Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-06-20

up 10 MS throat weakly
"Werl find his nine-wcve got the world by the
tail down-hl road Red cried, insanely
Hush" said Bill. Hush! This rock never CONG
from hcreabouts. He just brought i here with him
Red threw out his hands imporinply Don't.
don't" he whispered. a wanted you to have it. and
take her The girl was beside him, clngng to his
sr3 hSF eye, y bet bn to his s face dqw at
be true-I found it tell YOU. He tool. the girls
ha' and pHing her after him. started back down
an me an Bl--were gon' to find the mine" Bill
followed them dazedy. Red suddenly fell silent He
n d9h hsm s after him dGTn the Sf III, m oer de-
great leaps.
The yellow moon sailed with sudden dizziness into
the pale sky. The disordered skeleton CLEANED fam
asticaly in the white light Red seized the girls
arm dragging her forward. She shrank back, terri
fed; but he did not see.
Here said Red, Al found him And this money
lie dt tpI d2Mn on his knees and finding the coins
trinket and the gold cross in the other hand
The money fell, tinklng, the sand The girl stood
staring hxedly at the baubles, her breast rising and
falling swiftly with her painful breathing.
Jeanne" she said, family, pointing to the battered
trinket Jeanne" She laid ne tips OF her fingers
Gn hr ST. he'd a ss ana' her She . ws9sSd
into her eyes. 4 was here she told him. him, w with
from the man who would hold me by this" she looked
rec took yo aWa enr Red ~hpeTcd m
Indians she answered trembling suddenly. 1t
the hrst time they lad ever heard her say the word
For the first time words seemed to come easily her
and they stared at her wondernsly. Il never came
back here. Always Indians
Did the Indians tie you to the ground:' Red de-
inanded hoarscly
She nodded and broke into storm of strange
Hush said Red, quietly "lNhy was it,"
g! would not go-go with man." she said, brokcnly
What man.
Tall n,an-so-and keep his camp and cook She
s1uddered and the tears rushed to her eyes And
when would no keep his camp, they brought me
o and as them % ae ted 1 me e
ground and LETT me n n the the red sun until died.
They would not put in the fire to die. For
man from the sky would come down and kill all ii
"tnjuns got her when she kid and when she got
big wanted her to marry some njun They put blind
folded live horses carry the dead to the happy hu
ground" Bill repeated. rapidly
Afraid" she whispered" indians afraid For grand
pere grandpere, said he would back when
most needed him, and XIII al if they die me- Mon
hands above his head and told them Mon grandpere"-
she held out the cross indicating the initials. Monsieur
Louis lie Fevre. Ma like younot French But
no remember: for she here Mon rcre told me
often OF how she died, come away and left her
back-somewhere. Mon pere, Indians took away from
Her grandfarfer," Bill glanced down reaninsly at
that first day by the trail. For Injuns burn their
dead"
ysanne stood l?9Ins hepes.y up into Reds face
"And them Injuns never come back to see If she
died, for they scared OF the curse Red argued
The girl started forward, suddenly, and chung 90
Red. Gold goldl she cried, and stood swayng on
her feet Then with sudden bound she broke away
from him. flying down the canon. They ran after her.
She darted down the narrow guch nterse,ting the
BB o"der ono disappeared sudden 0'''''u "'S
Red plunged forward She was climbing before
him. up winding trail that circcd sudden HILL He
called 10 her. but she Sned on unheedlng. her .cet
seeming scarcely to touch TIE ground In the soft
M moG hiE1o she was IKE ao bo Cg tTs ca ~
his voice. the reach Of his pleading hands.
Beyond curve in the trail he found her waiting
for him. Before her, gaunt and unheralel. tie skele-
ton woodfran OF ro.ting tripod stood clear
against the hills She stopped and lifted an old sieve
from the ground. In the clear moonlight a hundred
nuggets CLEANED, as they rolled to and fro in the
crude sitter.
Many more she said, softly, pointing to the tripod
and inky shaft Mon pere ct mon grandpcre dug
there"
Red stood looking at her making move 70 take
the sieve from her hands. Bill anne and stood beside
them. ITS dream he said finally we amt
found that lost nine" He took the sieve wonderney
Of nuggets Banned out here" lie took up a handful
and let them ricke through his fingers. to fall, chnk,
ing against the pan, And we been in two miles Of
He went toward the tripod ITS true he cried.
There's more Tock lis words were q; a. he
trail here he called back "Rcl-Red can see oui
camp-hre,"
ney ran forward Beyond me tripod me trdl
swervcd and where cut In. slc 81 the hill and
in white unbroken Inc they could see the distant
campfire glowing like great yellow coal on the blue
mountain
This here trail leads straight to our water-tank "
, Bill said. Il seen it day, cun along the back
bone of the ridge | calculated il a Sleeps trail
cause no human could climb like that"
The girl stood silently beside them Suddenly she
/ gave little cry and cu,chcl Reds arm She
swayed uncertainty. Dill stretched ont his hands
NO" said Red, quietly, and he reached down and
sa n her NJ, in his arms .
Bill touched her dress. Give her 10 me- Red" re
demanded I'm goin to tote her to camp"
Bill you're the only friend got. ever had, but
il you don't move that hand Ill He broke down
suddenly; II want to carry her tonight, Bill he
said, brokenly.
The girl stirred "Red carry me- she told Bill
family, and without word, he turned away from
them.
With his precious burden Red started up the new
trail. She stirred in his arms "Red" she whispered
tie bent over her He could feel the soft movement
Of her breath against his cheek The weight OF her
slender body in his arms suddenly had new mean.
ing to him, He could not trust himself to try and
e speak 10 her