The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-12-31

enough to make a man restless.
The forenoon was nearly gone when
through the trees up the river, he
caught the bright CLINT Of the sun upor
oar blades. Even at that distance he
knew the craft--Louie Solomon's long
white six-oared skin.
Broom In hand, the Pearlhunter was
making a prodlgious dust and CHATTER
among the chairs and boxes when the
pearl buyer, short and pudgy-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 mat the two
stood looking each other over-a man
that wanted to sell something; 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
Pearlhunter knew ii was no honest
thirst he quenched The bar of the
Mud Hen was famous along the Wa
bash.
"Hlmmeli Dot shprIng! Not once
! pass Fallen Rock | don't shtop undt
drink i'm. I'm campin' here tonight.
I'm last night campin' here, but we
shtruck town laIe, undt got In mid de
Toss undt lot OF pearl fishers. llndt
dis morningr He threw up his pudgy
hands, the Jews exclamation point
when words fail. ZACH Himmel, de
headt! Undt poker All poker play
ers vot | see, he's de schlick one!'
THE Boss?"
Boss! He don't can see last night
de candle. Dot timber buyer. l don't
met him before. Pokerl From S23 he
trim me''
The eyes of the Pearlhunter drew
together.
Timber! What was he likeY'
"Oh, so high like your shoulder he
said. Light hair, blue eyes-undt
hell on cussin'"
did he wear fancy vest?'
"You know him?"
1--WE seen him"
The pearl buyer took off his hat and
wiped his sleeve across his brow.
II tell him I'm tonight campin' here.
He shy mebbe he come down undt gift
me chance to get it back. my S23."
The Pearlhunter's eyes were still
drawn and thoughtful, though he made
no comment, but led the way back to
the front of the cabin, as though he
believed his companion had merely
come up the hill for q drink at the
spring and would now go back to his
skiff. 1t 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 1t 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 blue
one"
The Pearlhunter leaned his broom
against the table and came out upon
the door step.
"Who was telling your
"Oh, dey talk. You sell hhn!"
IF l get my price"
How much you want it?"
give thousand"
The little jew almost fell over. His
fat hands punched the air full of ex-
clamation points,
rive l 'hSdh AVh Ptuit
fishers iss all alike-all crazy"
That's my price"
He stepped back inside the door and
reached for his broom. The other
hoped across the door sill ana caught
his arm.
"Himme Let 1t 60 dot broom !
look at your pearl. You should jump
in DE boat, undt we look him over at
DE bank But | know he turn out like
de rest--wort' mebhe five hundred !;
mebbe no. You pearl fishers ISIS all
crazy Himmel!"
The Pearlhunter followed In silence.
He 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 tongues. After days
and weeks at the clam rakes and the
mncky watts. with little more than an
occasional grunt between them, three
fingers of squirrel whisky would set
their tongues bobbing like cork In a
suck hole.
Louie Solomon carried three rowers
t,. 4. 10. M sx-x ~ n