The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-23


 "I1I GIVE MY L1FH To IT,"
 "Do you mean business?' he below cd at Emerson. "Can you fight"
 "Yes."
 .aThis gang won't stop at anything,s warned Bait
 Neither will T." affirmed the other, with scowl and q dangerous down drawing of his lip corners. Eve got to win, so don't waste any time won dering how far I'll go. What I want to know is if you will join my enter prise"
 '1'u give my life to 1t" "I knew you would" flashed Cherry. And if we don't beat Willis Marsh, by aory, I'll kill himr' Bak shouted, fully capable of carrying out his threat, for his bloodshot eyes were lit with bitter hatred. Turning to the girl, he said:
 Nov give noe something to eat. I've been living on doghsh till my belly is full of bones"
 Long after Cherry had gone to bed she heard the murunUr of their voices. '1Ns all arranged" they advised her at the breakfast table. we leave to- morrOw."
 'Tomorrowy she echoed blankly. We start in the morning. We have no time to waste" She felt sudden dread at her heart. | What if they failed and did not re turn! What if some untovard peril should overtake them on the outward trip? It vas hazardous journey. and George Bait was the most reckless man on the Boring coast. Emerson's next woH1s added to hec alarm: wen catch the mail boat at Kat mai''
 ''Katmatr' she broke ip sharply. You said you were going by the niam- "a route" She turned on Bait angri- ly. You know better than to suggest such thing"
 Il didn't suggest it, said Ralt. Its Mr. EmersOn's own idea; he insists"
 'I shall be dreadfully woKied until know yn are safely over,'' said the' | girl. new note of wistful tendep1ess in her voice
 Nonsense. We've all taken bigger risks before.'
 DO you know" she began hesitat- ingiy. I've been thinking that per haps you'd better not take up this enterprise after all" "Why n1r he asked, with an in- credulous stare T thought you were | enthusiastic on the. subject" "I am. he2ieve in the proposition thosoughly." Cherry limpad on. but l well, I was entirely selfish in setnng | you. started. for it possibly means my own salvation, but 'Tts nay last chance also." Boyd broke in.
 "A few days ago you were stDanger now you are friend" she said stead I fly. ''One's likes and disikes grow rapidly when they are not choked by convention like you too well to see l you do this. You are too good . man to become the prey of those people Remember George Balt' i"Balt hasn't started yet. For the first time he is real menace to Wills | Marsh"
 Wont you take my advice and re- consider?" urged the girl i Listen," said the young man. "I came to this country with a definite | purpose in mind. and had three years l in which to work it out needed money-God. how I needed money! They &a5 talk about the emptiness of riches and tell you that men labor not for the kill but for the pursuit. not for the score, but for the contest. Maybe some of them do, but with noe | it vas gold I needed, gold I had to
 have, and I didn't care much how got 1t so long as got it honestly. focused every power upon my desire,
 but curse was on me-a curse, nothing less. At first I took misfor- tune philosophicalsy, but when it came and slept with noe I began to rage at it. It was terrifying because my tiue
 was shortening. and the last day of grace was rushing toward me. | Just to show you what luck play 1 ed in. at Dawson I found prospect l that would have made most men rich. and. although such thing had never happened in that locality before. ii 1 pfnched out I tried again and again.
 
 and fisaily found snether mine. only
 to be robbed of it by the Canadian | laws in such q manner that there Was
 not the faintest hope of my ever re covs1nR tbp property. finally shifted
 frAp mining to other ventures. ali | the town burned. l awoke in q mic | night blizzard to see my chance for fortune licked up by flames. while ttt | hiss of the water from the fremen': | hose seemed directed at me, and thc | voice of the crowd sounded like jeers Il was among the first at Nome and | staked alongside the discOverers who | undertook to put me in right for once; | but, although the fellows around me
 made fortunes in day, my ground | was barren and my bedrock swept
 clean by that unseen hand which l | always felt but could never avoid