The Tomahawk., 1916-02-03

| l1SlpCu bcSSIS Will Lllo ulSuCo~ -CAaI
| tering the while about the gold; he
had talked of pockets" and produced
samples of likely quartz while she
fumed inwardly and said nothing
But he had never dreamed that he
was nuisance.
The old mans pride was stung to
| the quick. All night he lay upon his
| bunk in the clubhouse, bordering over
| the matter. At last he reached a de-
| cision. He had spent a hard and lone
| Iy life, and now, at eighty, he was
| quite willing to take up the threads
| again.
That morning Bessie and Edwin
| the table.
I'm going. CHILDREN" it ran. I'm
going to leave you for a while until
| I've located that quartz, or maybe
bed of shining nuggets in that gulch
1 was speaking Of Then I'll come
home. l guess you won't grudge me
the little bag of flour and the matches
and blanket I'm a-taking with me-"
They stared at each other. The old
man must have been gone long since.
| for when they searched the fiat OF the
plains he was nowhere in sight.
"I'll go after him." said Edwin.
mo-" answered Bessie. Hell come
back at nightlall, when he's tired, and
maybe it'll be lesson to him.
But nightfall arrived, and there was
no sign Of the old man. Nor on the
| following morning. Bessie was now
| thoroughly alarmed.
edwin, you must go and look for
him." she said. "You know which way
he went?"
Her husband nodded. cts twelve
miles distant" he said. II guess ]
can walk it and back by night"
II do hope he has come to no HARM"
said Bessie. ''He must have heard
me when I said what I did. I'm
sorry, dear. When he comes back
| I'll never lose my head again like
that"
| Meanwhile old Jim Ross was indus
triously grubbing among the boulders
of the gulch. He spent the entire
day there. At night he slept in the
river bed. Next morning, awakening
late, he stood up and peered out across
the plain. Some sense, long latent ip
him, told him that there was another
human being approaching him.
| He looked out to see man walking
across the sand and alkah. At once
fear came over him. This nan was
| b. III ~ ~ oHorichoS
gold.
Furtive as fox, he crept aiong thu
gulch, out Of sight~of his son, whom,
he had not recognized. Over his
shoulder he carried the sack full d
his precious stones. He knew that,
once clear of the gulch bed, he could
make his way among the mountains
and be we'll on his way homeward be-
fore the newcomer had come upon the
place where he had been.
He chuckled as he strobe manfully
across the plain, oblivious of the burn
ing sun. He covered mile after mile,
borne up by the knowledge that for.
tune, which he had evaded so long
lay hidden in that bag. And thus he
staggered into the cabin late at night,
an hour before Edwin's return.
IT found his tracks," cried Edwin, at
tho door. But he's gone - he
gone"
"No, he's here" answered his wifi
sourly "He played a fine trick on
us, Edwin. He's in his bunk, asleep
In the morning I'm going to send him
back by train"
The return of the old man, babbline
about gold, had awakened all her re
sentiment. Her husband saw that it
would be useless to argue with her.
But In the morning Bessie's anger was
unchanged. They found old Jim seat.
ed with his sack at the kitchen table.
He was taking stones out of It and ar:
ranging them along the edge.
well, children" he began, II reckon
the old man fooled the pair of ye.
Therell be no more drudging now, ii
I know the value Of what I've struck
in the hills. Look at them stones!"
He held one up to Ross and indi
Gated the tiny yellow tlecks among
the quartz.
1T amt much" he said, "but wait
till we get our stamps up here. Thatll
assay two ounces to the ton"
"This is too much" cried Bessie,
| "Now, listen, old man! I've had
enough of this talk Of gold!"
Old Jim pulled another stone out OF
the bag and looked at it with twin.
king eyes. 1t was a yellow stone
pure yellow, dull, rich, and unmistak
able, and at least as large as
pigeons egg.
Maybe this wouldn't make We
bracelet, honey" he said, holding il
up before her. Nor this he added
pulling out another. He shook out
dozen more from the bottom of thu
bag.