Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-30

was resolved to KILL He crept alons
taking all precautions against disturb
ing single pebble, until no stood ovel
Gallon, and in the full moonlight h(
saw that Gallon WAS drawing the plans
and marking the locations Of q mine.
How far" he thought forcefully Il
himself, -has the old man gone wha
gulch Is this7 What place IL this7 al
has found the gold, and I'm going Il
have itr' He still watched the pencil
and saw him trace In rude letters:
This will make you happy"
That moment Gallon saw WilkersOI
smiling at him
Smiles and tears. sorrow and laugh
ter have made this world what II "a
and the smile on the saturnine visag(
of Wilkerson stirred Gallon to bill
depths. Did Wilkerson know7 Had
wilkerson seen7 Was Ruth to lose thu
gold that he had found after al these
years7 Wilkerson had peered over bill
shoulder. Wilkersonl Wilkersonl viii
kersoni There must be no Wilkerson|
He pulled out his revolver and fired
at the man smiling at him from th(
shadow.
wilkerson emptied his revolver d
the old man. But Gallons trained eye
backed up by his overmastering pas
sion. had directed his weapon too sure
y wilkerson realized that his eue|
my's bullet had gone home.
Still with the blood lust IN his heart
Gallon pulled out the picture Of litul
girl and passionately kissed It
you look like your mother. Ruth.
he whispered.
But while he was yielding 10 thii
queer tenderness his former partnel
was struggling to his feet-dizzy with
pain, absolutely cowed by the shock OF
finding himself physically helpless. vel
driven by instinct to fnd other humaI
beings. Where were they7 There wa]
no sound on the desert except thd
rustling Of the dry leaves Of th4
yuccas and the murmur Of the cactu4
as 1t died of drought. He was really OF
two minds One desire was to find thd
location of the gold. The other was I'd
save hts own life and assuage the bitI
ter fast which he knew meant death.
At last he stumbled to his feet and
peered across the mist yelled valley
Far away he saw a light Gathering
all his strength, he started toward Ill
for it held out to him the prospect Of
help for bis physical injury. and as I'D
fingered his revolver he feyerishly|
dreamed of finding Gallon and cd
avengiug himself.
Under the stars he tramped on. Al
men see their real world in miniA ture
and their ideal world magnifed, as We
all do. the moon, flooding its light
down upon his path, did not appeal
within his range Of vision. 1t was
only the little pin points OF stars Id
the purple black sky that be discerned|
and in the midst Of this armament, aa|
II horizons had been obliterated. nd
saw a solitary twinkling light which
meant a human habitation.
'I'll get him yet" he muttered thick
ly. The mere act Of articulate speech
died In his throat He realized that hid
had no water. and the overpowertna
thirst burned in his very marrow.
II can't make It." be- thought to him{
ter. "GaIlon has got the best o.
me. He found that place and mads
the plan and fooled me- He pain1
fully lifted his clinched hands toward
heaven and cursed vehernently until
his curses faded into a perfect detiriun
of mad dreams. Far away on the bill
the coyotes barked dismally.
No longer stealthily like man OBJ
sessed. but with one desire. he strug]
gled down the hill and out upon the
mesa Yet there was still In his eyes
all the innumerable stars, and he could
not fx his direction In his mind. foE|
to his accumulated sight they all apy
peared brilliant and peculiar. Thus hs|
got st
A. Zines, in moments when tho dead.
~ thirst which parched his throat a.
lowed him to drink, he saw the one
light, which marked the
place where he knew Gallon had gone
Miles and hours became to him as
nothing, yet finally through his sharp
ened senses he smelled water, and I'd
the sun was rising over San Jacinto
he fell face downward into
a stream. Some instinct told him that
towns were built on hills; that conse-
quently to find the town he should go1
upstream. So he struggled. stemming
the current, dragging his feet, his left
hand clinched into the folds OF bis
shirt over the wound. In hie heart
was still smoldering the fame which
In the fulness of his physical strength
had been hatred of bis partner.
"I'll get him yet" he muttere6
Continued Tomorrow.)