The Forrest City times., 1909-07-30


 funeral, playmGtes"
 sodom was raw that night; new as a wilderness and bad-bad as hell Macs gold had spun and frazzled our nerves generally. Drink and hate came in. It wasn't like old Sodom.
 Well get out at dawn in tbe mornin. Wesleyan early start Did. sey suggested. It 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 ianguished. 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 mak. ing it at the shanty an veal are scraping virgin rock here We're on the wrong hump I'll bet Mae used his old claim up the river for a cache"
 If you're so sure. why in thunder don't yon go there and find it?" Did. sey snapped
 T guess I will-if that's the way you feel about it." I said. cold and ragged
 But didn't go up the river. I went to Bltnkey Giles, feeling mean and savage and empty A half-hour later sitting in Blinkeys, heard a 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-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" B1inkey ob- served. Shes gettin' so you can't trust her with likker."
 As look back on the next five days, I always wish I had better forgettery. Every little while faith ful 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 Steep's Mexican poodle i Every deWy eve I would vow to search no omre for the corrupting iuere, 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 iustfu to get our fingers in the gold mad devils all. Didsey and at war; Andy Craig grooming unattended in a shack mp the trail; Mollie Burns cook ing grub which nobody had time for; and Blfnkey 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; 1t 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
 I looked and saw McConachie as in living flesh, smiling that twisted peaked smile and dangling his legs over the gorge
 T guess I'm even with all you play full gents" he said, softly T could a stayed away longer, but my heart took on hurtin t see you oyerworkin this way. An then you didn't mean nothin' by your jokes on poor old Mac | You ain't bad at heart-iust prankish l I used to joke some-so l come back
 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. an we 'preciate it full some: but what was them remains scattered around the gorge we took for your'n9h 9h
 That thar Twin material9 Come t think of it, Didsey, l recollect that Tom Steep's dog was comin in from Socoro dissipations, an did venture a little too close to that fuse-lemme sec
 We held Steep off. l felt hard, warm hand settle on mine It was Didsey's.
 I've been a cussed fool, Wesley" he said. Let's go over to our own claim"
 We were lying together in the little cabin that night. The Mammon had pretty near talked me to sleep, when Didsey suddenly burst out laughing.
 What's eating you, pal?" I said
 "I was just thinkin' of Thigley callin' down mercy on all that was