The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-11-18

Il nerer sce'd a Gle 4 FORE crios
the oldest -clammsI" present, "brt
knowed hit were a Blue Mon tn min
ute | lamped tn she'll"
The pearl, passing yro-n hsnd 70
hand, had come round to the Boss
again, who. STOPPING close to The fire.
light. examined IL through a small
hand lens such as most pearl e~hers
carry. "Pearlhunter." he satd turning
10 the young man. ''you shorely ali
lucky! You've found y'ur pearl-an
a fortune II were!"
Then it's you that's lucky" was
the slow answer. "lt's not mine"
Had the others not been too excited,
they might have noticed that his lips
were drawn: his voice strained.
The grizzled old river Boss gripped
his calloused hand shut tpon the
pearl; his seamy old face hardened
and there sprang up In MS deep-se
eyes an expression o unlike the ex
pressiOn In the eyes Of a ha wk whtn
title to the prey In his claws Is dis
puted. But the expression passed. lie
thrust the pearl back into the young
mans hand as though half afraid OF
1t.
SAY" he growled. what do you
think I am?'
ut was taken from your boat, In
waters you expected 10 fish tomorrow.
You'd have found II anyway
The hawkish glover left the blue
ewes Of the older man. leaving aim
the rrank-faced old Boss again. lie
studied his young friend slrionSly.
well. I'll he damn'dr' re chuckied
good. naturally to himself, still study.
ing the other from under tie edges OF
his eyes. Say" he continued, look
ing up frankly. 81 hain't got a dern
hit more claim 10 it than ! got TO The
Bank of lngland. If you fancy ] have
got claims, / hereby gives an conveys
EN- L you-an' If that hain't good
Inv, its square dealin' b'twixt mar
an man,; an that's better'n law any
day"
"You mean IT."
The younger man fingered the pearl
as IL II had suddenly assumed a new
value.
"If you wan t insult me jist let on
like WI think I 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 It.. He had become IN
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 Off his
battered hat and yelled:
"Hooray fer tn Pearlhunter!"
The bluffs caught up the cheer that
followed and flung II back In multi
piled echoes, clear ind far up and
down the night-bound shore. The
Boss. still hungry for the feel Of the
jewel, reached forth a grimy finger
and n%leditatfvely stirred the pearl
where II lay In the finders palm.
This ones rounder than them
other two. An it's got a SINNER
sheen. Course | cayn't say p'intedly.
hut | putt 1t at not less'n five thou.
SAN"
The ~Pearlhunter was restless.
There was a frall woman back in the
cabin AT Fallen Rock to whom the fnd-
Ing Of the pearl would mean more
than TO anybody else In the world. II
would mean-the mans heart warmed
with the thought. as his mind revert
ed to the story of the afternoon
back to the house Un a hill that over
looked the river-and good-by to tho
cough forever.
But II was some time before the
first flush of excitement died down. II
is not me camp in a thousand that
ever sees a Blue Moon. The value Of
II was still under discussion when the
Boss happened to remember the fish
still living In the boat.
18th fish," he exclaimed. 18Th
fies'l he at EN-"
"And I must be getting home" The
I'.arlhunter 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 II.
and put II carefully away In MS
pocket.
Insisting IN relieving the Boss from
rowing on the way hack. he took his
place at the oars and waited for the
boa. 10 be pushed off into tie 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 hornpipe. and who
was now gone hack to the fire. "bring
me 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.