The Ocala evening star., 1915-09-23


sheep herder I'm the next month and
take the stolen treasure with him and
make it the capital on which to found
a great fortune in the bustling west.
He salved his conscience with the
thought that when he had built up
John PowelPs vast fortune he would
return the stolen money to the express
company anonymously.
Meanwhile Luke Lowell journeys
eastward again But he cannot travel
as Blair Stanley and other fortunates
with money travel Luke Lowell re-
turns by freight But In the desert the
trainmen throw him from his place on
the bumpers and mock him as. bruised
and sore. he rises in the desert dust
to curse them as the freight train bears
/ them on.
Down the endless miles OF railroad
| track. across the dusty desert, he stag
! gers. Blinded by the sun, choking and
| burning with thirst and half delirious,
he stumbles from the track and makes
bis way, fevered with delirium, across
the trackless desert
Then by low growing mass of
| cacd something CLEANS before his ach-
ing eyes. CLEANS and dazzles him. Is
1t vagary OF his thirst madness. or Is
1t the diamond from the sky. a for
tune within his grasp?
He lurches forward and snatches up
the diamond from where the train rob-
Der In his death agony from the pur-
suing posses rifle bullets had cast It.
But just as his grimy hand closes
upon the great jewel a brown lance
strikes him In the ringing of the fe-
yer in his brain he has not heard the
warning rattle OF death guarding the
diamond. But even In his delirium
the fevered brain OF Luke Lowell knows
the thrust of the brown lance
A rattlesnake has bitten himl With
a hoarse scream OF despair he con
vulsively throws up his hands. The
diamond flies from his nerveless grasp
and settles again in the dust OF the
desert twenty feet away, and Luke
Lowell pitches forward on his face in
his agony, giving himself up as dead
So, half conscious, John Powell
sheep herder. finds him, and so John
Powell bears him to his lonely camp
fire and succors and restores him
Lowell is able to moan his plight
Fortunately his rescuer has a flask oi
whisky and canteen OF water. HG
doses the half conscious Luke. and
whether the whisky or whether the
sturdy constitution of the gypsy Is Il
be credited Luke Lowell Is brough
back from the jaws OF death
1t is a strange fate. the gypsy thinks
when be can think coherently, that 4
} -
and the usurping heir Of Stanley and
to clutch again the priceless STANLEY
heirloom, the diamond from the sky
He laughs sardonicaIly and then tell
i Arthur. whom he now recognizes n
. he recognized Blair Stanley, that jus
. a few days since he has met up witl
the latter I'm Los Angeles
Il don't know what he had run away
for" growled Luke. but whatever 4
was IL had been squared, for | founC
out he was going back TO Richmond
But now that you have saved my hf'
) In this God forsaken desert I'll do yoV
? a favor-a big favor l know some
thing that the other Stanleys woult
I give all they have 10 know. What VII
You give me II I don't tell them wha
/ know? You didn't kill that old doc
tor. and know that some day you ar
going back. What viii you give me q
? keep my mouth shutE"
= John Powell regards with COLI
scorn the wretch who thus requite
him He knows what Luke would tel
him Just at this time John Powell
: desires to buy the silence OF the treach
: erous and ungrateful gypsy.
81 have $500 that ] have saved"
John PoweIl's reply Il never de
sire to be known again as Arthur Stan
= ley. But have reasons why ! do no
: wish the secret you possess TO b
spread broadcast for the present 70