The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-22

| ~ - uoI one camp III d LuouSdiio e'AH~
ever sees a Blue Moon. The value
of it was still uader discussion when
the Boss happened to remember the
fish still lying in the boat.
9TH fish" he exclaimed. 9TH flies'n
be at EN-
/ And I must be 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 it,
and put it carefully away in his pocket.
The fish were divided-a short mat
ter, since the Pearhunter kept only the
one bass he had first speared. Insist
ing 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 off into the stream. But the
Boss, with his hand upon the bow,
stood hesitating before giving the
Email shove.
| Shorty" he called to the man who
had danced the hornpipe, and who was
now gone back to the fire, bring me
my OF shotgun an coat. I reckon I'll
camp at Fallen Rock t'-night."
The Pearhunter protested against
| his going to such trouble; but the
Boss had his way.
THAT pearls intirely too valuable
to take chances on" he muttered, lay
ing his coat in the bow, with the shot
gun across it, giving the final shove
to the boat and leaping in. Il reckon
I'll jist stick around till y'u git it in
tn bank t'morrow. That hell-hound,
tn Red Mask, stuck up tn Milford
Stage down tn river last week. Your
Blue Moon would be nuts t. him; an
we did make a right smart fuss when
y'u found it, -
He shifted the six-shooter in his
pocket from between the edge of the
seat and his hip. picked up the shot
gun and examined the caps on the
tubes.
You en- all talk about these new
tangled six-guns that want t, but |
they cayn't nothin' come up with a
good OF scatterlock when things git |
tight"
The young man at the oars made no |
reply to these remarks. He was think |
ing of that bit of flaming cloth behind |
the chink at the cabin. For a moment |
the impulse came to him to tell the |
Boss, but he decided to keep his own |
counsel.
The moon had poked her round face |
up over the hills by the time they |
landed at Fallen Rock. Its light |
trickled like star dust in through the
out over the landing. 1t plated the
mean walls and roof of the house boat |
with a live, ripping inlay of liquid
silver. Except at one point where a
rifle laughed softly under the moon
beams, af if it knew some happy Sc
cret, the river slipped by on tiptoe,
afraid of waking the entranced woods.
The shore line came out into view and
paraded all it's charms. The foot
hills away across to the south drew
near and stood with barred heads, lis
tening.
The Pearlhunter tried to point out
something of sall this to his compan-
ion, but the old fellow merely raised
an eye as he secured the boat, and
muttered:
LUCKY we got done when we did.
TIL jack light wouldn't be woth
damn now
The moon can cut all kinds of capers
with a man at twenty. But fifty! The
Pearhunter grinned, picked up the big
bass and. led the way to the cabin
under the cliff.
The candle was still shining out
through the one small south window,
the DINNER for the moonlight, a little
square of luminous yellow set in the
gray and ragged logs. Full of the big
news he bore, the young man hurried
up the slope. The pearl almost seemed
to become a creature of sense and SYM
pathy; to feel warm aainst him; the
luster of it to shine through his pock- h
ct.
When within a few feet of the door
he heard his mother cough-hissing;
whistling; choky. He dropped the
fish and darted in at the door.
She stood stopped in front of her
chair, clutching the table. Her hand
moved over the cloth as if trying to
write. Blood was pouring from her
mouth and falling to the floor. He
sprang to her. She clutched his arm;
hung to him. He would not have be-
lieved it possible she had such force
in her fingers. She struggled pain
fully to choke back the blood; strove
pitifully to speak No word came
only that awful whistling Kissing gasp.
He saw the luster die in her eyes-the
eyes that in their day had been so
wonderful They were trying hard to
tell him something-words her lips
were not able to frame. He strove to
read their message. In vain! There
came last gasp; her body suddenly g.,
stiffened, quivered, relaxed-and he
eased her back into the chair. The
Iron Gr7ay-Woman was dead.
The Pearhunter raised her hands to
cross them on her lap. Some object ,
fell from the lax fingers to the floor. !
1t was a soldiers glove, stiff and mill
dewed with age. IN
Turning to lay it upon the table, he
stood startled and staring. His cry :