Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-20


had built fire. II was against a rock.
which rose whitley under the moon.
Gallon saw his chance. He worked
his way TO the fire and in spite OF the
pain held his hands out over the blaze
until he felt the strands of the rope
weaken and finally part
A moment later he was making his
way TO where the horses were tied.
He leaped upon the nearest one and
within second was on his way down
the hill into the mist which filled the
valley.
But the noise OF his horses hoofs on
the rough shale of the hillside awak.
ened the guard.
II think I will have a cup Of coffee s.
he said TO himself sleepily and slug.
gishly stretched himself. A moment
later he flung the empty coffeepot into
the darkness. Sheriff." he cried, "he's
gonew
The sheriff lifted his lanky form as
II by a single movement. who's
gone?" he yelled.
''That man, Gallon" replied the
guard.
I'VE must get him. boysr' the sheriff
said. They rode to the edge of the hill
and looked down into an iridescent sea
of mist mere pool Of curdling moon.
shine.
Hes got away from us, boys" said
the sheriff. ''WeIl never find him
there"
Gallon rode quickly on. no longer
seeking for a light but for darkness,
and yet as he felt the pony culver un-
der him he himself felt a strange trem-
or-Wilkerson was still alive-some-
where behind that veil was his enemy
and the man who knew the location Of
the richest mine in all golden Califor-
mia.
Mission Street pier marks the point
on the San Francisco water front where
sooner or later every one in this world
passes, and among the multitudes
strange. subdued and unsubdued by
the tremendous forces which make our
civilization. Gallon found himself abso-
lutely unobserved in this throng-he
was as he hoped TO be. Berthed at
the pier was steamship, quartermas-
ters at the gangway, and a sign hung
on the rail saying, I'VE sail st 9:45
| .. m"
When he reached hts cabin Gallon
steslthily took out from his pocket a
folded paper and looked at It. He laid
! 1t on the white covering OF the bunk
and once more dipped into his jacket
This time It was the picture of a girl.
II win save it for you," he murmur-
ed to himself. The bare room held
but one movable article OF furniture
chest of strange workmanship and
redolent OF alien lands. Gallon stoop-
ed over and pulled at the lid. 1t came
open to his touch, and he saw then
strange conglomeration OF articles. An
idol lay there, inanimate, but impor-
tant. He picked it up. and as he did 80
one OF its coral eyes fell out.
To him it was a sinister omen, and
he stared for a moment, clutching at
his breast. Then he gave way TO the
| hysteria of the hunted and the haunted.
Il don't know whose god you are"
he muttered. "but II you must have it
take it" And into the open socket
he thrust the paper that held the Sc
cret of his mine.
That sleep which is like a shot in the
heart overlook Gallon before the Santa
Clara was we'll to sea. He was awak-
ened from it by the sound Of an alter
cation.
You've got to put back to port," !"
said a voice in an ugly tone.
There was a fusilade of shots. and
then the deck beneath him tilted slow
~. The chest slid down the deck to-
ward shore. Gallon locked the chest
dragged 1t across the sill and then
looked back TO see an enormous wall
of water. This wall crumpled, faded.
vet left him breathless. What was the
matter? Then he saw huge columns
OF smoke pouring out from the after
part OF the ship. 1t was not the in-
exorable and avenging sea, but fire.
He saw the boats go over the side. He
/ saw two men struggling In the tops
yet It was a dream. His consciousness
held but two facts-one the chest that
contained the secret of his mine, the
other the key that had locked within
that strange and alien depository the
picture of little girl.
Six hours later a heavy sea drove a
piece OF wreckage up the crumbling
beach beneath a cliff on the Oregon
shore. On it was a man-brine drench-
/ ed. almost unconscious. but still able
to crawl beyond the reach of the fin