The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1920-09-02
,e SLOW answer. .rt's moi mine. !.


The grizzled old river Boss grippel
his calloused hand shut upon the
pearl; his seamy old face hardened,
and there sprang up In his deep-set
eyes an expression not unlike the ex.
preston In the eyes OF hawk when
title to the prey In his claws Is dis.
puted. But the expression passed. He
thrust the pearl back into the young
mans hand as though half afraid Of
II.
SAY" he growled, what do you
think amp
ut was taken from your boat, In
waters you expected to fish tomorrow.
You'd have found II anyway"
The hawkish glover left the blue
ewes of the older man, leaving him
the frank-faced old Boss again. He
studied his young friend curously.
We'll, I'll be damn'di" 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, 81 halnt got a dern
bit more claim to 1t than got to the
Bank Of Ingland. If you fancy have
got claims, hereby gives an conveys
'em t you-an' II that haIn't good
law, It's square dealln' btwixt man
an man; an that's better'n law any
day."
"You mean III"
The younger man fingered the pearl
n ~ ~ hoA C.sxllx.lx.
value.
''If you wan T. insult me, jIst let on
like y'u think | don't"
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 It. lie had become an
object OF wonder and curious admlra.
ton. No other achievement In the
world could possibly have so dstin.
guished him in their eyes. Suddenly
one Of their number snatched Off his
battered hat and yelled
"HoOray fer tn Pearlhunterr
The bluffs caught up the cheer that
followed and flung II 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 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 SINNER
sheen. Course I cayn't say p'intedly,
but ! putt II at not less'n Ave thou
SAM"
The Pearlhunter was restless.
There was frail woman back In the
cabin at Fallen Rock to whom the find
ing OF the pearl would mean more
than to anybody else In the world. 1t
would mean--the mans heart warmed
with the thought. ms 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 II
is not one camp In thousand that
ever sees n Blue Moon. The value Of
It was still under discussion when the
Boss happened to remember the Ash
still lying In the boat.
9TH flshl" he exclaimed. 18th
flles'll be at 'em"
Sand ! must he getting home" The
Pearlhunter was quick TO seize the
chance.
Followed by the others, the Boss
went down to the bOat--not, however
until the Pearlhunter had torn a cor.
ner out OF the cloth spread down by
the fire, wrapped the pearl up In H.
and put 1t carefully away In his
pocket.
Insisting on relieving the Boss from
rowing on the way back, he took his
place ut the oars and waited for the
boat to he pushed on into the stream
But the Boss, with his hand upon the
bow, stood hesItatingly before givini
the final shove.
Shorty" he called to the man VIII,
had danced the hornpipe. and who
was now gone back to the Are. "hrlni
me my Of shotgun an coat. reckon
I'll camp ut Fallen Rock might"
The Pearlhunter protested agains
his going 10 such trouble; but til,
Boss had his way.
THAT pearls intirely toe vaiuabl,
20 take chances on" he muttered, lay
, Ing his coat In the bow, with the shot
gun across 1t, giving the final shove Il
the boat and leaplng In. II reckon
III fist stick around III y'u git II II
tn bank t'morrow. That hell.hound
tn Red Mask, stuck up III Milforr
stage down tn river last week. lon
Blue Moon would he nuts { him; m
we did make right smart fuss whcl
y'u found IT,"
lie shifted the siy-shooter IN hi
| pocket from between the edge of tn
seat and his hip, picked up the shot
gun and examined the caps on In
tubes.
"Y0u en- all talk about these new
tangled six-guns that wan T., but the
cayn't nothln' come up with good o
scatter-lock when things git tight"