Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-01-21

The question caught the Pearlhunter
unawares. He, too, was gazing out
over the landscape, but absorbed liz
things of which the placid little Jew
had not the remotest inkling
81 hardly know" he answered slow
ly, as if feeling for each word.
Thought maybe I'd go to school"
school p The Jew ridicuIed the
word with his hands. II know Already
men could be professors, undt dey got
noting. go by school not more as
two weeks for mine life, undt look at
me-"
The Pearlhunter did look at him
hard-faced, red-nosed, yellowish teeth.
a 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
undt run mill 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 Pearlhunter
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 at the cabin door.
Alone at last, he did the very thing
that nine men out of ten would have
1 7o,,o. %ooI, +bo 1ro ~ ouf nf hic yoolyo4
and fingered it Over-the concrete and
tangible evidence of great day won.
He had seen it born at midnight: had
seen it drive in through the gates of
dawn-and now it was forever his. He
spelled out the magic words: Five
thousand, wavy line, no hundredths
dollars. He said each bold figure over
to himself. Slowly a face grew alive
/ among the words and figures; a 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 groaning 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,
had stumbled and hurt himself
The groan came again. He sprang
into the bushes. The Jew had hurt
himself A look so wild and TERRIBLE
the Pearlhunter had never seen upon
the face of /. man. He had fallen upon
his back, with one arm cramped under
him. The other 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 Ieaped down the
hill and bent over him. 1t was then
he saw what the bloody hand was
clawing at--the handle If a 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 bearing 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
beat the pocket of his vest. "Himmel
De pearl! De Blue Moon" His eyes
grew vacant; Jared up again. mime
i Colt! Rachel Rachel !"
His mouth quivered open so wide
that his beard .rumpled upon his breast,
and the blood wellet 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
cleared. The finding of red mask be-
side the body would identify the MUIR
derer to any man in the Wabash coun-
try; the finding of another, upon a
search of the cabin, would be deemed
sufficient proof that the tenant of the
cabin was the murderer.
But why had the bandit planned to
lay the theft Of the jewel on him? 1t
was not his way. He took his toll at
the pistols point and galloped away.
Why had he changed his methods now
He had laid his plans we'll though
they hadn't worked out quite as he ex-
pected. The killing of Louie Solomon
had been an accident, forced on him by
the fact that the little Jew, in his
struggles, had CHANGED to claw the
mask off and had recognized him. 9th
! erwise he would have merely choked
him into Inconsistencies, taken the
pearl and left the mask behind to COM
plete the tangle he was weaving
around another man. He had probably
intended taking the pearl some time
that night leaving his mask behind,
and afterWard, when the hue and cry
was raised, suggest search of the
cabin. His chance had come sooner
than he had expected. Of course, he
could not have foreseen that the man
he wished to fix the crime upon would
be the first to find the body.