of serving here IN
tins arid waste Of minerals. The older men IN
Nan partnership She pitIed For Van She felt
. sense Of championlng love His cause was
b. srrr1r Lob.
could no longer keep alive her hope. Her pas
SION 10 set herself 10 rights III ms mind was
great. but Il was secondary, after all TO the
love IN her heart. which would not, could not
die ana. by dlnt 81 is intensity, bore her on
ward u fight for his rights.
Alone So much II that burning land all day
She had long long hours IN which 10 think Of
Nan. long hours IL which 10 contemplate the
silence and the vast dISpasSIOn OF this mountain
world. Her own inward burning offset the
heat II alr and earth; a sense Of the aTIdness
her heart would know without Van love once
more returned was counter u the arIdness OF
al these barren rocks. The fervOr oi her love
i WAS that bore her onward, weary, sore, and
dropping
WHAT would happen at the end Of the day If
Pratt should confirm the Lawrence survey be-
slowing the claim on Bostwlck and McC0ppet.
She did not dare ~ think. Her excitement in
creased with every cham length moving her
onward toward the cove. She did not know
the hills or raVIueS the cailons descended or
activities so toIlsOmely climbed and therefore
had not guide IN the world 10 raise or depress
her hope There was nothing 10 do but sus-
tam the weary march and await the survey s
end
a IL day in Goldite, meanwhile, Van had
been working toward an end. He had two
hundred dollars; hemerest drop in the bucket
as he knew. with which 10 fight the Bostwick
combination. but Z drop at least with which 70
make beginning He was thoroughly aware
that even when the line could be run estab-
fishing some error or fraud on the part Of Law
renee the fight would barely be opened Nc
Coppet and Bostwick, with thousands OF dol
lars Al command could delay him, block his
progress, force him into court, and perhaps
even beat him in the end. The enginery OF
dollars as he knew was crushing IN its might
Nevertheless # a survey showed that the line
had been falsely moved he felt he could some
what rely upon himself 10 make the seat Of war
too warm for comfort
There was no surveyor nearer than two hun
dred miles, with Pratt, as Van expressed II,
camping with the foe" He had shaken his
partners untimey from their beds that morn
ing (the tho were mining nights on the four-to-
midnight shift) and busted them all with the