Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-01-20

"Why don't you get angry with me-"
she queried rvsfuliy. "or-or waliop
ms7"
and Smoke estimated the temperature
at NO more than 20 below. On top OF
their blankets lay six inches Of frost
crystals
Good morning. How are your
feetT was Smokes greeting across the
ashes OF the Ere to where Joy Gasteii
was sitting up In her sleeping furs.
Shorty built the fire and quarried ice
from the creek while Smoke cooked
breakfast Daylight came on MS they
finished the meal
you go an fx them corner stakes.
Smoke" Shorty said. There's grave
under where chopped Ice for the COT
fee, an I'm goin' to melt snow an
wash a pan of that same gravel for
luck"
Smoke departed. ak in hand. to blaze
the stakes Starting from the down.
stream center stake or No. "a. ne
headed at right angles across the nar
row valley toward its rim. de pro
ceeded methodically. almost automat
ically. for his mind was alive with rec.
elections OF the night before. BE felt
somehow that he had won to empery
over the delicate line and firm muscles
Of those feet and angles be had rub
bed with snow. and this empery seem
ed to extend to the rest and all of this
woman Of his kind. In dim and fiery
ways a feeling of possession mastered
him. II seemed that all that was nee.
essary was for him to walk mp 10 this
Joy Gastell. take her hand In his and
say Come"
IL was In this mood that he discov
cred something that made him forget
empery over the white feet OF woman.
At the valley rim he blazed no corner
stake. He did not reach the valley
rim. but instead he found himself con
fronted by another stream He lined
up with his eye a blasted willow tree
and a big and recognizable spruce he
returned TO the stream where were
the center stakes. he followed the
shoe bend through the fat ana FOUND
that the two creeks were the same
creek. Next be foundered twice
through the snow from valley rim tO
valley rim, running the first line from
the lower stake OF No. 81. the second
from the upper stake of No. % and
he found that the upper stake OF the
latter was lower than the lower stake.
OF the former. In the gray twinghi
and half darkness Shorty had Iocat
ed their two claims on the horse
shoe
Smoke plodded back TO the little
camp. Shorty. at the end OF washing
a pan OF gravel. exploded NJ sight at
him
We got itr Shorty cried. holding
out the pan. Look Mt It. A nasty
mess of gold Two hundred right
there II it's cent She runs rich
from the top OF the wash gravel"
Smoke cast an injurious glance at
the coarse gold. poured himself n cup
OF coffee at the fire and sat down
Shorty was disgruntled by his part
ners lack of delight In the discov
cry.
why don't you kick in an get ex
citedT' he demanded ave cot our
pile right here"
Smoke took a swallow OF coffee be
fore replying. shorty. why are our
two claims here like the Panama On
nal?"
What's the answer"
well. the eastern entrance OF the
Panama canal Is west OF the western
entrance. that's all"
60 on" Shorty said II amt seen
the Joke yet"
I'm short. Shorty. you staked our
two claims on big horseshoe bend
The upper stake OF % is ten feet be
low the lower stake of %"
You mean we amt got nothln'
Smoker"
Worse than that; we've got ten feet
less than nothing"
Shorty departed down the bank on
the run. Five minutes later 10 return