The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-11-26

the Oldest "clammer" present. nut
knowed hit were Blue Moon tn min
ute Inmped tn she'll"
The pearl, passing from hand t,
hand, had come round to the Bosl
again, who, STOPPING close to the llre
light, examined 1t through a small
hand lens such a most pearl fisher,
carry. "Pearlhunter." he said. turning
to the young man. you shorely al
lucky You've found y'ur pearl-an
a fortune 1t were |"
Then it's you that's lucky" Wal
the slow answer. "It's not mine."
Had the others not been too excited
they might have noticed that his lipa
were drawn; his voice strained.
The grizzlef old river Boss gripped
his calloused hand shut upon the
pearl; his seamy old face hardened
and there sprang up In his deep-set
eyes an expression rot unlike the ex'
preston In the eyes Of ha wk when
title to the prey In his claws Ii dis.
puted. But the expression passed. he
thrust the pearl back into the young
mans hand as though half afraid Of
it.
"Say." he growled. "what do you
think l ann"
1T was taken from your boat, IN
waters you expected to fish tomorrow.
You'd have found 1t anyway"
The hawkish glover left the blue
eyes Of the older man, leaving him
the frank-faced old Boss again. He
studied his young friend curiously.
"Well, I'll be damn'd" he chuckled
good-naturedly to himself, still study
Ing the other from under the edges Of
his eyes. Say" he continued, look
ing up frankly. II hain't got dern
bit more claim to 1t than l got to the
Bank Of Ingiand. II you fancy have
got claims. hereby gives an conveys
'em t you-an' II that hain't good
law. it's square deakn' b'twixt man
an man; an that's better'n law any
day"
you mean itT'
The younger man fingered the pearl
as If It had suddenly assumed new
value.
III you wan t. insult me, jist let on
like y'u think don't"
Hero-worshipers all. after the man
ner Of their kind, the other pearl fish,
ers, as II by common impulse, turned
their attention from the pearl to the
man that found 1t. He had become an
object of wonder and curious admira-
ton. No other achievement In the
world could possibly have so distin-
guished him in their eyes. Suddenly
one Of their number snatched of his
battered hat and yelled:
''Hooray fer tn Pearlhunter !"
The bluffs caught up the cheer that
followed and flung it back In multi
piled echoes, clear and far up and
down the night-bound shore. The
Boss, still hungry for the feel Of the
jewel, reached forth a grimy finger
and meditatively stirred the pearl
where 1t lay in the finders palm.
This ones rounder than them
other two. An it's got a SIMMER
sheen. Course I cayn't say p'intedly,
but l putt 1t at not less'n five thou
SAM"
The Pearlhunter was restless.
There was frail woman back sin the
cabin at Fallen Rock to whom the find
ing Of the pearl would mean more
than to anybody else In the world. It
would mean-the mans heart warmed
with the thought, as his mind revert
ed to the story of the afternoon.
back to the house on hill that over
looked the river-and good-by to the
cough forever.
But 1t was some time before the
first flush of excitement died down. It
is not one camp In a thousand that
ever sees a Blue Moon. The value Of
it was still under discussion when the
Boss happened to remember the fish
still lying in the boat.
9Th fish,! he exclaimed. 9TH
nies'll be at EN-"
"And / must be getting home" The
Pearlhunter was quick to seize the
chance.
Nf'V"SA ~ tAC OtdC1S, tlC IOoS
went down to the boat-not however,
until the Psarlhunter had torn a cor
ner out Of the cloth spread down by
the fire, wrapped the pearl up In 1t,
and put 1t carefully away in his
pocket.
Insisting on relieving the Boss from
rowing on the way back, he took his
place at the oars and waited for the
boat to be pushed of into the stream.
But the Boss, with his hand upon the
BOW, stood hesitatingly before giving
the final shove.
Shorty" he called to the man who
had danced the hornplpe, and who
was now gone back to the fire. bring
ne my oil shotgun an coat. reckon
ri camp at Fallen Rock might"
The Pearlhunter protested against
his going to such trouble; but the
Boss had his way.