The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-12-18
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| 1t was well toward evening when
| they pulled up to the landing at which
| the houseboat lay. Louie gave careful
| directions where to build the fire. and
| followed the Pearlhurier up through
the urderbrush beyond the strip OF
| open shore, and to the cabin, tapping.
every few steps, the pocket where the
| pearl lay. He went straight to the
| spring.
You should eat supper NIT me.
| hain'dt it?" h. said, the dripping
| gourd poised in mis- hand.
"Sure. But I'm not much on that
friend-of yours. / think I'll leave be-
fore he comes
The Pearlhunter had for some time
| been debating with himself whether
| or not to warn Solomon of the danger
| Gus character of the man that was com
| ing. The one consideration that kept
| him from speaking was the fact that
| he had no proOf-certain knowledge,
| but no proof. He decided not to speak
yet.
"YOu no like him?" The Jew
| laughed easily, hung the gOurd back
! on the stick and stood looking out over
| the landscape spreading away under
the genial sunshine.
"Vot you do now?"
The question caught the Pearlhunter
| unawares. He. too, was gazing out
over the landscape. but absorbed in
| things of which the placid little Jew
| had not the remotest inkling.
II hardly know" he answered SLOW
~, as If feeling for each word.
Thought maybe I'd go to school,"
School" The Jew ridiculed the
| word with his hands. 81 know Already
men could be professors, und, dey got
| noting. l go by school not more as
two weeks for mine life, undt look at
me-"
The Pearlhunter did look at him
har,l-faced, red-ncsed, yello'v:sh teeth
potty protuberance swung to the
| front of his waistline. 1t looked like
two weeks wasted.
"Why you don't buy timber? You
can shoot it dis waterfall into flume
uIlUt run ufili yet.
The Pearlhunter made no answer
The little Jew talked on.
"You can buy it de FlatwOOds a
ready yet, If you handle right your
money" He walked back around the
end of the cabin. The Pearhunter
| followed. 'Vell, you come long ven
you get ready, hain'dt it?"
He went on down the slope. through
| the bushes toward his skiff; the Pearl
| hunter turned in ut the cabin door.
Alone at last, he did the very thing
| that nine men out of ten would have
done; took the draft out of his pocket
| and fingered it over-the concrete and
| tangible evidence of great day won.
| He had seen 1t born at midnight; had
|. seen it drive in through the gates of
dawn-and now 1t was forever his He
spelled out the magic words: Five
thousand, wavy line. no hundredths.
dollars. He said each bold figure over
10 himself. Slowly face grew alive
| among the words and figures; face
framed in yellow hair; eyes that
| laughed. They had laughed for him.
| he had made them laugh. The draft
would make them laugh again. And
tomorrow she should send for that sur
geon.
The sound of grooming came In at
| the cabin door from the bushes down
the hill. The face was gone from the
| draft, He thrust it back in his pocket
and stepped out into the yard. His
! first thought was that the little Jew.
| none too sure-footed among the rocks.
he'd stumbled and hurt himself.
The grcan came again. He sprang
into the bushes. The Jew had hurt
himself. A look so wild and terrible
1 the PearIhunter had never seen upor
| the face of man. He had fallen upsn
| his back. with one arm cramped under
I! him. The ether arm was free. but he
/ seemed unable to rise. With his free
| hand he was clawing desperately at
| his bosom. and the fingers of the hand
| were mussed with blood.
| The Pearlhunter leaped down the
! hin and bent over him. 1t was then
\ he saw what the bloody hand was
/ clawing at--the handle Of knife, hilt
deep in his breast. The Pearlhunter
| raised him, and the other hand came
| free. 1t clutched bit of cloth of fam
| ing red-a red mask.
The Jew opened his eyes, recognized
the man hearing him up.
| dot timber buyer" he gasped out of
| his flooded chest He choke mel
| tear off de mask--he shtick me-" The
stricken Jew dropped the mask and
heat the pocket Of his vest. "Himmel!
De pearl! De Blue Moon!" His eyes
grew vacant; fared up again. milne
| Got! Rachel! Rachel!'
His mouth quivered open so wide
| that his beard rumpled upon his breast
| and the blood welled out over his-chin.
His eyes bulged; the smeared fingers
ceased clawing at the knife; he gasped
twice; and dropped back-dead.
The Pearlhunter picked up the bit
| of scarlet cloth that had fallen from
the dead mans hand. 1t Is surprising
how fast man can think when he has
to. The mystery of the arm thrust In
at the cabin door across the moonlight