The Detroit times., 1913-05-07
Author OF THE Prodigal Judge"
Just and the Unjust" etc.

at the tavern where he had lodged
since his arrival in independence,
was still unpaid. and that he was look
ing TO the brothers to settle II for
him.
As evening fell. the open spaces
about the town, common and waste,
smoked with the fires OF thousand
camps. The rolling upland rioted
with feverish life. or ,vibrated with u
boisterious cheerfulness. for hope was
everywhere. Numberless white&op-
ped wagons cleaned opaquely In the
gathering darkness; black figures
moved restlessly to and fro about the
fires; there was the continual lowing
OF oxen; now q noisy chorus OF men D
voices, could be heard: then nearer
at hand a clear tenor voice took up
the words.
IL soon shall be In Frisco.
And then I'll look around.
And when | see the gold Jumps there.
I'll pick EN- OF the ground
I'll scrape the mountains clean, my
boys,
| III drain the rivers dry,
A pocket full OF rocks bring home,
So, brothers, don't you cry"
A hundred men roared out the re-
frain
oh California,
That's the land for me.
I'm bound for San Francisco,
With my wash-bowl on my knee!
The fur trader grinned and nodded
over his tin cup OF steaming coffee.
Some OF 'em will do their singing
out the other side Of their mouths be.
! fore they finish the first 500 miles;
en- California;"
IL reckon So said Rogers, senten.
tiously.
stephen. here. tells me you've
crossed the mountains?"
Again Rogers contcnted himself
with a brief answer In the affirmative.
Ever been in the fur trader" ask
ed BAIL.
No"
"Oh. aye, just knocking about
maybe?"
Trying mighty hard to make liv.
Ing" corrected Rogers shortly.
That's easy to pick up"
The kind | wanted want"
What kind were you looking
for?" inquired Basil.
Something n mighty sight different
from what | got out OF soldering and
ranching." responded Rogers
The fur trader devoted a moment
to close scrutiny of the Californian.
1t don't seem to have agreed with
you specially well, for fact he
commented drily.
Come, BASIL said Stephen, ~
you are ready, we'd better 60 into
town before II gets any later"
They found the town alive with the
unwonted traffic of that season. Be
fore the warehouses and stores,
which for years past had QUILTED the
Santa Fe traders and the great fur
companies. freight wagons from the
river landings or from st. Louis
were still discharging their loads,
There were other wagons from the
country about, each drawn by its six
or eight oxen or mules, and laden
with -four, pork. and farm produce;
and from the distant trading posts
were still other wagons, loaded with
bales OF beaver and buffalo robes The
teams blocked the street, and their
drivers swOre hoarsely at each other;
and the crowds showered them with
advice.
In the stores with their barbaric
display OF cOloured cloths. blankets.
and beads, and their stacks of rifles,
an army might have been equipped
and armed. In and out the crowds
came and went. buying and trading
with feverish haste. In the stock
yards-which seemed to be every
Whereby lantern light, men bar
gained for teams. There was the
slow drawl OF the Southerner: the
nasal twang OF the Yankee; the
French Of dark-skinned Canadian voy-
ayers; the Spanish OF sw Thy Mexi-
can packers; the frank and loudly ex-
pressed wonder OF the men of the
frontier. teamsters, and trappers, ut
the sudden invasion of their trading
center.
Basirs reckoning at the tavern was
settled, and the fur trader shouldered
his pack and rife, and they again
sought the street.
We'll 20 back to camp by a nearer
way" said he, and he led them down
a narrow alley. Here q rapidly driven
wagon caused them to draw to one
side. A Negro was driving the team
Vi huics' anu IOllOWluS MIN came II
two-wheeled cart. In ii. were two
men. one of whom held a lantern in
his lap. In the light 1t gave they
could see that the handles of pick
and shovel protruded from between
his knees. His companion rocked
drunkenly at his side.
Basil started back with an oath.
The cholera!" he cried.
They were bearing body to a
grave on the plains, beyond the town
and the camps OF the gold-seekers.
CHAPTER NINE.
Mr.. Tucker took the south road out
OF Benson. his belief being that the
runaways would drive across the state
to Indiana. Events proved him SO far
right In this conjecture that he dined
at the tavern where they had break
tasted. and supped where they had
dined. Then. since they had gone on
presumably In the direction OF Colum.
bus, he mounted to his seat again and
urged the fractions mare forward at
the best pace which the condition OF
the roads rendered safe. He himself
was now on the verge Of exhaustion;
and his desire to be revenged on the
fugitives, alone sustained him: II was