The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-07-28

funeral, playmates."
as a wilderness and bad--bad as hell.
Macs gold had spun and frazzlsd our
nerves generally. Drink and hate
came in. 1t wasn't like old Sodom.
well 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 filled 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.
II guess 1 will-ft that's the way
you feel about it," l said, cold and
ragged.
But didn't 60 up the river. went
to Blinkey Giles, feeling mean and
savage and empty. A half-hour later,
sitting in Blinkey's, I heard shot in
| the gorge; then another In 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.roison 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 l look back on the next five
! days, 1 always wish I had better
forgettery. Every little while faith
full Memory hands me a fresh episode
| llO1u IudL CluSCcI VI SOllOWO1
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 l 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 l at war;
Andy Craig grooming unattended in a
shack up the trail; Mollie Burns cook.
ing grub which nobody had time for;
and Blinkey Gile discriminating as to
who was fit to take his drink. Poor
Sodom!-we weren't true to her those
five days!
It 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 1 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.
I 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. II could
"a stayed away longer, but my heart
took on hurtin' t. 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
l used to joke some-so l come back. y
He slid down into our midst. We
felt him, and he was there. Didsey
was the first to speak.
"You put it on us right, Mac" he
said, huskily, IAN we preciate it full.
some; but what was them remains
scattered around the gorge we took
for your'n?"
"That thar livin' material? Come
t. think of it, Didsey, l recollect that
Tom Sleeps dog was comm in from
Socoro designations, an did venture a
little too close to that fuse-lemme
Sec"
We held Steep off, l felt hard
warm hand settle on mine. 1t was
Didsey's.
I've been a cussed fool, Wesley
he said. Lets go over to our own
claim"
We were lying together in the little
cabin that night The Mammon haG
pretty near talked me to sleep, whe1
Didsey suddenly burst out laughing.
whats eating you, pal?" said.