The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-12-28
JIHs G0LD LEDGE
i ~ (
Ey AHs'oN CARTER.

IA the sheep ca MP and talked to-
much With Silent Coates.
Coates had little TO say. Yes. b.
knew old E1an Pet erson ard his daugh
ter He even adI nitfed that they stiL
lived IN Valley G seek- He never had
known Adams. that was before hil
ssne. Yes. be he'd heard that he had
discovered gold mine and then lost
It's location. but hat was All he knew.
All this mostly ii mods and grunts Of
assent. while Barton questioned Gag
erly
But an5er the stranger lay fast
asleep BY the dying embers Coates
took out stub Of pencil and tore on
q piece Of paper from a soap wrapper
IN the wagon. Then he wrote 2 note
to his nearest neighbor. as neighbors
run in the land Of buftfs. And he
tied the ncfe with piece Of string
70 the collar Of Brag. one Of his dogs.
and pointed down the valley road.
BTag knew the road He had car
ried tobacco along II be lore. and some
times brought back 2 swspapers and
letters. There were aly three spots
Of human habitation throughout the
valley-Peterson's Tory Aliens claim
and, higher up. Coates sheep ranch.
So they all hung together in mutual
dependence.
And the sovereign Of the three was
Sue.
She wsz slim and dark, with
slancing. witching eyes and a smile
that would have made Cerberus wag
his tail And nearly every evening
after sundown Tony would ride down
the mountain road fust to talk awhile
with Sue out en- the little front stoop
OF the shack and to tell her what it
meant To him to have her even In the
same world as himself.
He read the note from Coates.
When he drew rein before the old
shack, old Peterson was out with a
lantern.
THE moons bright enough said
Tony Put thai out. / don't want
anyone TO see light here"
Sue slept On while the two talked |
together out In the cleared ground
beyond the house. When she awoke |
1t was after four.
you're here pretty early, amt you.
Touy2' she called from the wash |
bencn at the hack Of the shack.
There's more coming" answered |
Tony, dryly, and he watched Barton
approaching them half mile away.
coming gingerly down the rough butte
trail on a horse he had bought in
town.
He laid two hands on her shoulders
and turned her around to face him.
Remember how we've waited and
hoped for years.
For gold?
"No, for each other Haven't you?
Didn't tell you when you were only
sixteen what ! thought OF you? Look
up at me- You put your arms"
''Tony, they'll see you, please,
please" tn
The stranger and Peterson came
leisurely up 10 the shack Barton
looked cheerful and friendly. He rest.
ed one foot on the first step and raised
his hat to Sue
Got nice little place here. I've
Just been looking the valley over. I'm
a-er-a geologist."
Fine rocks around here" Tony said
gravely.
Yes, splendid-er--strat Do you
happen to know Of a ledge that juts
out along the other side of this creek
through the valley? It's
hidden in ravine. There's small
there"
4 know the place" Sue answered
Btraightly.
You dor Barton's small, dark
eyes cleaned with interest. Il expect
10 build cabin there. The water is
very good, was told ! bought the I
claim up from man named Adams !
his spring back in Ohio"
Pleasant to have you for neigh
)or,' Tony said. +
Sues dark eyes widened with amaze a
nent and swift Indignation.
But the ledge is ours, dad. He 7
ant have 1t. You wouldn't sell out,
would you, for anything?" a
1T cant be yours If / bought it up L
asst spring from Adams, could it?"
And how could you buy it from a
nan that's been dead over year?" L
Tony, coolly, stepping be- S
ween them. Jim Adams died in the II
ounty hospital right south of here in !;
iweetwater. He sold everything he &
yer owned in Valley Creek to Peter II
on here and 1t s on record. What are b
ou so anxious about taking it up
orr" tC
Barton hesitated, choosing his II
lords. watching the girls face. =
We'll, since that's so, / don't want g.
. put through crooked deal. I'm la
illing TO put up cash and work 1t out II
fty-ffty with you all here"
Work what out?" demanded Sue m
"Jim's gold claim. I'll tell you the W
traight truth. / was nurse at the &c
ospital where he died, and he told flu
lie about the ledge and where 1t was,
lowed me the sample of rock he'd tn
rought away with him, and after he dc
led took ii down and had it assayed.
showed S200 fo tha ton pratfv IN