Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-11-04
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 Gle was as busy serving
as the Kicking Horse Rapids.
Sodom was sick and old the next
morning. Mollie Burns breakfast
languished. The gorge was filled with
dead, sticky heat, and Macs memory
was blackened considerable for his
genius in hiding gold. An idea came
to me.
"Didsey," ! said. BERTHE isn't max
ing il at the shanty, an we-all 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.
II guess | will-if that's the way
you feel about it." l said, cold and
ragged.
But didn't go up the river. went
to Blinkey Giles, feeling mean and
savage and empty. A half-hour later,
sitting in Blinkey's, | heard shot in
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
nshed 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.
She'll renew it on Mammon water,
if she don't behave" Blinkey OBJ
served. She's gettin' so you can't
trust her with likker."
AS look back on the next hve
days, I always wish I had better
forgettery. Every little while faith
full Memory hands me fresh episode
from that cluster OF sorrows, and |
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 yell
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!
1t wasn't treasure: it wasn't the
cache. Tom had only struck root
We pulled back ashamed and relieved
And no one spoke Just then l hap
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
slipped and streaky white, his eyes
wild. His hands frightened on my
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.
Il guess I'm even with all you play
full gents,' he said. softly. 81 could
"a stayed away longer, but my heart
took on hurtin' { see you overworkin'
this way An then you didn't mean
nothin' by your jokes on poor old Mac
You amt bad at heart-just prankish
used to joke some-so l come back. y
He slid down onto our midst. We
felt him, and he was there. Didsey
was the first to speak.
"You put il on us right, Mac" he
said, huskily, IAN we 'preciate 1t full
some; but what was them remains
scattered around the gorge We took
for your'n?"
THAT thar Twin material1 Come
t think of II, Didsey, / recollect that
Tom Sleeps dog was comm In from
Socoro designations, an did venture q
little too close to that fuse-lemme
| see
We held Steep of. l felt hard
warm hand settle on mine. 1t was
Didseys.
i've been a cussed fool, Wesley
he said. Let's go over to our owl
| claim"
We we're lying together in the little
cabin that night. The Mammon had
pretty near talked me to sleep. wher
Didsey suddenly burst out laughing.
Whats eating you. pal?" I said.
81 was Just thinkin' of Thigley
calm down mercy on all that wal