Bisbee daily review., 1914-01-18

his palm, and rolled the tobacco small for his corn-cob pipe. His winter servitude was ended, and he was .nas. ter, the cargador before whom all men bow in the dread northlauds Mother went of content to carry her own water, and Pete. with something of flourish. lighted his pipe.
 Mother" Pete let out a sharp call anc forgetting her busineas, mother came quite humbly, as though to heel Yes, Pete?"
 He pointed with his pipe at a dis tant horseman rounding the flank of the hill.
 "Brooke?" she whispered. both gnarled rheumatic hands clutehed at her heart.
 'I recken," said Pete cheerfully. Thinks he's Q circus procession. sorrers clattering a loose near.hind shoe. and her mouth just bleeding as he saws with that spade bit. He's sure polecat. Trots down-hill too, and suffers in his tail. Incompetent, moth. CT. Look at his feet. He's had as stale salmon, rotten to the bones. peen drinking too"
 Brooke drew up and dismounted, leaving his rein on the horses neck, instead of dropping it to the ground. When Brooke moved to sit on an aparejo Pete ordered him to one Of the kitchen boxes. Not Bolt hisself may sit on my riggings," said the old gray cargador.
 q thought" said Brooke quite kind. ly. that this harness was mine"
 "A half-interest," said mother, surely"
 T fear" said Brooke. you sort of misunderstood. old Taylor did say something about your usefulness as Q working partner, and, of course. if VIC hadn't canceled that preposterous con tract with the Hudson's Bay Company there's do doubt your knowledge O the country up north would have beer worth paying for. IL was, as you say damned awkward about his beinl blind us a bat; in fact, was put t, quite lot Of trouble getting the agree ment witnessed However" he pro duced a document which mother snatched, its all there in black ant white. and there's the old fools sig nature-holds good in any court O law-proves that I've bought and pal, for the whole ataIo. You needn' claim l haven't a clear title-so yot needn't stare at me as if I'd forged tn, signature. it's straight goods. I tel you"
 Mother reeled backward, while sh, grabbed Pete's shoulders so that tho agreement fluttered to Brookes feet She steadied herself, then with [, husky croak, You made Bolt sigr that-blind, dying, so he dunno what'i on the paper"
 Gan you prove that?" asked Brooke indulgently. as though h., spoke to children. "If you say thingi like that, it's criminal libel, and your, both liable to the Skookum House However" he shrugged his shoulders and put the agreement away, T don't want 10 be hard on you, Pete"
 Mister Mathson." mother hissed a him.
 Pete, with a whispered word tt mother. rose from his bench, and with out appearing to see Mir. Brooke walked past him across the sunli yard, and on slowly up the great lift ing curve of the road to Hundred Mile House.
 The sun was setting behind hin when Pete rested at last upon the snowclad summit, and dusk lay fl lakes of shadow far below him. Al the Hundred he found the lamps alight, and, as usual, Billy offered hin drink. T ain't drinking" said Pete huskily as he lurched past the bal into the dining-har. and on to the lit tie room on the right whsre Captain Taylor lay.
 "Boltl" he whispered.
 That you, Pete? Sit down." said the boss cheerliy. Flows the claim Peter Getting coarse gold, eh?"
 Gold? Say, Bolt, whats the mat ter, old fellow?"
 Matter? Why, nothing, Pete," the blind eyes shone keenly; "of course Tn not nearly to bedrock yet, and as te what l owe you've jolly well got tc wait. How's old Calamity? l goi Lost Creek Jim to work at last"
 was iHt DObo VI OAA on Lightning Creek?
 "Watty's in the mail" said Bolt
 Watty had been dead these thirty years.
 Then Pete sat down on the bedside and the two miners prattled about the new Hume, and the price of flour in a camp now oyergrown with jungle.
 A word to Billy would have been enough to get the aparejos to a place of safety, pending the settlement ol Pese's just claim as partner. But the cargador knew well that death had come to take the one man he loved This was no time for sordid business disturbing Bolt Taylor's peace. It wal better io go quietly.
 The sky was full of stars as Pet went homeward. The stars were bil and round; the forest in an ecstasy kept vigil all alert, all silent and thu little streams of the thaw were sayinI