The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1916-08-26

the boarded yellow particles that spell !
power There in the fastness OF those \
steep, pureatorial walls was the her
mitage OF the two volces-voices that |
no longer whispered OF hope. but left |
him IN the utter loneliness OF posses
sion and its birthright. fear
lie cried aloud for the companions /
ship Of men and glanced fearfully |
round lest man had heard him call.
lie again journeyed to the town be-
side the railroad. bought supplies and |
vanished, ragged wrath, on the |
horizon.
Back In the canyon he set about his
labors, finding numblng solace In
toll
But at night he would think OF the
child's face. He had said TO those
with whom he had left the child that
he would return with fortune They
knew he went away to forget. They
did not expect him 10 return. That
had been ten years age. He had writ
ten twice. Then he had drifted, al
ways promising the inner voice that
urged him that he would find gold for
think kindly OF him. So he tried to
buy himself with promises. Once he
had been n man of his hands, man
who stood straight and faced the sun
Now the people OF the desert town
eyed him askance. He heard them say
he was mad-that the desert had "got
him." They were wrong. The desert
and It's secret were his--a sullen para
mour, but his nevertheless. Had she
not given him OF her very heart?
He viewed his shrunken body, knew
that he stopped and shufied, realized
that he had paid the inevitable, the In
exorable price for the secret His wine
OF dreams had evaporated. He sifted
the coarse gold between his fingers, let
ting 1t fall back into the pan. Was It
| for this that he had wasted his soul?
In the desert town men began 60
notice the regularity OF his comings
and goings. Two or three OF them
foregathered In the saloon and COM
mented on Il.
"Hc packed some dynamite last trip
asserted one.
There was silence. The round
clock behind the bar licked loudly,
ominously.
"Then he's struck II at last" said
another.
"Mebby," commented the frst speak
er.
The third man nodded Then came
silence again and the absolute ticking
OF the clock. Presently from outside
In the white heat OF the road came the
rush OF hoofs and an abrupt stop. A
/ spurred and booted rider, his swarthy
face gray with dust, strobe In, nodded
to the group and called for whisky.
(which way did he go. SaundersT
asked one.
"North, as usual" said the rider.
Lets set down." suggested the third
man.
They shuffled TO a table. The bar
tender brought glasses and a bottle;
then, unlimited he pulled up a chair
and sat with them. The rider looked
at him polntedly.
ooh, I'm In on thisv' asserted the
bartender. "Daugherty Is the Wells
Fargo man here. lie won't talk TO mo-
body but me-about business"
whats that got TO do with itT'
queried the rider
"Just what you'd notice, Saunders
Listen. The rat left bag OF dust I'm
! the company's safe last trip, Daugh-
erty says its worth mebby FIVE hun
dred. He says the rats goin TO bring
In some more. DO l come inf"
you're on" said the rider, "Now,
see here. boys, we got TO find out If
he's fled on IL yet and what his name
Is. and then
"Mebby we'd better find out where
It IS first" suggested one.
And then jump him?" queried the
rider over his glass.
"And then jump him." chorused the
! group Hes out there alone. It's
easy" And each poured himself a
drink, for which, strangely enough, no
one offered to pay, and for which the
bartender evidently forgot TO collect.
Meanwhile the prospector toiled
through the drought Of that summer
boarding the little yellow fakes that
he washed from the gravel in the can
yon
All round him for miles each way
the water holes had gone dry. The
little canyon stream still wound down
It's shaded course, disappearing In a
patch OF sand at the canyons mouth,
so the prospector felt secure. None
had ridden out 10 look for him through
that furnace OF burning sand that
stretched between the hills and the
desert town.
The stream dwlndled slowly, imper-
ceptibly.
One morning the prospector noticed
1t and Immediately explored the creek
to its source, squirt OF water spring.
Ing from the roof OF grotto In the
elf. Such a supply, evidently from
tho rocky heart OF the range Itself
would be inexhaustible.
A week later he awoke 10 find the