The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-11-14

wind. The air was neaVy Win tn0
fragrant suffocating smoke of burn
ing pine and spruce. Great rolling
clouds of gray moved slowly over
Sawtooth's breast. Somewhere down
in the heart of the pine forest was
LOUIS little shack. \
! You'll never make 1t, lad" shout
ed Morrissey. Ahead of them great
masses Of fallen timber blocked the
trail. The air was full of burning
leaves and stray wind-blown branch
Is. The horses had begun to fail.
Neck, ears and jaws were dripping
with white foam. Nick halted, des-
perate and excited.
Il must get through it to her."
''Wait a Bit" cautioned the old
trapper. There used to be the old
trail through the gulch. No mans
eyes but me own and the Indians
have locked at it. Do you mind?
But tonight I'll ride you down it,
and We'll get the girl. Hold back.
I'll lead now"
Never once on that terrible ride
did Nick question. Unerringly Andy
Morrissey led the way over the old
trail into the secret heart of Saw
tooth's wilderness. When they came
to the rocky edge of the vast gul.h
| they left the ponies behind, fastened
to trees, out of the danger zone.
At log bridge Nick stopped short.
his mountain trained eye measuring
its strength, but Andy strobe ahead.
| There came sickening crash, and
the great numbering form went down
into the gorge.
| Over and over Nick shouted his
name. There was no response, and
he stumbled ahead, seeking a way to
; cross. Suddenly he heard a call, and
saw Lou, her hair blowing in the
! wind, her pony trailing after her,
! coming down the old trail.
| "You? she cried. mick, Nick,
why did you come after me? There
isn't one chance in the world of
getting out safely unless the wind
| should change"
! : We'll go together, then" Nick
said grimly as he took her close in
his arms without resistance. you
knew I'd come for you, didn't you,
; Lou?"
He did not tell her of old Morrissey
! lying somewhere down in Sawtooth
gulch. Hand in hand, like two chill
dren, the pony stealing after, they
made their way down the old forgot
! ten trail, down out of the smoke and
whirling leaves into the cool green
depths of the gulch. Suddenly Lou
! cried out in alarm, and dropped to
her knees. Face upward where he
had fallen near the ledge of rock was
old Morrissey, comfortably hung in
some spruce boughs between land and
sky. Leaning over the edge Of the
trail Lou could see him face up
turned.
"And I'm not dead yet, Nick, lad"
he called feebly. me legs hurting
me, and me shoulders splintered, but
I've found me way down Sawtooth
Ffter ten years, and I've found me
! '"et trail again" He patted the
I ledge of rock beside him. Lift me
nown from this tree, and III show
/ you where the sold grows in nests
Ike birds eggs
Nick climbed down and helped him
back, little the worse for his fall.
And he told them Sawtooths secret.
Ten years before, while hunting up
through the gulch, he had stumbled
on the gold, first in few scattered
pockets, then in broad. rich veins.
"And l told no enc, because I
wanted to keep it--not to sell, but to
steal down and look at now and
then. And the curse was on me for
a miser, so l lost me way, and never
found the ledge again until just
now"
"Here?"
Andy chUckled fecbly.
Here, on the girls claim, and it
runs through to your own, adjoin-
Ing. Are you sorry now. you gave
poor cid crazy Andy warm blanket
and che glad hand 2"
Nicks arm closed around the
slender figure beside her. She lifted
her face to the rift of sky far above
them.
Mick" she whispered, "the winds
changing. dear"