The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-12-23

mr. the big day roingi II was
enough 10 make a nun restless.
The forenoon was nearly gone when,
through the trees up the river. he
caught the bright CLINT of the sun upon
oar blades. Even al hat distance he
knew the craft-LOuIe Solomon's long.
white six-oared skif.
Broom I'm hand. The P~earlhunter was
making a p~rodigious dust and clatter
among The chairs and boxes when the
pearl buyer. short and p~udgy-Jew
from his shrewd eyes TO his fat feet
stepped before the door.
House cleaning. hain'dt it?"
"Oh, just digging myself out"
Standing his broom against the wall.
he stepped outside. He knew Louie
Solomon welI-what pearl fisher did
nOt?-and Louie Solomon knew him.
Like two wrestlers on the ma the two
stood looking each other over-a man
that wanted 10 sell something; a man
that wanted to buy it-with the odds
on the one that could put up the big.
gest bluff. The world could be halved
just there.
Cup by de shpring?"
"A gourd."
The two went around the west end
Of the cabin and back TO where the
spring boiled out from beneath the
foot Of the cliffs. The Jew dipped up
a gourdful and drank so deep that the
PearIhunter knew Ii was no honest
thirst lie quenched. The bar OF the
Mud Hen was famous along the Wa
bash.
"Hlmmel! Dot shpring! Not once
] pass Fallen Rock I don't shtop undt
drink i'm. I'm cat3pin' here tonight.
I'm last night campin' here. but we
shtruck town late, undt got in mid de
Boss undt n lot of pearl fishers. Undt
dis morning" He threw up his pudgy
hands. the Jews exclamation point
when words fail. Zach Himmei. de
headt! Undt poker! All poker plgy-
ers vot | see, he's de schllck onel"
The Boss?"
"Bossl He don't can see last night
de candle. Dot timber buyer. | don't
met him before. Poker! From $23 he
trim mel"
The eyes of the Pearlhunter drew
together.
Timber! What was he like?"
"Oh. SO high like your shoulder" he
said. Light hair, blue eyes-undt
hell on cussin'."
did he wear a fancy vest?"
you know him?"
1--WE seen him"
The pearl buyer took Off his hat and
wiped his sleeve across his brow.
81 tell him I'm tonight campin' here.
He say mebbe he come down undt Gift
me chance To get II back. my SOB"
The Pearlhunter's eyes were still
drawn and thoughtful. though he made
no comment. hnt led the way back IN
the front of the cabin. as though he
believed his companion had merely
come up The hill for a drink at the
spring and would now go back TO his
skif. II completely deceived Louie Sol.
onion. for all his craftiness But. of
course. he had no means of knowing
the message the Boss had shouted up
from the boat the night before.
The ~Pearlhunter stepped inside the
door and picked up his broom. Out of
the little end of his eye he saw the
Jew watching him. He made a swipe
with the broom as If to go on with his
sweeping. 1t was a close grapple of
wits. But the lure of the pearl was
too much for Louie Solomon. He had
to come TO II at last and he had TO
come square. Taking off his hat. he
looked back over his shoulder and
again drew his sleeve across his brow.
I'm hearin' you picked up a blue
one"
The P~earlhunter leaned his bSpom
against the table and came out Upon
the door step.
who was telling you?'
"Oh, dey talk. You sell him7"
IF ! get my price"
allow much you want it?"
"Five thousand"
The little Jew almost fell over. His
fat hands punched the air full of ex-
clamation points.
"Five t'ousan'! Himmel! You pearl
fishers ISIS ali aiike-all crazy"
"That's my price"
He stepped back inside the. door and
reached for his broom. The other
hoped across The DON sill and caugh,
his arm.
"Himmel! Let II 60 dot broom! I
look at your pearl. You should jump
in de boat. undt we look him over at
de hank. But I know he turn out like
de rest-wort' mehbe five hundred:
mebbe n Q. You pearl fishers ISIS all
crazy. Himmel!"
The P~earlhunter followed In silence.
lie did not ask how the other knew
the Blue Moon was In the bank. know
ing what river men were when drink
had loosed their ng,ies After days
and weeks AT the clam rakes and the
mucky watts. with little more than an
occasional grunt between them. three
fingers of squirrel whisky would set
their tongues bobbing like u cork In a
suck hole.
Louie Solomon carried three rowers
In his long skiff. all hardy river men
that had been with him for years.
Each man wore a heavy six-shooter In
plain sight at his belt. Some said that