The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-18

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whose blood stained blanket they had
found The old man, taciturn as ever,
merely said, as II repeating by rote.
'The outlaws got him"
When the full moon had risen and
the night life OF the desert had begun.
grotesque life. built OF feeting forms
and bizarre shadows. the sheriff called
a halt up the canyon.
On one side Of the guIley on which
they were camped the sherif's men
bad built q fire. II was against q rock.
which rose whitley under the moor.
Gallon saw bis chance. He worked
bis way to the fire and In spite of the
pain held his hands ont 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 a second was on his way down
the hill into the mist which filed the
valley.
But the noise OF bis horses hoofs on
the rough shale of the hillside awak
ened the guard.
Il think | Will have a cup OF coffee"
he said to himself sleepily and slug.
gishly stretched himself. A moment
later he flung the empty coffeepot into
the darkness. sheriff" he cried, hes
gonei"
The sheriff lifted his lanky form as
II by a single movement who's
gomez" he yelled.
~That man, Gallon" replied the
guard.
1--WE must get him. boysT' the sheriff
said. They rode to the edge of the hill
and looked down into ar irldescent sea
Of mist a mere pool OF curdling moon.
shine.
"He's got away from us. boys" said
the sheriff wen 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 strange trem
r-Wilkerson was still alive-some
where behind that veil was his enemy
and the man who knew the location OF
tho richest mine In all golden Califor.
MIA
Mission Street pier marks the point
on the San Francisco water front where
ooner 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-
iutely unobserved In this throng-he
was rs he hoped to be. Berthed at
the pier was q steamship. quartermas.
tiers at the gangway. and q sign hung
ON the rail- saying. I'VE sal at 0:45
p m"
When be reached his cabin Gallon
steaIthily took out from bis pocket a
folded paper and looked at II. He laid
It on the white covering of the bunk
and once more dipped into his jacket
This time II vas the picture of a girl
II viii ave II for you." he murmur.
"a to himself. The bare o held
but one movable article OF furniture
Z chest Of strange workmanship and
redolent OF alien lands Gallon stoop-
ed over and pulled at the lid IL en- me
open to his touch. and he saw then u
strange congiomeration Of articles Al
idol lay there. inanimate. but impor.
tant He picked It up. and as he did 20
one Of its coral eyes fell out.
To him II was q sinister omen. and
he stared for a moment clutching at
bis breast. Then be gave way to the
hysteria OF the hunted and the haunted.
II don't know whose god you are"
be muttered. but II you must have II
take It." And into the open socket
he thrust the paper that held the 80
cret Of his mine.
That sleep which II like a shot In the
heart overlook Gallon before the Santa
Clara was well to sea. He was awak.
ened from II by the sound Of an alter
cation.
You've got to put back to port"
said q voice In IN ugly tone
There was q fusilade Of shots. and
then the deck beneath him tilted slow.
y. The chest slid down the deck to-
ward shore. Gallon locked the chest,
dragged II across the sill and then
looked back to see an enormous wall
Of water. This wall crumpled. faded,
yet left him breathless. What vas the
matter7 Then he saw huge columns
Of smoke pouring out from the after
part Of the ship. II was not the In
sxorable and a~venging sea. but ire
He raw the boats 60 over the side. Hs
saw two men struggling In the tops
yet II was q dream. His consciousness,
held but two facts-one the chest thai
contained the secret Of his mine. the
other the key that had locked within
that strange and alien depository the
picture Of Z little girl.
Six hours later . heavy sea drove q
piece Of w~reckage up the crumbiint
beach beneath q cliff on the Oregon
shore. On Il was q man-brine drench
ID. almost unconscious. but still able
to crawl beyond the reach Of the On
gering breakers, clutching . key. Il
was Thomas Gallon
He eat down and stared at the burn
Inc ship hs had left Dimly be renem
bersde those stzsan apmpers tina