The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-04-19

All three of them looked at him in
sharp surprise. Gordon opened his
lips to answer and closed them again
without speaking. Sheba had flashed
a warning to him.
ST hope this trip isn't very far off
the trail" she said quietly. 'I'm just
wee bit tired"
sits not far" the mine-owner said
CURLY.
He was busy unpacking his sled.
Presently he found the dog moccasins
for which he had been looking, re-
packed his sled, and fitted the shoes
to the bleeding feet of the team lead
er. Elliot, suspicious and uncertain
what to do, watched him at work, but
at signal from Sheba turned re-
luctantly away and drove down to the
cutoff.
Macdonald turned his dogs out of the
trail and followed q little ridge for
perhaps a quarter of mile. Sheba
trudged behind him. she was full of
wonder at what he meant to do, but
she asked no questions. Some wise In
stinct was telling her to do exactly as
he said.
From the sled he took a shovel and
gave 1t to the young woman. "Dig just
this side of the big rock-close to the
root Of the tree" he told her.
Sheba dug, and at the second stroke
of the spade struck something hard
He stopped and pulled out sack.
"Open It," he said. "Trip it with
this knife"
She ran the knife along the coarse
weave of the cloth. Fifteen or twenty
smaller sacks lay exposed. Sheba
looked up at Macdonald, startled
question in her eyes.
He nodded. "You guessed It. This
is part Of the gold for which Robert
Milton was murdered"
"But-how did it get here?"
81 buried it there yesterday. Come
He led her around the rock. Back
of 1t lay something over which was
spread long bit of canvas. The hear
Of Sheba was beating wildly.
The Scotsman looked at her from 6
rock-bound face. Underneath this
canvas is the body of one of the mer
who murdered Milton. He died more
miserably than the man he shot. Hal
the gold stolen from the bank Is II
that gunnysack you have just dug up
| If you'll tell me who has the othel
half, I'll tell you who helped him roll
the bank"
"This man-who is he?" asked She
ba, almost In whisper. She was trem
bling with excitement and nervous
ness.
Macdonald drew back the cloth ant
showed the rough, hard face Of work
ingman.
| "His name was Trelawney. I kicket
him out of our camps because he wa
a troublemaker."
"He was one of the men that rObbe'
you laterr" she exclaimed.
eyes. And now he has tried to rol
me again and has paid for it with hi
life."
Her mind flashed back over the past
"Then his partner In this last Grim
must have been thessame man-what'
his name?-that was with him las
time"
"Northrup." He nodded slowly.
hate to believe it, but 1t Is probabl
true. And he, too, is lying somewher
in this park covered with snow-if on
guess is right"
| "And Gordon-you admit he didn
do it?"
! Again he nodded, sulkily. "No. b
didn't do It,"
Joy lifted in her voice. $50 yOu'v
brought me here to tell me. Oh, I al
glad, my friend, that you were so goot
/ And 1t is like you to do it. You hay
always been the good friend to me-"
The Scotsman smiled, little wis
fully. "You take mean advantage {
man. You nurse him when he's ILL
and are kind to him when he is we'll
and try to love him, though he is twic
your age and more. Then, when hi
enemy is in his power, he finds b
can't strike him down without strikin
you too. Take your young man, Sheb
O'Neill, and marry him, and for God
sake. get him out of Alaska before
come to grips with him again. II
not a patient man, and he's tried m
lsair. They say I'm good hater, and
always thought 1t true. But what
the use Of hating man, when YOU
soft arms are round him for a
armOr?"
The fine eyes of the girl were well
of warm light. Her gladness was NJ
for herself and her lover only, but fC
the friend that had been so nearl
lost and was now found. He believe
he had done it for her, but Sheba we
sure his reasons lay deeper. He we
too much Of a man to hide evidenC
and let his rival be falsely accused {
murder. 1t was not in him to do
cheap thing like that. When it can
to the pinch, he was too decent to sta
in the back. But she was willing
take him on his own ground.
'TTl always be thanking you for vol
goodness to me-" she told him simpl
He brushed that aside at one
.aThere's one thing more, lass. I
, likely not be seeing you again alon
so I'll say 1t now. Don't waste ar
: tears on Colby Macdonald. Don
, fancy any story-book foolishness abo7
spelling his life. That may be true
halfing boys, maybe, but man go
, his ain gait even when he gets b
facer."
eyes," She agreed. And in flas
she saw what would happen, that
the reaction from his depression
would turn to Genevieve Mallory al
marry her.
"You're too young for me, anyhow
! too soft and innocent. Once you to
me that you couldn't keep step wi
me. It's true. You can't. 1t was