The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-02-04

with cat-like tread, so steep and pre-
carious was the trail. One OF the
crags gave forth a piercing scream,
and startled eagle few down the
canyon and disappeared. AS the eye
of Willetts followed its flight he per-
ceived light blue smoke curling up
ward in the still air from a prospec-
tors cabin at the bottom of the gulch.
and he knew from the directions
he had received that it must be
the abode of Ben Richway. 1t stood
on the edge of a precipice, sheer
thousand feet above an apron Of
ragged granite blocks, and he recalled
his informant's remark:
You'll have to climb mighty hard,
and you'll find him pecooliar cuss.
Think he's about two-thirds locoed!"
Willetts had been but little as
tonish ed-a remembrance of certain OF
Ben's old idiosyncrasies coming back
to him-and when at length he came
in. sight of man sitting in moody
attitude at the foot of the perpendic-
ular cliff on which the cabin was
perched, he had to cough to attract
attention.
Never had he seen q human face
marked with such an expression OF
hopeless despair as that of his old
companion, but it's nightmare look
gave way at once to the light of recog-
milton and cordial welcome, as the
staring eyes were lifted to his own.
You are the very man I was just
wishing fort" Ben Richway exclaimed,
| springing to his feet, dropping the
rife that lay across his lap, and hold
ing the hand of Willetts tightly in
grasp Of extraordinary warmth.
Half an hour of hard climbing.
lighted by gay chat, was required to
reach the aery dwelling of Richway,
which Willetts saw, to his surprise, to
consist not of one log cabin, but two.
with a considerable space between
them. In front of them, just balanced
over the abyss, was huge bowlder OF
granite, weighing perhaps 1000 tons.
David Willetts attributed the rock to
freak Of nature, and the peculiar
double house to whim.
When their pipes were aglow after
supper, they lived over again their old
schoolboy experiences, but some SUBJ
jects were tactily avoided.
Next morning David ventured to
! put the question that filled his mind,
and Richway, with seeming careless
ness, led the way to the mysterious
apartment, windowless, and with a
door opening outward. AS they ap-
preached the door, Richway, who was
about to open it, paused suddenly,
snatched his guests watch-chain loose
and crammed it into David s pocket,
exclaiming: You don't want any gold
about you here! For Gods sake, man,
close your mouth! Your teeth are full
of it,"
Before Willetts could recover from
the amazement caused by this strange
4 and uncanny address, Richway had
jerked open the door, and there was
an angry roar, as if hundred bee
hives had given up their inmates.
Millions of buzzing insects darted out
in every direction-lighting every
where, but staying nowhere. Willetts.
who thought his eyes would be
knocked from his head, could only see
that they were of mammoth size, and
darted wildly from place to place. For
moment he stood staring, open
mouthed Ben Richway smiling slowly
at his blank astonishment-and then
there was not an insect in sight.
What are they?" he stammered, at
length.
"They are the Miser- er-Flies-millions
of them-and l am their king!" cried
Richway, leading the way into the
gloom of the pitch-dark interior, and
closing the door. Then, bidding David
stand still, he opened, at the opposite
end, a shutter two feet square, and
| dozens of insects darted in with bullet
like velocity, dropped with splash
into broad vat Of fluid covering two
thirds of the floor, until, in few min
utes, it was alive with swimming,
scrambling creatures, which Willetts
now recognized as horsefiies. After
wallowing in the liquid, they crawled
out on slanting boards, dried them
selves, and flew slowly to a row OF
holes in a canvas compartment, oc-
! cupying most of the other third of the
building In the dim light Willetts
stood, amazed and awed, watching
swarm after swarm of Miser-Flies. yel-
low with gold, dart in, almost ex-
hausted from lengthy fights, drop into
the vat of mystic liquor, gradually as
sumo their normal dark appearance,
dry themselves, and disappear behind
the canvas screen.
Ben Richway tilted the vat. and
sixteenth of an inch of gold dust
glinted upon the bottom. 1T will be
an inch thick by night"
How do you make them do it,?
Willetts could not help asking. as they
walked away, while flies continued to
drop into the golden pool with pat
ter like that of tremendous rainfall.
'That is my secret, but / am going
to impart it to you before you CO."
said Richway, pointing to the fitting
rock which they were approaching.
Il have been at this thing since early
spring. and don't know how much
am .worth-but there are 81 sacks full
of gold in that grotto!" He indicated
black spot on the face of the great
granite bowlder.
As if to give his guest a nearer
view of the opening to his titanic