The evening world., 1914-03-23

showed the thickening where calius
had formed.
"Pah." cried Gaspard. finging the
skull down. He must have been a
beauty whoever he was-and look
He picked up an old pistol barrel
eaten away by rust, the trigger plate
thin as u Leaf and crumblinK like a
withered leaf to the touch, lying near
Many, many years OF exposure 4,
must have taken to eat the metal
away like that. Yves glanced at the
thing without interest. Come" said
he, and turning, no led the way 70
the southern beach. Here under the
palm trees he sat down, opened the
pouch, and ratified the gold pieces on
the sand between his outspread legs.
t;aspard. who had followed him
without a word, stood. without q
word, looking on.
Yves counted the pieces: there were
twcnty-one OF them. and he was dis
appointed: there had seemed more
He began to recount them. He had
scarcely done so when Gaspard broke
silence.
Look here" said Gaspard. half
OF that falls to my share: half OF
that belongs 20 me by oil rights"
Yves stopped his counting and
looked up. 1t was tho tone OF Gas
pard's voice rather than his words
perhaps. that caused the expression
upon his broad. sunburnt face. A
heavy. unfriendly expression. such az
the face OF n croupier might wear
when some punter disputes the game.
yours" said Yves, land who found
them"
That's neither here nor there" said
the Moco. 'you found them. II 10 true.
but II was only a question OF luck. I
might have found them Just as easily.
and II l had would have gone
shares"
Yves knew this to he fact. Gas.
pard was the soul Of generosity. Gen.
erosity was not predominant in the
soul OF Yves. He was a good-heartcd
man. but the Breton peasant was up
permost In his nature: he had made
this great haul of golden fish en-
tirely with his own hand. and now he
was called upon by man more gen.
erou3 than himself to share II.
He said nothing for "a moment, but
went on counting tho pieces: then. as
II addressing them. yes. It's easy to
talk of luck--but would ] have found
them II ! had been lying lazy on the
beach. or staring into the sea like
some people? No. ] was hunting for
dead brushwood. doing something for
my living. and found them"
Then keep them" cried Gaspard.
and turning on his heel he walked
down to the sea edge. lie walked for
a bit along the sand; then, with his
arms folded, he stood looking at the
sea.
His mind had left the subject Of the
money and was clnging to the true
~ n vvl M, hh NM ntva rt..
poisonous source OF hatred. Anisette.
But the grievance OF the money was
there as well. and all at once by some
alchemy OF Satan the hundred
grudges. petty and large. that he had
against his companion Joined together
and formed the figure OF monstrous
Yves, n creature he hated. and who.
so the devil whispered, hated him.
The sun was now near Its setting.
and as Gaspard stood there with arms
folded. looking at the sea. the eternal
crying OF the gulls took on a new
meaning; they were saying . new
word:
"Yves-Yves-Yves
"All the same" said Gaspard. as
though he were continuing n CONVEX
sation, you are thief, and son
OF thlef-more fool 10 Chum with
dog OF a Ponantaise."
Yves rose up he was a slow man
to wrath. but terrible when reused
The belt and tho pouch containing
the money were lying at his feet he
kicked them aside as he faced tho
Moco,
You say'----
II say what l have said"
After the fashion OF the monkeys"
replied Yves, that say what they
have said all day long-drop that"
Tho Moco had whipped the knife
from tho sheath in his bolt. Both
men wore knives. but tho Ponantaise
had not drawn his, He stood with
hts arms folded across his immense
chest literally as though he were
his wrath.
1T is well known" said Yves, his
eye on the knife. that 4 Moco and a
woman can only fight with their claws
and tongue"
0aspard dropped the knife: then he
stopped and picked 1t up as II to re-
nlaco lt IN hiD bait: he seamed half